Carcasses (gisements), cimetières et tanneries sont distants de cinquante coudées de la ville. Les tanneries ne sont implantées qu'à l'est de la ville. [Car le vent d'est n'est nuisible que s'il est puni. Mais dans des circonstances normales, il fait chaud et souffle doucement et ne transporte pas d'odeurs dans la ville.] R. Akiva dit: Il peut les installer dans toutes les directions à une distance de cinquante coudées, sauf à l'ouest, [où il ne peut pas les placer du tout, car la Shechinah est à l'ouest. La halakha n'est pas conforme à R. Akiva.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Batra
את הנבילות ואת הקברות – because of the bad smell.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Batra
Introduction
Mishnah nine deals with distancing foul-smelling things from a town.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Batra
הבורסקי – a place where they work the hides.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Batra
Animal carcasses, graves and tanneries must be distanced fifty cubits from a town. A tannery may be set up only to the east of a town. Rabbi Akiva says: “It may be set up on any side save the west, and it must be distanced fifty cubits [from the town]. The three things listed in section one, animal carcasses, graves and tanneries will potentially give off foul smells. Therefore one had to make sure these things were kept at least fifty cubits from the town. Furthermore, since a tannery smells so bad, it may only be set up to the east of the town. Since easterly winds were not common in the Land of Israel, the tannery needed to be kept to the east so its smell would not be blown into the town. Rabbi Akiva said that the tannery could also be to the north or south of the town, just not to the west.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Batra
אלא למזרח העיר – for the east wind is not hard, other than if it comes for retribution. But when it comes in is normal manner, it is warm and blows gently, therefore, it does not bring the smell to the city.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Batra
Questions for Further Thought: • What is the relationship of Rabbi Akiva’s opinion to the anonymous opinion? Upon what does he agree and upon what does he agree?
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Batra
חוץ מן מערבה – he can make it in any direction and distance it fifty cubits from the western wind, which doesn’t do anything because they pray to that direction where God’s presence is in the west. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Akiva.
