About this episode
Siyum Masechet Bava Metzia is sponsored by the Gewurz family in loving memory of their dear father and grandfather, Samuel Gewurz, Shmuel Ben Yehudah Leib v'Rachel Mirel, z"l. "He spent the last three years of his life learning Bava Metzia, with a chavruta, almost every day. Together, they made it to the middle of the eighth perek. We finished the eighth perek at the shiva. Now, we complete this study, as a community of learners, in his memory. Yehi Zichro Baruch ." If there is a vegetable growing in between two gardens, one below and one above, Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda, and Rabbi Shimon disagree about whether the vegetable belongs to the upper garden, the lower garden, or if the upper garden owner gets what he/she can reach. The Gemara narrows down the dispute and brings a braita and a Mishna where there's a similar dispute between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda as in the Mishna about a tree growing from another tree, regarding ownership and orla laws. Why is it necessary to mention both cases? They explain that one deals with monetary matters and the other with issurim , prohibited items, and we might not have thought to apply one to the other. Ephraim Safra quotes Reish Lakish, who rules according to Rabbi Shimon (up to what one can reach), and even Shabur Malka, the Persian king, praised Rabbi Shimon for his approach.