Mishnayos Bava Basra Perek 3 Mishnah 1
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בבא בתרא פרק ג׳ משנה א׳
With regard to the presumptive ownership of houses; and of pits; and of ditches; and of caves, which are used to collect water; and of dovecotes; and of bathhouses; and of olive presses; and of irrigated fields, which must be watered by people; and of slaves; and all similar property that constantly, i.e., throughout the year, generates profits, their presumptive ownership is established by working and profiting from them for a duration of three years from day to day. If the one in possession of the property can prove that he worked and profited from it for the previous three full years, there is a presumption that it belongs to him, and would remain in his possession if another were to claim that the property belonged to him or to his ancestors. With regard to a non-irrigated field, i.e., one that is watered by rain, in which produce grows during certain seasons during the year, its presumption of ownership is established in three years, but they are not from day to day, since the fields are not worked and harvested continually throughout the three-year period. Rabbi Yishmael says: Three months of possession in the first year, three months of possession in the last year, and twelve months of possession in the middle, which are eighteen months, suffice to establish the presumption of ownership with regard to a non-irrigated field. Rabbi Akiva says: A month of possession in the first year, and a month of possession in the last year, and twelve months of possession in the middle, which are fourteen months, suffice to establish the presumption of ownership with regard to a non-irrigated field. Rabbi Yishmael said: In what case is this statement, that eighteen months are required for a non-irrigated field, said? It is said with regard to a white field [bisdeh lavan], i.e., a grain field. But with regard to a field of trees, once he gathered his produce, and then harvested his olives, and then gathered his figs, these three harvests are the equivalent of three years. Since he harvested three types of produce, this is equivalent to having possessed the field for three years.
חֶזְקַת הַבָּתִּים וְהַבּוֹרוֹת וְהַשִּׁיחִין וְהַמְּעָרוֹת וְהַשּׁוֹבָכוֹת וְהַמֶּרְחֲצָאוֹת וּבֵית הַבַּדִּין וּבֵית הַשְּׁלָחִין וְהָעֲבָדִים וְכָל שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה פֵרוֹת תָּדִיר, חֶזְקָתָן שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם. שְׂדֵה הַבַּעַל, חֶזְקָתָהּ שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים, וְאֵינָהּ מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם, רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר, שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה וּשְׁלֹשָׁה בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה וּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ בָאֶמְצַע, הֲרֵי שְׁמֹנָה עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, חֹדֶשׁ בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה וְחֹדֶשׁ בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה וּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ בָּאֶמְצַע, הֲרֵי אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. אָמַר רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, בַּמֶּה דְבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, בִּשְׂדֵה לָבָן. אֲבָל בִּשְׂדֵה אִילָן, כָּנַס אֶת תְּבוּאָתוֹ, מָסַק אֶת זֵיתָיו, כָּנַס אֶת קֵיצוֹ, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים:
Bartenura
חזקת הבתים. מי שאבד שטרו והביא עדים שהחזיק שלש שנים בכל הנך דכתיבי במתניתין, נאמן לומר שהם לקוחים בידו, ולא אמרינן ליה אייתי שטר מכירה שמכרוה לך, דעד תלת שנים מזדהר איניש בשטריה, טפי מתלת שנים לא מזדהר, ואמרינן לכשנגדו, אם איתא דלא זבנתה היה לך למחות ולומר בפני שנים דעו שפלוני אכיל לה לארעאי בגזלנותא, והיה הדבר מגיע לאזניו והיה נזהר בשטרו, דחברך חברא אית ליה, וחברא דחברך חברא אית ליה, ומדלא מחית את הוא דאפסדת:
שובכות. שמגדלים בהם יונים:
בית הבדים. שעוצרים בהם זיתים לעשות שמן:
בית השלחין. מתוך שמעיין בתוכו שמשקין אותו ממנו תמיד, עושה פירות תדיר. וכל דבר שעושה פירות תדיר חזקתו שלש שנים מיום ליום:
והעבדים. ואע״ג דקיימא לן הגודרות אין להם חזקה, כלומר הצאן, מלשון גדרות צאן, אין להם חזקה וה״ה לכל בעלי חיים, היינו חזקה לאלתר הוא דאין להם, שאם היו הצאן והעבד ידועים שהם של אדם אחד ונכנסו בביתו של אדם אחר וטען זה שנכנסו בביתו לקוחים הם בידי והרי אני מוחזק בהם, אין זו חזקה, שכן דרכם ללכת מבית לבית. אבל אם החזיק העבד שלש שנים הויא חזקה ואין צריך לשטר מכירה:
