(א) משֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי, וּמְסָרָהּ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ לִזְקֵנִים, וּזְקֵנִים לִנְבִיאִים, וּנְבִיאִים מְסָרוּהָ לְאַנְשֵׁי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים, הֱווּ מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין, וְהַעֲמִידוּ תַלְמִידִים הַרְבֵּה, וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה:
(1) Moshe received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Yehoshua, and Yehoshua to the Elders, and the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, raise up many disciples and make a fence for the Torah.
(יב) הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן, אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמְקָרְבָן לַתּוֹרָה:
(12) Hillel and Shammai received from them. Hillel says, "Be of the disciples of Aharon, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving the creatures and bringing them closer to Torah."
(ח) רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי קִבֵּל מֵהִלֵּל וּמִשַּׁמָּאי.
(8) Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai received [the tradition] from Hillel and Shammai.
(יב) רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי קַל לְרֹאשׁ, וְנוֹחַ לְתִשְׁחֹרֶת, וֶהֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם בְּשִׂמְחָה:
(12) Rabbi Yishmael says: Be yielding to an elder, pleasant to a youth and greet every person with joy.
(יג) רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, שְׂחוֹק וְקַלּוּת רֹאשׁ, מַרְגִּילִין לְעֶרְוָה. מָסֹרֶת, סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה. מַעַשְׂרוֹת, סְיָג לָעשֶׁר. נְדָרִים, סְיָג לַפְּרִישׁוּת. סְיָג לַחָכְמָה, שְׁתִיקָה:
(13) Rabbi Akiva says: Joking and lightheartedness acclimate toward promiscuity. Tradition is a safeguarding fence around Torah. Tithes are a safeguarding fence around wealth. Vows are a safeguarding fence around abstinence. A safeguarding fence around wisdom is silence.
(א) חֶזְקַת הַבָּתִּים וְהַבּוֹרוֹת וְהַשִּׁיחִין וְהַמְּעָרוֹת וְהַשּׁוֹבָכוֹת וְהַמֶּרְחֲצָאוֹת וּבֵית הַבַּדִּין וּבֵית הַשְּׁלָחִין וְהָעֲבָדִים וְכָל שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה פֵרוֹת תָּדִיר, חֶזְקָתָן שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם. שְׂדֵה הַבַּעַל, חֶזְקָתָהּ שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים, וְאֵינָהּ מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם, רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר, שְׁלֹשָׁה חֳדָשִׁים בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה וּשְׁלֹשָׁה בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה וּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ בָאֶמְצַע, הֲרֵי שְׁמֹנָה עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, חֹדֶשׁ בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה וְחֹדֶשׁ בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה וּשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ בָּאֶמְצַע, הֲרֵי אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. אָמַר רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, בַּמֶּה דְבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, בִּשְׂדֵה לָבָן. אֲבָל בִּשְׂדֵה אִילָן, כָּנַס אֶת תְּבוּאָתוֹ, מָסַק אֶת זֵיתָיו, כָּנַס אֶת קֵיצוֹ, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים:
(1) The legal period of chazakah [a presumption of ownership, generally regarding landed property, established by unchallenged, publicly known possession for a certain period of time, together with a legally acceptable claim regarding how the property came into the possessor’s hands] for houses, cisterns, trenches, caves, dovecotes, bath-houses, olive-presses, irrigated fields and slaves and anything which continually produces a yield is three complete years . The legal period of possession [in order to establish ownership] for a field irrigated by rain water is three years and they need not be completed. Rabbi Yishmael says: Three months during the first year, and three months during the last year and twelve months during the middle year, which makes eighteen months. Rabbi Akiva says: One month during the first year and one month during the last year and twelve months during the middle year, which makes fourteen months. Rabbi Yishmael said: When does this apply? With regards to a grain field, but when it comes to a field of trees , if he brought in his produce (grapes), harvested the olives and gathered in his fig harvest, this counts as three years.
(א) שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם אֲפִלּוּ הָיוּ חֲסֵרִים יוֹם אֶחָד לֹא הֶחֱזִיק וּמְסַלְּקִין אוֹתוֹ מִמֶּנָּה. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בְּקַרְקָעוֹת שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין פֵּרוֹת תָּמִיד כְּגוֹן הַבָּתִּים וְהַחֲצֵרוֹת וְהַבּוֹרוֹת וְהַשִּׁיחִין וְהַמְּעָרוֹת וְהַחֲנֻיּוֹת וְהַפֻּנְדָּקוֹת וְהַמֶּרְחֲצָאוֹת וְהַשׁוֹבָכוֹת וּבָתֵּי הַבַּדִּין וּשְׂדֵה בֵּית הַשְּׁלָחִין שֶׁמַּשְׁקִין אוֹתָה תָּמִיד וְזוֹרְעִין בָּהּ וְנוֹטְעִין וְהַגַּנּוֹת וְהַפַּרְדֵּסִין. וְכֵן עֲבָדִים הַמְהַלְּכִין כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ. אֲבָל שְׂדֵה הַבַּעַל שֶׁהִיא שׁוֹתָה מִמֵּי גְּשָׁמִים בִּלְבַד וּשְׂדֵה אִילָן אֵינָהּ מִיּוֹם לְיוֹם אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן שֶׁאָכְלוּ שָׁלֹשׁ תְּבוּאוֹת מִמִּין אֶחָד הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ כְּשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים. כֵּיצַד. הָיְתָה שְׂדֵה תְּמָרִים וְגָדַר שָׁלֹשׁ גְּדֵרוֹת אוֹ שְׂדֵה עֲנָבִים וּבָצַר שָׁלֹשׁ בְּצִירוֹת אוֹ שְׂדֵה זֵיתִים וּמָסַק שָׁלֹשׁ מְסִיקוֹת הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ כְּשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים וְהֶחֱזִיק. וַאֲפִלּוּ הָיוּ הָאִילָנוֹת רְצוּפִין וְלֹא הָיָה בֵּינֵיהֶן הַרְחָקָה כָּרָאוּי שֶׁהֲרֵי סוֹפָן לִיבַשׁ הוֹאִיל וְאוֹכְלָן שָׁלֹשׁ תְּבוּאוֹת הֶחֱזִיק:
The three years mentioned in the previous chapter must be from day to day. Even if one day was lacking, a claim of ownership is not established and the person in possession of the property is removed from it.
When does the above apply? With regard to landed property that produces benefit at all times - e.g., houses, courtyards, cisterns, pits, storage cavities, stores, inns, bathhouses, dovecotes, olive presses, fields that are continually irrigated and hence can be used for sowing and for planting, gardens, and orchards, and also servants who go on their own initiative, as we have explained.
Different rules apply with regard to a field that is watered only from rain and a grove of trees. The "threes years" are not calculated from day to day.
Instead, after the person in possession partakes of three harvests from one type of produce, it is considered as if three years have passed.
What is implied? There was a date grove and the person in possession harvested it three times, a grape orchard and he harvested it three times, or an olive grove and he harvested it three times, he is considered to have established a claim of ownership. This applies even if the trees were planted one after the other, and there was not enough space left between them. Although ultimately, they will dry and have to be uprooted, since the person derived benefit from them for three harvests, he has established a claim of ownership.