About this episode
Those who own land near the river should cut all trees along the river's edge to allow those who pull in the boats to have space to do so. A story is told of Raba bar Rav Huna who refused to cut his trees down. Although he was justified in his argument, Raba bar Rav Nachman came by without checking into the situation properly and had them cut down. Raba bar Rav Huna cursed him and the curse was fulfilled. Which communal responsibilities are rabbis exempt from and for which are they liable? Those who benefit from a river or a gutter need to share in the expenses to fix it up if it directly affects their field. A neighbor has the right to buy the property adjacent to his house/field and can even force a purchaser to sell it to him/her. This law is derived from the verse in Devarim 6:18, "Do what is right and good in the eyes of God." The Gemara discusses in detail the nuances of this law. In which cases does this law not apply? If the neighbor does not want to purchase the land, who else receives higher priority for purchasing the land?