שדה הבעל. המסתפקת ממי גשמים אינה עושה פירות אלא פעם אחת בשנה:
חזקתה שלש שנים. ואינה צריכה מיום ליום:
רבי ישמעאל אומר שלשה חדשים וכו׳ שיש תבואה גדלה לשלשה חדשים, כגון שעורים ושבולת שועל ועדשים, ונמצא אוכל שלש תבואות בשמונה עשר חודש:
רבי עקיבא אומר. יש דבר שגדל לשלשים יום, כגון שחת וירקות. לפיכך אם אכלה ארבעה עשר חודש הויא חזקה. ורבי ישמעאל סבר, דבאכילת שחת וירקות לא הויא חזקה, אלא באכילת תבואה ופירות גמורים:
במה דברים אמורים. שצריך שמונה עשר חודש לשדה הבעל:
בשדה הלבן. שכל פירותיה נלקטין בפרק אחד, לפיכך צריך שלש שנים:
אבל בשדה האילן. שפירותיה נלקטים לפרקים ענבים בפרק אחד, וזיתים בפרק אחד, ותאנים בפרק אחד:
כנס את תבואתו. יין של גפנים:
מסק את זיתיו וכנס את קיצו. ליקט תאנים ויבשן והכניסן לביתו, הרי זו חזקה כאילו הן שלש שנים. ואין הלכה לא כרבי עקיבא ולא כרבי ישמעאל:
חזקת הבתים – whomever has lost his document [of sale] and brought witnesses that he has taken possession for three years with all of those things that are written in our Mishnah, he is believed to state that they were purchased property in his hand and we don’t say to him, “bring the bill of sale that it it was sold to you for up to three years, people are careful with documents; more than three years, they (i.e., people) are not careful. And we say to the individual that is against him if you have [proof] that you didn’t sell it, you should have protested and state before two [witnesses]: “know that so-and-so consumed my land through theft” and the matter would reach his ears and he would be careful with his document, for your friend has a friend, and the friend of your friend has a friend, and if you don’t
שובכות – where they raise/grow doves there.
בית הבדים – that they press olives in them to produce oil.
בית השלחין – for since there is a spring in it that waters the field from it always and produces fruits frequently and anything that produces fruits frequently, its presumption of claim based upon undisturbed possession [during a legally fixed period] is three years from day to day.
והעבדים – and even though that we hold that animals living in folds (i.e., moving livestock, which they leave in the daytime) is no evidence of ownership (as they may have come over by accident – see Talmud Bava Batra 36a), meaning to say that sheep from the language "גדרות צאן"/fenced in sheep, have no presumption of ownership (as they may have come over by accident), and the same law applies to all living creatures; that is, a presumption immediately that they lack this if it was known that the sheep and/or the slaves belonged to someone else, and entered the house of the other person. But this one claims that they entered into his house that they were purchased in his hand: “Behold I am known to hold them in possession. This is not a presumption of ownership because it is their manner to go from house to house. But if he held/took possession of a slave for three years, that is claim based upon an undisturbed possession and there is no need [to produce] a bill of sale.
שדה הבעל – it is supplied from rain water and doesn’t produce fruits other than once a year.
חזקתה שלש שנים – and it doesn’t have to be from day to day.
רבי ישמעאל אומר שלשה חדשים – there is grain that grows in three months such as barley and oats and lentils and it is found that one eats three grains in eight months.
רבי עקיבא אומר – there is something that grows in thirty days such as corn at the earliest stage/low growth and vegetables. Therefore, if one ate it for fourteen months that is considered a presumption of ownership. But Rabbi Yishmael holds that the eating of corn at the earliest stage and vegetables are not considered presumption of ownership.
במה דברים אמורים – that one needs eighteen months for a field sufficiently watered by rain and requiring no artificial irrigation.
בשדה לבן – [a bright, vegetable or grain field that lacks shade] where all of its fruits are collected at one time, therefore, it requires three [complete] years.
אבל בשדה האילן – that whose fruits are collected at periods – grapes at one period and olives at another period and figs at another period.
כנס את תבואתו – wine of grapes.
כנס את זיתיו וכנס את קיצו – he harvested figs and dried them, and brought them into his house, that is a presumption of ownership, as if it is three years, but the Halakha is not according to either Rabbi Akiva nor Rabbi Yishmael.