Din & Daf: Conceptual Analysis of Halakha Through Case Study with Dr. Elana Stein Hain
Bava Batra 64a, 71a
The Gemara in the fourth perek of Bava Batra addresses the question of whether people selling land, giving gifts, and sanctifying property for hekdesh generally act with an attitude of generosity, making their handover of property more inclusive, or whether they generally act with an attitude of withholding, meaning that they are not looking to give more than the minimum of what their transaction indicates. In this shiur, we will examine the concept of עין יפה, a generous posture on the part of the seller, and why it is such a chiddush!
Dr. Elana Stein Hain – dinanddaf@hadran.org.il
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בבלי בבא בתרא סד:
מִמַּאי? דִּלְמָא רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא סָבַר: אֵין אָדָם רוֹצֶה שֶׁיִּתֵּן מְעוֹתָיו וְיִדְרְסוּהוּ אֲחֵרִים, וְרַבָּנַן סָבְרִי: אֵין אָדָם רוֹצֶה שֶׁיִּטּוֹל מָעוֹת וְיִפְרַח בָּאֲוִיר!
The Gemara rejects this opinion and asks: From where do you arrive at such a conclusion? Perhaps Rabbi Akiva and the Rabbis do not disagree whether, in principle, a person who sells, sells generously or sparingly, but rather their disagreement is limited to this specific case. As Rabbi Akiva holds that a person does not want to spend his money on the purchase of a house and then have others tread upon his property, and therefore he says that the seller must purchase for himself a path through the buyer’s domain to reach his pit. And the Rabbis hold that a person does not want to receive money for the sale of his house and then have to fly through the air in order to reach his pit, and therefore they say that the seller presumably withheld for himself a path to his pit.
…
דִּלְמָא בְּהַאי פְּלִיגִי – דְּרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא סָבַר: בָּתַר דַּעְתָּא דְלוֹקֵחַ אָזְלִינַן; וְרַבָּנַן סָבְרִי: בָּתַר דַּעְתָּא דְמוֹכֵר אָזְלִינַן!
The Gemara rejects this proof as well: Perhaps they disagree about the following: Rabbi Akiva holds that we follow the intention of the buyer, as we assume that he would not have bought the pit if he would have to fly through the air to get there. And the Rabbis hold that we follow the intention of the seller, as presumably he would not have sold the pit if the buyer had the right to tread upon the seller’s property to reach it.
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וְדִלְמָא אַשְׁמְעִינַן בַּיִת, וְקָא מַשְׁמַע לַן שָׂדֶה; וּצְרִיכָא, דְּאִי אַשְׁמְעִינַן בַּיִת – מִשּׁוּם דְּבָעֵי צְנִיעוּתָא, אֲבָל שָׂדֶה – אֵימָא לָא;
The Gemara rejects this opinion: Perhaps the first mishna taught us this dispute with regard to a house, and the later mishna teaches us this dispute with regard to a field. And while this may seem redundant, both rulings are necessary, as had the mishna taught us this halakha only with regard to a house, I would have said that the buyer is particular about people passing through his house, because he desires privacy there. And it is for this reason that Rabbi Akiva says that in the absence of an explicit stipulation, the seller must purchase for himself a path to the pit. But in the case of a field, which is exposed to all, say that the buyer is not concerned about privacy.
וְאִי אַשְׁמְעִינַן שָׂדֶה – מִשּׁוּם דְּקָשֵׁי לֵיהּ דַּוְושָׁא; אֲבָל בַּיִת – אֵימָא לָא.
And, conversely, had the mishna taught us this halakha only with regard to a field, I would have said that the buyer is particular about people passing through his field, because treading upon the field is detrimental to it. And it is for this reason that Rabbi Akiva says that the seller must purchase for himself a path to the pit. But in the case of a house, which is not adversely affected by treading through it, say that the buyer is not opposed to the seller passing through.
ירושלמי בבא בתרא יד עמוד ד’
“במה דברים אמורים? במוכר אבל בנותן מתנה נותן את כולם”: מה בין מוכר ומה בין נותן מתנה? ר’ בא בר טבליי בשם רב שכן דרך הנותן מתנה להיות נותן בעין יפה. ר’ שמואל בר נחמן בשם ר’ יונתן: שכן דרך הלקוחות להיות מדקדקין. ומה ביניהון? הקדש: מאן דמר שכן דרך הנותן מתנה להיות נותן בעין יפה אף המקדיש בעין יפה מקדיש. ומאן דמר שכן דרך הלקוחות להיות מדקדקין מה אמר במקדיש?…
משנה תרומות ד:ג
שִׁעוּר תְּרוּמָה, עַיִן יָפָה, אֶחָד מֵאַרְבָּעִים. בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, מִשְּׁלֹשִׁים. וְהַבֵּינוֹנִית, מֵחֲמִשִּׁים. וְהָרָעָה, מִשִּׁשִּׁים.
תוספתא פאה ב:כא
השובלין שבקשין ושבשדות הרי אילו של בעל הבית. אמ’ ר’ עקיבה בזו נהגו בעלי בתים עין יפה.
תוספתא פאה ד:ג
כהנים ולוים שהיו עומדים על הגרן, ובאו כהנים אחרים ועמדו, אינן יכולין להוציא מידן. אמ’ רבן שמעון בן גמליאל נהגו כהנים עין יפה שלא להוציא את אחיהם ריקנין, אבל מקמצין ונותנין להם. ר’ שמעון בן לעזר או’ אם באו עד שלא תחזור חלילה, עומדין על העקוב ונוטלין.
תוספתא חולין ט:ג
…קיבה כמשמעו חלב שעל הקיבה נותנו לכהן א”ר יהודה נהגו כהנים עין יפה שיהו נותנין אותו לבעלים.
בבא בתרא ב:
אסור לאדם לעמוד בשדה חברו בשעה שהיא עומדת בקמותיה שלא יזיקנו בעין רעה.
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