Bava Batra 25a (כה.) — the Talmud in English

The Gemara answers:

Rabbi Abba bar Zavda said, and some say Rabbi Abba bar Zutra,

there are those who say that it was not Rabbi Abba bar Zavda who said this, but Rabbi Abba bar Zutra:

because

it turns it into manure.

When the chaff falls onto the plowed soil, it increases the manure there and burns the seeds that were sown in it.

Mishna:

One must distance carcasses, graves, and a tannery,

a place where hides are processed, which produces a foul odor,

from the city by fifty cubits.

All of these must be distanced because of the foul odor.

One may establish a tannery only to the east of the city.

Because the eastern wind generally blows gently, it therefore does not carry the odor to the city, whereas the western wind, which blows forcefully, carries the odor far away, beyond the city.

Rabbi Akiva says: He may establish it in any direction except the west, and he must distance it by fifty cubits.

Rabbi Akiva permits establishing a tannery in any direction except on the western side.

And it must be distanced by fifty cubits; the Gemara explains what this refers to.

And one must distance a retting pool from vegetables,

one must distance from vegetables the water in which flax is soaked, as it becomes putrid and harms the vegetables.

and leeks from onions,

one must distance leeks from onions, because leeks diminish the flavor of onions.

and mustard from bees.

Because the bees come and eat from the mustard, and, since they acquire its pungent taste, they subsequently eat from the honey, causing a loss to the owner of the bees.

But Rabbi Yosei permits mustard.

His reasoning is explained in the Gemara.

Gemara:

They raised a dilemma: What did Rabbi Akiva mean,

the members of the academy were uncertain how to interpret Rabbi Akiva’s words in the Mishna. Did he mean that

he may establish it in any direction and place it adjacent,

in which case it is permitted to place the tannery adjacent to the city in any direction, and he need not distance it by fifty cubits,

except for the west, where he must distance it

by fifty cubits and may establish it?

If he wishes to establish a tannery there, he must distance it by fifty cubits, and then he may establish it.

Or perhaps,

perhaps his words mean that

he may establish it in any direction but must distance it by fifty cubits, except for the west, where he may not establish it at all,

even if he distances it by fifty cubits.

Come and hear

a proof from what we learned in a beraita:

As it was taught: Rabbi Akiva says: He may establish it in any direction and must distance it by fifty cubits, except for the west, where he may not establish it at all, because it is constant.

The beraita explicitly states the second interpretation of the dilemma.

Rava said to Rav Naḥman: What does “constant” mean,

what is the meaning of “constant”?

If we say it means constant among the winds,

that the western wind blows more frequently than the other winds,

but Rav Ḥanan bar Abba said that Rav said: Four winds blow every day, and the northern wind blows along with all of them, for were this not so, the world could not endure even for one hour.

The northern wind blows together with each of the other winds because it is gentle, pleasant, and clear, and it sweetens the other winds; without this, the world could not endure.

And the southern wind is the harshest of them all. And perhaps it is the son of the hawk who restrains it; otherwise, it would destroy the world.

“The son of the hawk” is an angel fashioned in the form of a hawk, who holds back the southern wind so that it will not destroy the world.

As it is stated: “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars, spreading its wings toward the south?”

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job, to demonstrate to him how He supervises the world: Is it through the understanding that you possess that you comprehend the unique providence exercised by the Holy One, blessed be He—that the hawk, an angel in the form of a hawk, causes its wing to grow, as expressed by the term “soars,” meaning that its limb [i.e., its wing] grows, and spreads its wings toward the south to restrain the southern wind so that it will not destroy the world?

It is evident from here that the western wind does not blow more frequently than the other winds, since it is the northern wind that blows constantly.

Rather, what does “constant” mean? —

Constant with regard to the Divine Presence.

The Divine Presence is always found in the west.

As Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Come and let us show gratitude to our ancestors,

the members of the Men of the Great Assembly,

who made known the place of prayer, as it is written: “And the heavenly host bows down to You.”

The members of the Men of the Great Assembly said this verse, and the heavenly host refers to the sun and the moon, which stand in the east and bow toward You, toward the west. It is evident from here that the Divine Presence is found in the west.

Rav Aḥa bar Yaakov raised an objection

he challenged this:

Rav Aḥa bar Yaakov

asked: How is it evident from the verse that the heavenly host bows toward the west?

Perhaps it is like a servant who receives a portion from his master, then retreats backward and bows.

Perhaps they bow toward the east, because they begin to shine in the east and there receive influence from the Holy One, blessed be He. This is similar to a servant who receives a portion from his master, then retreats backward and bows as he walks backward, continually moving away while bowing. So too, the heavenly host receives its portion in the east and from there continually moves away toward the west while bowing.

