Bava Basra 3:1 - 3:2

חזקת הבתים – whomever has lost his document [of sale] and brought witnesses that he has taken possession for three years with all of those things that are written in our Mishnah, he is believed to state that they were purchased property in his hand and we don’t say to him, “bring the bill of sale that it it was sold to you for up to three years, people are careful with documents; more than three years, they (i.e., people) are not careful. And we say to the individual that is against him if you have [proof] that you didn’t sell it, you should have protested and state before two [witnesses]: “know that so-and-so consumed my land through theft” and the matter would reach his ears and he would be careful with his document, for your friend has a friend, and the friend of your friend has a friend, and if you don’t

שובכות – where they raise/grow doves there.

בית הבדים – that they press olives in them to produce oil.

בית השלחין – for since there is a spring in it that waters the field from it always and produces fruits frequently and anything that produces fruits frequently, its presumption of claim based upon undisturbed possession [during a legally fixed period] is three years from day to day.

והעבדים – and even though that we hold that animals living in folds (i.e., moving livestock, which they leave in the daytime) is no evidence of ownership (as they may have come over by accident – see Talmud Bava Batra 36a), meaning to say that sheep from the language "גדרות צאן"/fenced in sheep, have no presumption of ownership (as they may have come over by accident), and the same law applies to all living creatures; that is, a presumption immediately that they lack this if it was known that the sheep and/or the slaves belonged to someone else, and entered the house of the other person. But this one claims that they entered into his house that they were purchased in his hand: “Behold I am known to hold them in possession. This is not a presumption of ownership because it is their manner to go from house to house. But if he held/took possession of a slave for three years, that is claim based upon an undisturbed possession and there is no need [to produce] a bill of sale.

שדה הבעל – it is supplied from rain water and doesn’t produce fruits other than once a year.

חזקתה שלש שנים – and it doesn’t have to be from day to day.

רבי ישמעאל אומר שלשה חדשים – there is grain that grows in three months such as barley and oats and lentils and it is found that one eats three grains in eight months.

רבי עקיבא אומר – there is something that grows in thirty days such as corn at the earliest stage/low growth and vegetables. Therefore, if one ate it for fourteen months that is considered a presumption of ownership. But Rabbi Yishmael holds that the eating of corn at the earliest stage and vegetables are not considered presumption of ownership.

במה דברים אמורים – that one needs eighteen months for a field sufficiently watered by rain and requiring no artificial irrigation.

בשדה לבן – [a bright, vegetable or grain field that lacks shade] where all of its fruits are collected at one time, therefore, it requires three [complete] years.

אבל בשדה האילן – that whose fruits are collected at periods – grapes at one period and olives at another period and figs at another period.

כנס את תבואתו – wine of grapes.

כנס את זיתיו וכנס את קיצו – he harvested figs and dried them, and brought them into his house, that is a presumption of ownership, as if it is three years, but the Halakha is not according to either Rabbi Akiva nor Rabbi Yishmael.

שלש ארצות לחזקה – three [distinctive] lands in the Land of Israel are divided each from the other concerning the matter of presumption of claim of ownership. For if he had taken possession in one of these [distinctive] lands, and the owner of the land is in the other, his presumption of ownership is not a presumption, because the caravans are not ae not found from one to the other, and even though it is not an emergency or [time of] war, it is similar to an emergency. But if the owner of the land would renounce, there would not be someone to inform the other who has taken possession. Therefore, it was appropriate to the one taking possession to be careful with his document, and since he was not careful, he would lose.

עד שיהא עמו במדינה – that both of them would be in Judea, or both of them beyond the Jordan River and even though this one was in one city and that one was in another city, because there were caravans found, he could protest, and since he did not protest, he lost out.

אמר ר' יהודה וכו' – for Rabbi Yehuda holds that the reason for presumption of ownership is not because until three years because people are careful with their documents, [but] more [than this], they are not careful, but the reason for his presumption of ownership is because people will not leave [someone, a usurper] consuming his own land even for one hour and remain silent. But this one that distanced himself for three years in order that if he was in Spain, etc. But if he was with him in the city, immediately, there would be presumption of ownership and in these three [distinct] lands [of the Land of Israel] where caravans are not found, during the three years, however, he would have presumption of ownership. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.