Bava Batra 25b — the Talmud in English

It was taught: Rabbi Eliezer says: The world ![](pamud.bmp "

exact page location")

is similar to a portico.

Just as a portico is enclosed on three sides and its fourth side is open, so is the world.

And the northern wind is not enclosed, and when the sun reaches the northwestern corner, it bends and rises above the firmament.

When it reaches, at the time of sunset, the northwestern corner, from there it circles the roof of the firmament at night on the northern side.

And Rabbi Joshua says: The world is similar to a dome,

to a tent enclosed on all its sides,

and the northern wind is enclosed.

And when the sun reaches the northwestern corner, it circles and returns behind the dome.

The order of the sun’s movement is from east to south, from south to west, and from west to north; and when it reaches, at sunset, the northwestern corner, it enters there through a window within the firmament, circles the firmament, and returns from west to east.

As it is stated: “It goes toward the south and circles toward the north,” and so forth.

“It goes toward the south” during the day, and “circles toward the north” at night.

And the verse continues and says

“Circling, circling, the wind goes, and upon its circuits the wind returns.”

These are the eastern face and the western face, which sometimes it circles and sometimes it traverses.

That is to say, during the day the sun goes beneath the dome of the heavens, and this is called going; and at night it moves above the dome of the firmament, and this is called circling.

And the explanation of the verse is: It goes toward the south during the day—for every day, even on the short days in the period of Tevet, the sun traverses the southern direction during the day. And it circles toward the north at night—for every night, even on the short nights in the period of Tammuz, it circles the northern direction at night.

And the eastern side and the western side depend on winter and summer. In summer, on a long day, the sun rises at the northeastern corner and sets at the northwestern corner. For during the day the sun traverses three sides: the eastern side, the southern side, and the western side; it goes from north to south on the eastern side, then along the entire southern side, and then along the western side from south to north. It follows that it traverses the eastern side and the western side during the day. In winter, on a short day, it traverses during the day only the southern direction, for it rises at the southeastern corner and sets at the southwestern corner; and at night it circles three directions above the firmament: the western side from south to north, the northern side, and the eastern side from north to south. It follows that it circles the eastern face and the western face at night.

The continuation of the beraita:

He would say: We have arrived at Rabbi Eliezer,

this refers to Rabbi Eliezer, who would say that the world is similar to a portico. It is written in Job:

“From the chamber the tempest comes”—this is the southern wind,

whose wall is the middle one between east and west; for since the northern wind is open, the southern wind is similar to a chamber, which is interior between two walls. And “tempest” means storm.

“And from the scatterers, cold”—this is the northern wind,

whose wall is peculiar, from the expression “peculiar,” meaning that it differs from the other sides, for it is open.

“From the breath of God He gives ice”—this is the western wind,

for the cold comes from the western wind; therefore, “He gives ice” means winter.

“And He broadens water in solidity”—this is the eastern wind.

For through the eastern wind the rains become abundant, so that much rain falls, and this troubles people.

The Gemara asks:

But the Master said: The southern wind raises raindrops and causes vegetation to grow,

for it was demonstrated above that the southern wind brings rain and causes vegetation to grow; how, then, does it say here that the rains come from the eastern wind? The Gemara answers:

It is not difficult: This one is when the rain comes gently; that one is when it comes forcefully.

When rain falls gently, it comes from the south; and when it falls with pouring force—that is, violently—it comes from the east.

Rav Hisda said: What is the meaning of that which is written

what is the meaning of the verse

“From the north gold comes,”

which implies that gold comes from the north?

This is the northern wind, which makes gold cheap; and so it says: “Who pour out gold from the purse.”

This was explained above.

Rafram bar Pappa said in the name of Rav Hisda: From the day the Temple was destroyed, the southern wind has not been rained upon,

the southern wind does not bring beneficial rains,

meaning that the southern wind does not bring beneficial rain,

as it is stated: “He decrees concerning the right, and there is famine; he eats concerning the left, and they are not satisfied.”

The explanation of the verse is that the Holy One, blessed is He, decreed concerning the right, which is the south, that its wind should not bring beneficial rains; and through this there will be famine, for much grain and fruit will not grow.

And from where do we know that the right is the south?—

And it is written: “North and south, You created them.”

And the intention is north and south; it is demonstrated from here that the right is the south, because the east is called the face and the west the back, and when one stands with one’s face toward the east, the south is found on the right and the north on the left.

And Rafram bar Pappa said in the name of Rav Hisda: From the day the Temple was destroyed, the rains do not fall from a good treasury, as it is stated: “The Lord will open for you His good treasury,”

and it is written in the continuation of the verse, “to give the rain of your land in its time.”

When Israel do the will of the Omnipresent, and Israel dwell upon their land, the rains fall from a good treasury.

When Israel do not dwell upon their land, the rains do not fall from a good treasury.

Rabbi Isaac said: One who wishes to become wise should turn southward, and one who wishes to become wealthy should turn northward.

One who wishes to become wise should pray toward the south, and if he wishes to become wealthy, he should pray toward the north.

And your sign

so that you should not exchange them:

the table was in the north, and the menorah

in the south.

