Talmud for Bava Batra 6:8
הַמּוֹכֵר מָקוֹם לַחֲבֵרוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ קֶבֶר, וְכֵן הַמְקַבֵּל מֵחֲבֵרוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ קֶבֶר, עוֹשֶׂה תוֹכָהּ שֶׁל מְעָרָה אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת עַל שֵׁשׁ, וּפוֹתֵחַ לְתוֹכָהּ שְׁמֹנָה כוּכִין, שְׁלֹשָׁה מִכָּאן וּשְׁלֹשָׁה מִכָּאן וּשְׁנַיִם מִכְּנֶגְדָּן, וְכוּכִין אָרְכָּן אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת וְרוּמָן שִׁבְעָה וְרָחְבָּן שִׁשָּׁה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, עוֹשֶׂה תוֹכָהּ שֶׁל מְעָרָה שֵׁשׁ אַמּוֹת עַל שְׁמֹנֶה, וּפוֹתֵחַ לְתוֹכָהּ שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר כּוּךְ, אַרְבָּעָה מִכָּאן וְאַרְבָּעָה מִכָּאן וּשְׁלֹשָׁה מִכְּנֶגְדָּן וְאֶחָד מִימִין הַפֶּתַח וְאֶחָד מִן הַשְּׂמֹאל. וְעוֹשֶׂה חָצֵר עַל פִּי הַמְּעָרָה שֵׁשׁ עַל שֵׁשׁ, כִּמְלֹא הַמִּטָּה וְקוֹבְרֶיהָ, וּפוֹתֵחַ לְתוֹכָהּ שְׁתֵּי מְעָרוֹת, אַחַת מִכָּאן וְאַחַת מִכָּאן. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, אַרְבַּע, לְאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹתֶיהָ. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, הַכֹּל לְפִי הַסָּלַע:
If one sells a place to his neighbor to make a grave for himself; likewise, if one is commissioned by his neighbor to make a grave for him, he makes the middle of the (burial) cave four cubits [wide] by six [cubits] long, and opens into it eight graves: three on one side and three on the other [on the two sides of the length of the cave], and two opposite [the entrance of the cave], each grave four cubits long, six cubits wide, and seven cubits high [so that between each grave on the sides there are one and a half cubits; and between the two at the end, two cubits.] R. Shimon says: He makes the middle of the grave six cubits by eight, and opens into it thirteen graves: four on one side and four on the other, three opposite (the entrance), one to the right of the entrance and one to the left. And a courtyard is made before the cave, six by six, the fullness of (i.e., large enough to contain) the litter and its buriers; and two caves are opened into it, one on each side. R. Shimon says: Four, on its four sides. R. Shimon b. Gamliel says: All according to the (hardness) of the rock. [If it is hard, he is required to dig only six cubits long and four cubits wide, as per the first tanna; and if it is soft and loose, he is required to dig six by eight as per R. Shimon. The halachah is in accordance with the first tanna.]
Explore talmud for Bava Batra 6:8. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.