Commento su Bava Batra 2:13
אִילָן שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֶה לִשְׂדֵה חֲבֵרוֹ, קוֹצֵץ מְלֹא הַמַּרְדֵּעַ עַל גַּבֵּי הַמַּחֲרֵשָׁה. וּבְחָרוּב וּבְשִׁקְמָה, כְּנֶגֶד הַמִּשְׁקֹלֶת. בֵּית הַשְּׁלָחִין, כָּל הָאִילָן כְּנֶגֶד הַמִּשְׁקֹלֶת. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר, כָּל אִילַן סְרָק, כְּנֶגֶד הַמִּשְׁקֹלֶת:
Se il proprio albero sporgeva nel campo del vicino, lui (il vicino) poteva tagliare [i rami fino a] l'intera [altezza] del pungolo di bue sopra l'aratro, [in modo che non ne impedissero il movimento], e con una carruba e un sicomoro, [la cui ombra è grande, e dannoso per il campo, taglia tutto ciò che sporge nel campo] contro un piombo. Con un campo che richiede irrigazione, [taglia] tutti gli alberi, [nemmeno un carrubo o un sicomoro] contro un precipizio. [l'ombra è dannosa per un tale campo.] Abba Shaul dice: Ogni albero infruttuoso (viene tagliato) contro il piombino. [Questo si riferisce all'inizio della Mishnah, il primo tanna a dire che taglia l'intera altezza del pungolo di bue (anche con alberi senza frutti), ad eccezione della carruba e del sicomoro. E Abba Shaul gli dice: Tutti gli alberi infruttuosi sono tagliati contro il piombo. L'halachah non è conforme ad Abba Shaul.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Batra
English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Batra
All trees that stretch over irrigated fields may be cut away according to the plumb line’s measure.
Abba Shaul says: “All trees that bear no fruit may be cut away according to the plumb line’s measure.”
We learned yesterday in mishnah twelve that if another person’s trees encroach on one’s property one may cut out the roots, up to a certain depth. In mishnah thirteen we learn that if another person’s branches encroach on one’s property they may also be removed.
In this mishnah we encounter two different ways in which a person may cut off the branches of a tree that encroaches on his property. In section one we learn that in general a person can cut them as high as is reached by the “ox-goad held over the plough”. An ox-goad is the whip which a person riding a plough pulled by oxen would use to goad the oxen. If the branches were to interfere with the ox-goad one would have trouble plowing his field. Therefore, up until this height one can always remove the branches. The other measure for cutting down trees is the plumb line, which would go straight up from the end of his property. In other words, any branches hanging over his property may be cut down. One can cut away according to the measure of the plumb line in the following situations: 1) a carob or sycamore’s tree, whose branches are thick and will provide too much shade for the field over which they hang. 2) Any tree that stretches over an irrigated field, which needs a lot of irrigation. A tree from another field blocking its access to rain will cause much damage to this type of field. According to Abba Shaul one may always cut away up until the plumb line.