The table alludes to wealth, like a kings’ table, and it was in the north; and the menorah, which alludes to wisdom, since wisdom is compared to light, was in the south.

And Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: One should always turn southward, for through becoming wise, one becomes wealthy. As it is stated: “Length of days is in her right hand; in her left hand are wealth and honor.”

This refers to the Torah, through which one merits length of days as well as wealth and honor. Therefore, through turning southward, he will become wise in Torah, and he will also have wealth.

The Gemara asks:

But Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: The Divine Presence is in the west,

so, then, one should pray toward the west.

And the Gemara answers:

For he inclines it somewhat.

He prays toward the west and inclines slightly toward the south; that is, he prays diagonally toward the southwestern corner.

Rabbi Hanina said to Rav Ashi: In your case, since you dwell in the north of the Land of Israel, turn southward, turn southward.

Rabbi Hanina disputes the earlier amoraim and holds that one must pray toward the Land of Israel and Jerusalem, as the verse says: “And they will pray to You by way of their land.” Therefore he said: Since you sit on the northern side of the Land of Israel, pray toward the south, which is in the direction of the Land of Israel.

And from where do we know that Babylonia stands to the north of the Land of Israel?

From where do we know that Babylonia is situated to the north of the Land of Israel, so that if one wishes to pray toward the Land of Israel, one must pray toward the south?

For it is written: “From the north the evil will be opened upon all the inhabitants of the land.”

And the intention is that the evil will come from Babylonia, for Nebuchadnezzar will conquer the Land of Israel and destroy the Temple.

We learned in the Mishna:

“One distances a soaking place from vegetables, and so forth.”

The tanna taught: Rabbi Yosei permits [planting] mustard,

because of

for he can say to him: Before you say to me, ‘Distance your mustard from my bees,’ distance your bees from my mustard, for they come and eat the tops of my mustard.

This was explained above [on page 18a; see there in the sugya].

Mishna:

One distances a tree from a pit twenty-five cubits.

Because the roots spread out and loosen the walls of the pit.

And in the case of a carob tree or a sycamore tree, fifty cubits.

Since their roots are numerous and spread as far as fifty cubits.

Whether from above or from the side.

Whether one of them is above, at the height of the slope of a mountain, and the other is below, at its foot; and whether both are on level ground, one beside the other.

If the pit preceded [the tree], he cuts [the tree] and gives money.

Even though he planted without permission, since the pit preceded him, nevertheless the Sages did not obligate him to cut it without payment. Since it does not cause damage immediately, but only after a long time, and this is the damage of an individual.

And if the tree preceded [the pit], he does not cut [it],

since he planted with permission, they did not obligate him at all to cut it.

If it is uncertain whether this preceded and it is uncertain whether this preceded, he does not cut [it],

because of the uncertainty he need not cut it, as the Gemara explains above [24b].

Rabbi Yosei says: Even though the pit preceded the tree, he does not cut [it], for this one digs within his own property and that one plants within his own property.

Rabbi Yosei disputes this and holds: Since it does not cause damage immediately, but only after a long time, when the roots spread, it is considered that he acts within his own property and does not enter his fellow’s domain; therefore, in this case, it is incumbent upon the one harmed to distance himself.

Gemara:

The tanna taught,

we learned in the barai

ta: Whether the pit is below and the tree is above, or whether the pit is above and the tree is below.

The Gemara asks:

Granted, when the pit is below and the tree is above, the roots go and damage it—the pit.

When the pit is below and the tree is above, it is understandable why one must distance [the tree], because the roots spread toward the pit, descending from above to below;

but when the pit is above and the tree is below, why?

When the pit is above and the tree is below, why must one distance [the tree]? How will the roots rise upward toward the pit?

The Gemara answers:

Rabbi Haga said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: Because they corrode the earth and undermine the floor of the pit.

Because the roots travel within the earth beneath the floor of the pit, and undermine the earth, causing the foundations of its walls to fall.

We learned in the Mishna:

Rabbi Yosei says: Even though the pit preceded the tree, he does not cut [it], for this one digs within his own property and that one plants within his own property.

Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Yosei.

Rav Ashi said: When we were at the academy of Rav Kahana,

when we were in Rav Kahana’s academy,

we would say: Rabbi Yosei concedes in the case of “his arrows,”

when the damage comes immediately, for this is considered like one who throws arrows into his fellow’s domain.

Pappi Yona was poor and became wealthy,

he had previously been poor and afterward became wealthy.

He built a mansion,

he built a structure in his courtyard;

there were sesame-pressers living next to him, and when they pounded sesame, his mansion would shake,

they were living beside him, pressing sesame, pounding it and extracting its oil; and when they pounded it to crush it, the building he had built in his courtyard would shake.

He came before Rav Ashi,

Pappi Yona came before Rav Ashi to say that they were causing him damage.

He said to him: When we were at the academy of Rav Kahana, we would say: Rabbi Yosei concedes in the case of his arrows.

And here, too, it is “his arrows”; that is, it is like one who throws arrows, because when they pound [the sesame], his fellow’s building then shakes.

And the Gemara explains:

And how much

shaking of the mansion is considered damage?