מתני׳ אין עושין חלל תחת רה"ר בורות שיחין ומערות ר"א מתיר כדי שתהא עגלה מהלכת וטעונה אבנים אין מוציאין זיזין וגזוזטראות לרה"ר אלא אם רצה כונס לתוך שלו ומוציא לקח חצר ובה זיזין וגזוזטראות הרי זו בחזקתה: גמ׳ ורבנן זימנין דמפחית ולאו אדעתיה: אין מוציאין זיזין וגזוזטראות וכו': ר' אמי הוה ליה זיזא דהוה נפיק למבואה וההוא גברא נמי הוה ליה זיזא דהוה מפיק לרה"ר (הוו קא מעכבי עליה בני רה"ר) אתא לקמיה דר' אמי א"ל זיל קוץ אמר ליה והא מר נמי אית ליה דידי למבואה מפיק בני מבואה מחלין גבאי דידך לרשות הרבים מפיק מאן מחיל גבך: ר' ינאי הוה ליה אילן הנוטה לרשות הרבים הוה ההוא גברא דהוה ליה נמי אילן הנוטה לרשות הרבים אתו בני רשות הרבים הוו קא מעכבי עילויה אתא לקמיה דר' ינאי א"ל
§ MISHNA: A person may not open an entrance opposite another entrance or a window opposite another window toward a courtyard belonging to partners, so as to ensure that the residents will enjoy a measure of privacy. If there was a small entrance he may not enlarge it. If there was one entrance he may not fashion it into two. But one may open an entrance opposite another entrance or a window opposite another window toward the public domain. Similarly, if there was a small entrance he may enlarge it, and if there was one entrance he may fashion it into two. GEMARA: The Gemara asks: From where are these matters, i.e., that one may not open an en-trance opposite another entrance, or a window opposite another window, derived? Rabbi Yoḥanan says that the verse states: “And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling tribe by tribe; and the spirit of God came upon him” (Numbers 24:2). The Gemara explains: What was it that Balaam saw that so inspired him? He saw that the entrances of their tents were not aligned with each other, ensuring that each family enjoyed a measure of privacy. And he said: If this is the case, these people are worthy of having the Divine Presence rest on them. The mishna teaches that if there was a small entrance he may not enlarge it. Rami bar Ḥama thought to say this means that if the entrance was the width of four cubits, one may not fashion it to the width of eight cubits, as he would then be allowed to take eight corresponding cubits in the courtyard. The halakha is that one is entitled to utilize the area of the courtyard up to a depth of four cubits along the width of the opening. But if the entrance was the width of two cubits and one wishes to fashion it to the width of four cubits, one may well do so, as in any event he already had the right to use an area of four cubits by four cubits in front of the entrance. Rava said to him: This is not so, as his neighbor can say to him: I can conceal myself from you with there being a small entrance, but I cannot conceal myself from you with there being a large entrance. The mishna teaches that if there was one entrance he may not fashion it into two. In this case as well, Rami bar Ḥama thought to say that this means if the entrance was the width of four cubits he may not make it into two openings, each the width of two cubits, as he would then be allowed to take eight corresponding cubits in the courtyard, four for each entrance. But if it was the width of eight cubits and he wishes to make it into two openings, each the width of four cubits, he may well do so, as in any event he already had the right to use an area of eight cubits by four cubits in front of his entrance. Rava said to him: This is not so, as his neighbor can say to him: I can conceal myself from you with there being one entrance, but I cannot conceal myself from you with there being two entrances. The mishna teaches: But one may open an entrance opposite another entrance or a window opposite another window toward the public domain. Why is this so? Because he can say to the one who wishes to protest: Ultimately, you must conceal yourself from the people of the public domain. Since you cannot stop them from passing by and therefore cannot engage in behavior that requires privacy with your entrance open, it is of no consequence to you if I open an entrance as well.
(א) מִי שֶׁהָיְתָה לוֹ חַלּוֹן בְּכָתְלוֹ וּבָא חֲבֵרוֹ וְעָשָׂה חָצֵר בְּצִדּוֹ אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לוֹמַר לְבַעַל הַחַלּוֹן סְתֹם חַלּוֹן זֶה כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תַּבִּיט בִּי שֶׁהֲרֵי הֶחֱזִיק בְּהֶזֵּק זֶה. וְאִם בָּא חֲבֵרוֹ לִבְנוֹת כָּתְלוֹ כְּנֶגֶד הַחַלּוֹן כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּסוּר הֶזֵּק רְאִיָּתוֹ צָרִיךְ לְהַרְחִיק אֶת כָּתְלוֹ מִכְּנֶגֶד הַחַלּוֹן אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַאֲפִיל עָלָיו:
One who has a window in his wall and his neighbor comes and builds a door on the side of his house, you cannot say to the owner of the window "block up your window" in order that you may not gaze upn me, since the window was there first. And if one comes to build a wall opposite someone's window in order to have privacy, he needs to distance that wall from the window by at least four amot, in order not to shade him.