Bava Batra 100: Thoroughfares, Acquisition and Catacombs

The rabbis continue their discussion about thoroughfares.  When a public road runs through a person's private property, there must be many opportunities for disputes.  After considering whether or not is as ever acceptable to replace a public road, the rabbis discuss how acquisition of a field with a road might take place.  There are proofs available to support walking the length and width of the land.  The Gemara looks at fields with vineyards and fields with fences to help the discussion.

Is a private path really four cubits wide, or enough for a donkey to pass?  Other suggestions include two and one half cubits.  A road from city to city is generally eight cubits in width.   And what about the road to a funeral, where many mourners might gather and stand for some time?  The rabbis discuss different practices when it comes to mourning.  When there is no eulogy, on Shabbat for example, people might sit for some time.  Some people stand and sit seven times in honour of the deceased.  There are questions about whether this is only done in the cemetery; whether it is done only on the first day of mourning or on the second day, instead.  

A new Mishna discussed the construction of a catacomb.  This is an underground set of burial plots. There are standard sizes of the different rooms in the catacomb: each chamber should be four by six cubits, and each of the eight niches in which the coffins will be placed should be four cubits by seven handbreadths high by six handbreadths deep.  The layout of the catacomb is detailed as well.  Rabbi Shimon suggests a much larger and more complicated catacomb.  Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel reminds us that the size and design of a catacomb is dependent on the type of rock at the site.