Bava Batra 25b (כה:) — the Talmud in English

It was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Eliezer says: The world

resembles an exedra.

Just as an exedra is enclosed on three sides, with its fourth side open, so is the world.

And the northern direction is not enclosed; and once the sun reaches the northwestern corner, it bends and rises above the firmament.

When it reaches the northwestern corner at sunset, from there it circles the roof of the firmament during the night, in the northern direction.

And Rabbi Yehoshua says: The world resembles a domed canopy,

a tent enclosed on all its sides,

and the northern direction is enclosed.

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

The sun’s course is from east to south, from south to west, and from west to north. When it reaches the northwestern corner at sunset, it enters there through a window in 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 on.

“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 it sometimes circles and sometimes traverses.

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

The meaning of the verse is: “It goes toward the south” during the day—for every day, even during the short days of the season of Tevet, the sun travels through the southern direction during the day—“and circles toward the north” at night. For every night, even during the short nights of the season of Tammuz, it circles through the northern direction at night.

The eastern and western directions depend on winter and summer. In summer, on a long day, the sun emerges from the northeastern corner and sets at the northwestern corner. During the day, the sun therefore traverses three sides: east, south, and west. It travels from north to south along the eastern side, then through the entire southern side, and then along the western side from south to north. Thus, it traverses the eastern and western faces during the day. In winter, on a short day, it traverses only the southern direction during the day, emerging from the southeastern corner and setting at the southwestern corner. 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. Thus, it circles the eastern and western faces at night.

The continuation of the beraita:

He would say: This applies to Rabbi Eliezer,

this refers to Rabbi Eliezer, who said that the world resembles an exedra. It is written in the Book of Job:

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

whose wall is the middle one between east and west. Since the northern direction is open, the southern direction resembles a chamber, which is situated within, between two walls. “Tempest” means a storm.

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

whose wall is muzeret, from a term meaning strange, as it differs from the other sides in that it is open.

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

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

“And broad waters in the clouds”—this is the eastern wind.

For through the eastern wind the rains increase: a great deal of rain falls, causing distress to people.

The Gemara asks:

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

this proves above that the southern wind brings rain and causes vegetation to grow. How, then, can it say here that the rain comes from the eastern wind? The Gemara answers:

This is not difficult: This one refers to rain that comes gently, and that one refers to rain that comes violently.

When rain falls gently, it comes from the south; when it falls in a downpour, meaning 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 comes gold,”

which implies that gold comes from the north?

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

This was explained above.

Rafram bar Pappa said that Rav Hisda said: From the day the Temple was destroyed, the southern wind has not brought rain

properly,

meaning that the southern wind does not bring beneficial rain,

as it is stated: “He decreed upon the right hand, and there was famine; he devoured upon the left hand, and they were not satisfied.”

The meaning of the verse is that the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed upon the right, which is the south, that its wind should not bring beneficial rain. As a result, there would be famine, since abundant grain and fruit would not grow.

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

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

The reference is to north and south. This proves that the right is the south, because east is called the front and west the rear; and when one stands facing east, the south is on one’s right and the north on one’s left.

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

and the continuation of the verse states: “to give the rain of your land in its time.”

When Israel does the will of the Omnipresent, and Israel dwells on its land, the rains descend from a good treasury.

When Israel does not dwell on its land, the rains do not descend from a good treasury.

Rabbi Yitzhak 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 one wishes to become wealthy, one should pray toward the north.

And your mnemonic

so that you will not exchange them,

is: The table

in the north, and the menorah in the south.

The table alludes to wealth, like the table of kings, and it was in the north; and the menorah alludes to wisdom, as wisdom is compared to light, and it was in the south.

And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: One should always turn southward, for by 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 Torah, through which one merits length of days as well as wealth and honor. Therefore, by turning southward, one will become wise through Torah and will also become wealthy.

The Gemara asks:

But Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said that the Divine Presence is in the west;

if so, one should pray toward the west.

The Gemara answers:

He inclines 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 Eretz Yisrael, turn fully southward.

Rabbi Hanina disagrees with the preceding amoraim and holds that one must pray toward Eretz Yisrael and Jerusalem, as the verse says: “And they will pray to You by way of their land.” Therefore he said: Since you dwell in the northern part of Eretz Yisrael, pray toward the south, which is in the direction of Eretz Yisrael.

And from where do we know that Babylonia lies to the north of Eretz Yisrael?

From where do we know that Babylonia is situated north of Eretz Yisrael, so that one who wishes to pray toward Eretz Yisrael must pray toward the south?

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

The meaning is that the evil will come from Babylonia: Nebuchadnezzar will conquer Eretz Yisrael and destroy the Temple.

We learned in the Mishna:

“One must distance a soaking pit from vegetables, etc.”

The tanna Rabbi Yosei permits mustard,

because

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

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

Mishna:

One must distance a tree from a pit by twenty-five cubits.

Because the roots spread out and weaken 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 above or to the side.

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

If the pit preceded the tree, he cuts down the tree and pays compensation.

Although he planted without authorization, since the pit preceded the tree, nevertheless the Sages did not require him to cut it down without compensation. Since it does not cause damage immediately, but only after a long time, and the damage is suffered by a single individual.

But if the tree preceded the pit, he need not cut it down,

since he planted with authorization, the Sages did not require him at all to cut it down.

If it is uncertain which came first, he need not cut it down,

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

Rabbi Yosei says: Even if the pit preceded the tree, he need not cut it down, because this one digs within his own property and that one plants within his own property.

Rabbi Yosei disagrees and holds that since the damage does not occur immediately, but only after a long time, when the roots spread, it is considered that he is acting within his own property and is not entering his fellow’s domain. Therefore, in this case, the injured party must distance himself.

Gemara:

The tanna

taught in a beraita:

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 travel downward and damage the pit.

When the pit is below and the tree is above, it is understandable why one must distance them, since 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, must one distance them? How can the roots rise upward toward the pit?

The Gemara answers:

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

The roots travel within the earth beneath the floor of the pit, weakening the ground and causing the foundations of its walls to collapse.

We learned in the Mishna:

Rabbi Yosei says: Even if the pit preceded the tree, he need not cut it down, because this one digs within his own property and that one plants within his own property.

Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Yosei.

Rav Ashi said: When we were in the study hall of Rav Kahana,

when we were in Rav Kahana’s yeshiva,

we would say: Rabbi Yosei concedes with regard to “his own arrows,”

when the damage occurs immediately, as this is considered like shooting arrows into another’s property.

Pappi Yona had been poor and became wealthy,

he had initially been poor and subsequently became wealthy.

He built a mansion,

he built a structure in his courtyard,

and these sesame pressers were living in his neighborhood, for when they would pound sesame seeds, his mansion would shake,

they lived beside him and pressed sesame seeds, pounding them and extracting their oil; and when they pounded them, the structure 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 in the study hall of Rav Kahana, we would say: Rabbi Yosei concedes with regard to “his own arrows.”

Here too, this is considered “his own arrows,” meaning it is like shooting arrows, because when they pound the sesame, his fellow’s building shakes.

The Gemara explains:

And how much

shaking of the mansion is considered damage?