Si la pared de uno estuviera cerca de la pared de su vecino, [formando un ángulo recto con ella], no puede colocar otra pared cerca a menos que la coloque a cuatro codos de distancia. [Si vino a poner una segunda pared contra la pared de su vecino para que las tres paredes formaran una especie de bote, su vecino puede detenerlo hasta que lo mueva a cuatro codos de distancia para que haya suficiente espacio entre las dos paredes para que la gente camine pulg. Para pisar el suelo cerca del muro fortalece y reafirma los cimientos de los muros. Esto, solo con una pared de jardín o una pared en el patio de una nueva ciudad, donde no muchos han pisado, y donde el suelo no se ha fortalecido lo suficiente. Pero con una pared en el patio de una ciudad vieja, puede unirse a las paredes y no necesita distanciarlas. Del mismo modo, si la pared de su vecino fuera más corta que cuatro codos, no necesitaría distanciarse (su pared), ya que una pared más corta que cuatro codos no requiere refuerzo.] Y las ventanas—arriba, abajo y enfrente, cuatro codos. [Si tenía una ventana arriba en su pared, y su vecino construyó una pared opuesta a su ventana, debajo de ella—Si había menos de cuatro codos desde la parte superior de la pared que construyó hasta la ventana, puede obligarlo a bajarla, para que no se pare encima y mire por la ventana. Si tenía una ventana debajo en su pared, puede obligarlo a levantar la pared que construyó frente a cuatro codos más altos que la ventana, para que no la mire. Y opuesto: debe distanciar la pared a cuatro codos de la ventana para que no bloquee su luz.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Batra
מי שהיה כותלו סמוך לכותל חבירו – in the form of a גא"ם/Gamma – an angle, and he comes to make a second wall opposite the wall of his fellow until he makes the three walls like the form of the [Hebrew letter] "בי"ת"/Bet, his fellow will prevent him, until he distances it from opposite him four cubits, in order that the place between the two walls will be wide and many will be able to tread there. For the walking of feet on the ground nearest the wall strengthens the foundations of the wall and preserves them. And especially the wall of a garden or he wall of a courtyard that is in a new city where many have not [yet] tread, and the ground was not strengthened as much as needed through treading of the feet [of people]. But, in the wall of a courtyard that is in an old city is supported and there is no need to distance it. And similarly, if the wall of his fellow was not four cubits or more, he doesn’t have to distance it, for a wall that is less than four cubits does not need strengthening.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Batra
Introduction
Mishnah four discusses how far a person must distance his wall from his neighbor’s walls.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Batra
ובחלונות מלמעלן מלמטן ומכנגדן ד' אמות – he had a wall above his wall and his fellow built a wall opposite the window from below. If there remained from the top of the wall that he built up until the window less than four cubits in height, he forces him to lower the wall in order tha the not stand on the top of the wall and look out through the window.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Batra
If one’s wall was adjacent to his friend’s wall he may not build another wall adjoining it unless it is at a distance of four cubits. If a person already owns a wall adjacent to his friend’s wall, he may wish to add another wall, thereby creating a three walled structure. If he wishes to do that he must leave four cubits between the new wall and his friend’s wall in order that people will walk near his friend’s wall. It was believed that people walking near a wall would strengthen the foundations of the wall. If he didn’t leave enough room next to his friend’s wall people would not walk there, thereby depriving his friend of that benefit.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Batra
מלמטן – the window was lower than the wall, he forces his fellow to raise the wall that he built opposite him at the height of four cubits from the window in order that he should not see him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Batra
And [if he builds a wall opposite his friend’s] windows, whether it is higher or lower than them or level with them, it may not be within four cubits. If a person wishes to build a wall opposite another person’s windows he must fulfill three conditions: 1) If the wall is higher than the window it must be more than four cubits higher so that he will not be able to use his wall to look into his friend’s window. 2) If the wall is lower than the window it must be more than four cubits lower so that he will not be able to stand on the wall and look into the window. 3) If it is across, it must be four cubits away so that it will not block the light going into the other window.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Batra
ומכנגד – he must distance the wall from the window four cubits in order that he will not obscure his light.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Batra
Questions for Further Thought: • Why is the mishnah so concerned with people looking into other people’s windows? What does this teach us about privacy?
