Bava Batra 11a (יא.) — the Talmud in English

It was taught: They said about Benjamin the Righteous, who was appointed over the charity fund, that once a woman came before him during a time of famine and said to him, “My master, sustain me.” He said to her, “By the Temple service

a formula of oath,

there is nothing at all in the charity fund.” She said to him, “My master, if you do not sustain me, then a woman and her seven children will die.”

She said to him, “My master, if you do not support me, then a woman and her seven children will die.”

He arose and sustained her from his own funds.

After some time he became ill

Benjamin the Righteous

and was on the verge of death. The ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed be He: “Master of the Universe, You said: Anyone who sustains a single soul

from Israel is considered as though he sustained an entire world.”

For this reason man was created alone: to teach you that anyone who sustains a single soul from Israel is considered as though he sustained an entire world. And furthermore, we find that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Cain, who killed Abel: “The voice of the bloods of your brother cries out to Me.” It does not say “the blood of your brother,” but “the bloods of your brother,” meaning his blood, and the blood of his offspring, and the blood of his offspring’s offspring, forever. From here it is derived that one who destroys a single soul from Israel is considered as though he destroyed an entire world, and one who sustains a single soul from Israel is considered as though he sustained an entire world—and the ministering angels pleaded before the Holy One, blessed be He—

And

because

Benjamin the Righteous, who sustained a woman and her seven children, should die within these few years?

Immediately, they tore up his verdict!

And

the tanna taught: They added twenty-two years to his lifespan.

The Sages taught: There was an incident involving King Monbaz

who squandered his treasuries and the treasuries of his ancestors during years of famine,

for he spent all his money and his ancestors’ money in order to feed the poor.

And his brothers and his father’s household assembled against him,

they gathered around him,

and said to him: “Your ancestors stored away

treasuries

and added to

the treasuries

of their fathers, and

if

you squander them!” He said to them: “My deeds are superior to the deeds of my ancestors, for

my

ancestors stored away

treasuries

below,

in this world.

But

if

I stored away above,

for the World to Come.

As it is stated: “‘Truth shall spring up from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven,’”

meaning: When ‘truth shall spring up from the earth,’ when Israel perform acts of charity, then ‘righteousness shall look down from heaven,’ to repay those who perform charity with good reward.

That is, when “truth shall sprout from the earth,” when Israel perform acts of charity, then “righteousness shall look down from heaven” in order to repay those who perform charity with a good reward.

Furthermore,

my ancestors stored away in a place over which the hand has control,

and their treasuries are in danger.

But

if

I

stored away in a place over which the hand has no control, as it is stated: “‘Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne,’”

meaning that acts of righteousness and justice are stored beneath the Throne of Glory.

That is, acts of righteousness and justice are stored beneath the Throne of Glory.

Furthermore,

my ancestors stored away something that produces no fruit, whereas I stored away something that produces fruit,

for acts of kindness are among the things that produce fruit in this world, while the principal remains intact for the World to Come.

As it is stated: “‘Tell the righteous that it is good, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds,’”

meaning that the righteous shall eat the fruit of their righteousness in this world.

That is, the righteous will eat the fruit of their righteousness in this world.

King Monbaz further added—

My ancestors stored away

[treasuries of]

money, whereas I stored away treasuries of souls, as it is stated: “‘The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life’”

[the reward for the fruits of the righteous’ deeds is like a tree of life that endures forever]

the reward for the fruit of the righteous’ deeds is like a tree of life that endures forever ,

“and one who takes souls is wise.”

Thus, one who gives charity and sustains souls is called “one who takes souls.”

Furthermore,

my ancestors stored away for others, and

if

I stored away for myself, as it is stated: “‘And it shall be charity for you’”

meaning that the charity is attributed to those who perform it.

Thus, the charity is attributed to the person who performs it.

Furthermore,

my ancestors stored away for this world, whereas I stored away for the World to Come, as it is stated: “‘Your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall gather you in,’”

meaning that after a person departs to his eternal home, his acts of righteousness go before him .

That is, after a person goes to his eternal home, his acts of righteousness go before him.