If so, how can this be used to prove that the Divine Presence is in the west? Perhaps the Divine Presence is in the east!?

And the conclusion of the Gemara is:

The matter remains unresolved.

Indeed, the matter remains subject to an objection without a resolution.

But Rabbi Oshaya held that the Divine Presence is everywhere

it is found.

As Rabbi Oshaya said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “You alone are the Lord; You made the heavens,” and so on? “

You alone are the Lord”—in that

Your messengers are unlike human messengers.

For

human messengers return their mission to the place from which they were dispatched.

When they are sent from one place to go to another, once they complete their mission they return to the place from which they departed in order to report that they fulfilled their mission.

But Your messengers return their mission from the place to which they were dispatched.

The messengers of the Holy One, blessed be He, return to Him from the very place to which they went to fulfill their mission, to report that they fulfilled it; they do not return to the place from which they departed.

As it is stated: “Do You send forth lightning bolts, and they go, and say to You: Here we are.”

Rabbi Oshaya derives the following from the wording of the verse:

It does not say, “They will come and say,” but rather, “They go, and say.”

That is, the Holy One, blessed be He, sends the lightning bolts to go and fulfill His mission, and afterward they say to Him: “Here we are,” meaning that we have fulfilled our mission. It does not say, “They will come and say,” which would indicate that after completing their mission they come to the place from which they departed and say to Him, “Here we are.” Rather, it says, “They go and say.” The meaning of “they go” is that they go to carry out their mission, and there they say to You, “Here we are,” meaning that we have fulfilled our mission.

This teaches

the verse

that the Divine Presence

is found

everywhere.

Therefore, the messenger need not return to the place from which he was dispatched.

And Rabbi Yishmael likewise held that the Divine Presence is everywhere. As it is stated: “Behold, the angel who spoke with me is going out, and another angel is going out to meet him.”

This verse appears in Zechariah’s prophecy. The first angel came to measure Jerusalem—to determine its length and width—and another angel came to overturn the mission of the first, as the Omnipresent changed His decision not to give Jerusalem a measure, and said: “Jerusalem shall be inhabited as unwalled villages,” meaning without limit.

Rabbi Yishmael derives the following from the wording of the verse: “And another angel is going out

after him”—it does not say, but rather

“is going out

to meet him.” This teaches

the verse

that the Divine Presence is everywhere.

For both angels are carrying out the mission of the Omnipresent, and it is written concerning the second angel that he goes out to meet the first; it does not say that he goes out after him. It is therefore evident that the first went out from one side, and the second went out from the opposite side to meet him. Both, then, depart from the Divine Presence to fulfill their missions. It is evident from here that the Divine Presence is everywhere, and therefore one was dispatched from one side and the other was dispatched from the opposite side.

And Rav Sheshet likewise held

that the

Divine Presence

is found

everywhere.

For Rav Sheshet said to his attendant: Set me facing any direction, except the east.

Rav Sheshet was blind and could not see, and he instructed his attendant to position him for prayer facing any of the three directions other than the east.

And not because the Divine Presence is absent there, but because the heretics worship in that direction.

It was not because the Divine Presence is absent in the east, but because the heretics customarily pray toward the east, directing their prayers toward the sun.

It is evident from here that Rav Sheshet held that the Divine Presence is everywhere, and therefore held that one may pray facing any direction.

And Rabbi Abbahu said that the Divine Presence is in the west, as Rabbi Abbahu said: What is the meaning of Uriah, “air of

Yah”?

In Persian, the west is called Uriah, and Rabbi Abbahu explained that this alludes to “the air of Yah,” meaning the air of the Divine Presence, which is there in the west.

Rav Yehuda said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “My teaching shall drop as the rain”? This refers to the western wind, which comes from the rear of the world.

That is, Moses our teacher compared the Torah to the four winds of the world, saying that just as the world cannot exist without the four winds, so too the world cannot exist without the Torah. And this is what Moses said in the Song of Haazinu:

“My teaching shall drop as the rain”—this refers to the western wind, because the western wind is everywhere called “behind,” and the nape is at the back of a person.

“My speech shall flow like dew”—this refers to the northern wind, which cheapens gold.

The northern wind brings heat and drought, and no rain falls. This causes famine, since the crops do not grow, and people sell their silver and gold cheaply in order to purchase grain.

And so it says: “Those who cheapen gold from the purse.”

The language of cheapness is used in connection with gold.

“Like storms upon the grass”—this refers to the eastern wind, which storms over the entire world like a demon.

That is, like a demon; this is when it comes as a calamity and does not blow in its usual manner, at which time it is gentle.

“And like raindrops upon the grass”—this refers to the southern wind, which brings forth raindrops and causes vegetation to grow.

The southern wind brings rain, and as a result vegetation grows.