A Snag in the Plans
Boruch stepped into the shared backyard, hammer in hand, ready to build his beautiful sukkah. But as he looked up to map out his airspace, he noticed a major snag.
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Money and Business
Neighbors
Shared property, privacy (hezek re'iyah) and being a good neighbor.
Water Works
I was visiting a New Jersey suburb one summer and noticed that all the lawns were brown — save one. The house where I was staying had a luscious green garden in front.
Harping on Divided Real Estate
Tavi had a strong passion for musical instruments, and when he saw Pafi’s harp, he was determined to acquire it. He resorted to extreme measures and placed Pafi in a tree, refusing to let him down until he agreed to…
Neither a Lender Nor a Borrower Be?
If someone borrows a loaf of bread before Pesach, does he have to pay it back after Pesach? After all, if the Jewish lender would have kept the loaf of bread in his possession, it would have become worthless.
A Fruity Matter
There is a well-known prohibition against cutting down fruit trees needlessly. Indeed, many non-Jewish gardeners are even aware of this.
When Is Poisoning Allowed?
There is a well-known phenomenon that occurs in communal refrigerators and shelves. Food seems to disappear from them mysteriously. This occurs in dormitories, offices, and schools.
Flyover Country
Amidst a discussion about the laws of inheritance, the Gemara in Yevamos (37b) introduces the following scenario: There is a field that is surrounded by other fields.
The Demise of Haman and His Sons
Haman and his sons made a cameo appearance in Tosfos this week. In fact, in various places in Shas, Tosfos makes cryptic references to Targum that discusses how Haman’s sons were hanged.
Bench-Pressed
Rav Zilberstein, shlita, discusses an interesting halachic question relating to the daf learned this week (Bava Basra 100a). Someone had a half-height brick wall on the front of his property.
Simcha On The Side
“In what will surely go down in history as one the greatest architectural blunders, the town of Benidorm in Alicante, Spain, had almost completed its 47-story skyscraper when it realized it excluded plans for elevator…
Poison Pills
The great sage Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai desired to give a lecture on the topic of accuracy in weights and measures, but he was unsure whether to deliver the talk.
Gemara stories on Neighbors
Rava bar Rav Chanan's Palm Trees
Birds from Rava bar Rav Chanan's palm trees damage Rav Yosef's vineyard. Rava refuses to cut down his fruitful trees and tells Rav Yosef to do it himself.