We learned in the Mishna: One who rents a residence in a city is not obligated to participate in the city’s expenses unless he has lived there for twelve months—

but if he purchased a residence there, he is immediately considered one of the people of the city

at once.

What is explained in

the Mishna,

that one who resides in a city is not immediately considered one of the people of the city, but is so considered if he purchased a residence there,

is not in accordance with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel.

For it was taught: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: If he purchased there,

in the city, even

any amount of land, he is immediately considered one of the people of the city

and is obligated to participate in the city’s expenses. Thus, according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, it is sufficient to purchase any amount of land in order to be considered a member of the city.

And we raise a difficulty:

But

is it

not taught that

Rabban

Shimon ben

Gamliel says

that

if he purchased there

in the city,

land suitable for a residence, he is considered one of the people of the city?

It is clear that in order to be considered a member of the city, one must purchase land suitable for building a residence upon it, whereas in the earlier beraita they said that even if he purchased land of any size, he is immediately considered one of the people of the city.

And we answer:

There are two tannaitic opinions, both in accordance with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel.

The tannaim disputed the meaning of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel’s statement. Some said in his name that one must purchase land in the city suitable for building a residence upon it. Others said in his name that even if he purchased any amount of land, he is considered one of the people of the city.

Mishna:

If partners own a courtyard, and one of the partners wishes to dissolve the partnership and divide the courtyard,

they may not divide the courtyard unless there will be

after the division

four cubits for this one and four cubits for that one.

But if the courtyard is smaller than eight cubits, and after the division each one will not retain four cubits, one cannot compel the other to divide the courtyard—

The reason for this law is explained later in the Mishna: A partner may compel his partner to divide the jointly owned property only if, even after the division, the name of the property being divided will not change. The Sages determined that as long as a courtyard contains four cubits, it is still called a “courtyard.” But an area smaller than four cubits is not called a “courtyard,” and one cannot compel his partner to take a portion that is not called a courtyard.

And

likewise

one

cannot compel his partner to divide

the field unless there will be in it

after the division

nine kav for this one and nine kav for that one.

Rabbi Yehuda says:

It is not necessary that there be nine kav for each one; rather,

until there will be in it nine half-kav measures for this one and nine half-kav measures for that one!

And

likewise

one

cannot compel his partner to divide

the garden unless there will be in it

after the division

half a kav for this one and half a kav for that one.

For this is the smallest measure for an area to be called a “garden.”

Rabbi Akiva says:

It is not necessary that after the division there be half a kav for each one; rather, it is sufficient that after the division each one have an area of

a quarter-kor

for this area is also still called a garden.

And

likewise

one

cannot compel his partner to divide

the reception hall, nor the muran

a type of reception hall,

nor the dovecote, nor the garment, nor the bathhouse, nor the olive press

in which olives are crushed,

nor the irrigated field

a field that is watered from the spring adjacent to it,

unless there will be in them

unless, even after the division, there will be in them

enough for this one and enough for that one,

meaning that each one will retain a portion suitable for that particular thing, as the Mishna continues to explain.

This is the principle: Anything that can be divided and its name will remain upon it,

so that even after the division the name of that thing will not change,

may be divided;

one can compel the other to divide it with him.

But if not,

if after the division the name of the object will change [because of its small size],

they may not divide it!

When

they said that if the name of the property would change after the division, it may not be divided, this applies only

when the two of them do not wish [to divide]; but when the two of them wish

to divide,

they may divide even less than this! —

This law is obvious and need not be stated, since certainly, if both of them wish, they may divide in the manner they agree upon. This law was stated here only because of the following law—

And

if they were partners in

sacred writings,

a Torah scroll, or Prophets and Writings written on parchment and attached together like a Torah scroll, then

even though both of them wish

to divide,

they may not divide them,

because cutting them is disgraceful.

