Bava Batra 101 - 2nd Day of Rosh Hashana - October 4, 2 Tishrei
If someone buys a burial cave or hires someone to build them a burial cave, what are the minimum measurements assumed and how many burial spots should there be? The rabbis and Rabbi Shimon each have different answers to these questions. Rabbi Shimon held that each cave holds thirteen spaces for bodies, of them one was to the right of the entranceway and one to the left. Where exactly were those two graves? Several explanations are suggested, and some of them are rejected. According to the last explanation, they overlapped with other graves but were placed deeper into the ground. A proof that bodies were buried below other graves is brought from Rabbi Shimon’s opinion that there were four caves around each courtyard, as that would clearly lead to overlapping graves. However, Rav Huna son of Rabbi Yehoshua attempts to reject this proof by suggesting the graves were set up on an angle like branches of a palm tree and did not overlap. But the Gemara rejects Rav Huna’s rejection as it could not work out mathematically. Rav Shisha brings an alternative explanation for the extra two graves by the entrance – they did not overlap at all with the others as they were made for stillborn babies and were therefore shorter.