Gemara:

Rabbi Asi said that Rabbi Yohanan said: The four cubits that they stated

in the Mishna, that the courtyard may not be divided unless each one will retain a courtyard four cubits in size,

are in addition to the entranceways,

in addition to another four cubits that each one must have at the entrance to his house. That is, Reuven and Shimon, whose houses opened into a single courtyard and who were partners in that courtyard, and now one of them wishes to divide it: each one must retain four cubits in the courtyard, as explained in the Mishna, and in addition each one must have another four cubits at the entrance to his house, so that he can unload his burden from the donkey. It follows that one cannot compel the other to divide unless the courtyard contains sixteen cubits, since after the division each one must have eight cubits: four cubits at the entrance to his house and another four cubits in the courtyard.

It was taught likewise: They may not divide the courtyard unless it contains eight cubits for this one and eight cubits for that one.

But

is it

not the case that we learned: Four cubits for this one and four

cubits for that one?

Rather, conclude from this in accordance with Rabbi Asi,

that in addition to the four cubits discussed in the Mishna, each one must have another four cubits at the entrance to his house—

conclude from it!

And there are those who raise it as an objection:

There are those who cite the statement of Rabbi Asi as an answer to a question -

We learned:

in our Mishna:

“The courtyard is not divided until there are four cubits for this one and four cubits for that one.” And

it is difficult:

does

it

not state

in a beraita that there must be

eight cubits for this one and eight cubits for that one?

And in response to this difficulty

Rabbi Asi said that Rabbi Yohanan said:

that

the four cubits that they stated

in our Mishna means four cubits

in addition to

the four cubits

for the entrances

that each person requires at the entrance to his house.

Rav Huna said:

If a person had a courtyard containing two houses, one house having two entrances while the other had only one entrance, and he divided these houses among his sons, giving each of them one house in the courtyard, but did not specify for them how they should divide the courtyard, then

the courtyard is divided according to its entrances.

The one whose house has two entrances receives two-thirds of the courtyard, while the one whose house has one entrance receives one-third of the courtyard.

And Rav Hisda said:

The courtyard is not divided according to its entrances. Rather,

four cubits are allotted for each and every entrance.

First, each of them receives four cubits opposite the entrance to his house. [The four cubits are only in length, meaning from the entrance of his house and farther into the courtyard; but the width of the area he receives is determined by the width of the entrance, as explained later in the passage

and the remainder is divided equally!

It was taught

in a beraita

in accordance with Rav Hisda:

Entrances in a courtyard have

for their owners

four cubits

in the courtyard opposite the entrance to their house. And if

one had one entrance and the other had two entrances, the one who had one entrance receives four cubits

opposite the entrance to his house,

and the one who had two entrances receives eight cubits

four cubits corresponding to each entrance,

and the remainder is divided equally!

And if

one had

of the homeowners

a single entrance eight cubits wide, he receives eight cubits opposite the entrance and four cubits in the courtyard.

And he objects:

What purpose do the four cubits in the courtyard serve?

He has already received eight cubits opposite the entrance to his house.

Abaye said: This is what it means: He receives eight cubits along the length of the courtyard

corresponding to the width of the entrance to his courtyard,

and

the length of those eight cubits is

four cubits across the width of the courtyard.

This is the law applying to every entrance, which requires four cubits opposite it.

Ameimar said: With regard to this pit of date pits:

If there was, inside his courtyard, a pit in which date pits were placed as food for animals, then

he has

the one in whose domain the pit is

four cubits

in the courtyard

in every direction

from this pit, because included in his acquisition of this pit is the acquisition of four cubits surrounding it, so that he can approach the pit from every side.

And we said this

but this law applies

only

when

no entrance is designated for it:

There is no special entrance in the house through which one exits to this pit; rather, he exits through the regular entrance and walks to that pit. Since this is the case, he acquired four cubits around the pit on every side -

And the prophet continues: ‘

And the Lord said to the Satan: Behold, everything he has is in your hand; only against him,

against Job himself,

do not

stretch out your hand, and so on.’

And it came to pass one day, that his sons and daughters

of Job

were eating and drinking wine in the house of their firstborn brother, when a messenger came to Job and said: The oxen were plowing

and the she-donkeys were grazing beside them.’

What is the meaning of “The oxen were plowing and the she-donkeys were grazing beside them”?