5מִי שֶׁבָּא לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁרָה שֶׁל פִּשְׁתָּן בְּצַד יָרָק שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁהֲרֵי מֵי הַמִּשְׁרָה נִבְלָעִין בָּאָרֶץ וְהוֹלְכִין וּמַפְסִידִין אֶת הַיָּרָק. אוֹ שֶׁנָּטַע כְּרֵישִׁין קָרוֹב מִן הַבְּצָלִים שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁהֵן מְפִיגִין טַעְמָן. אוֹ שֶׁנָּטַע חַרְדָּל בְּצַד כַּוֶּרֶת דְּבוֹרִים שֶׁהֲרֵי הַדְּבוֹרִים אוֹכְלִין הֶעָלִין וּמַפְסִידִין אֶת הַדְּבַשׁ וְכָל אֵלּוּ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן. אֵין צָרִיךְ לְהַרְחִיק בִּכְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַזִּיק וְעַל הַנִּזָּק לְהַרְחִיק אֶת עַצְמוֹ אִם יִרְצֶה עַד שֶׁלֹּא יַגִּיעַ לוֹ הַנֵּזֶק. שֶׁזֶּה בְּתוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ הוּא עוֹשֶׂה וְהַנֵּזֶק בָּא לַחֲבֵרוֹ מֵאֵלָיו. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַרְחִיק כְּשֶׁהָיָה הַנֶּזֶק בָּא מֵאֵלָיו אַחַר שֶׁיִּפָּסְקוּ מַעֲשָׂיו שֶׁל מַזִּיק. אֲבָל אִם הָיוּ מַעֲשָׂיו שֶׁל זֶה שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ מַזִּיקִין אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בִּשְׁעַת עֲשִׂיָּתוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה כְּמִי שֶׁמַּזִּיק בְּיָדוֹ. הָא לְמָה זֶה דּוֹמֶה לְמִי שֶׁעוֹמֵד בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ וְיוֹרֶה חִצִּים לַחֲצַר חֲבֵרוֹ וְאָמַר בִּרְשׁוּתִי אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה שֶׁמּוֹנְעִין אוֹתוֹ. וְכֵן כָּל הַרְחָקוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת לְמַעְלָה בְּעִנְיָן זֶה אִם לֹא הִרְחִיקוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה כְּמִי שֶׁהִזִּיק בְּחִצָּיו. לְפִיכָךְ צָרִיךְ שֶׁיַּרְחִיק מִשְׁרָה מִן הַיָּרָק וּכְרֵישִׁין מִן הַבְּצָלִים וְחַרְדָּל מִן הַדְּבוֹרִים שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים אוֹ יֶתֶר מְעַט כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה הֶזֵּק בַּיָּדַיִם. אֲבָל לְהַרְחִיק עַד שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא הַנֶּזֶק מֵאֵלָיו אֵין צָרִיךְ:
The following principles apply when a person intends to soak flax near a vegetable garden belonging to a colleague, in which instance the water used for soaking would be absorbed in the earth and damage the vegetables; or he plants leeks near onions belonging to a colleague, in which instance the flavor of the onions will be weakened; or he plants mustard next to a beehive, in which instance the bees will eat the leaves, and thus the honey will be spoiled. The person whose actions will cause the damage is not required to make a separation so that damage does not take place. Instead, it is the person whose property that will be damaged who must distance his crops if he wishes that the damage not occur. For the other person is performing his activity on his own property; the damage occurs on its own as it were. When do we say that he does not have to keep a distance? When the damage comes about by itself after the person whose deeds caused the damage ceases his activity. When, however, the acts that this person performs in his own domain cause damage to his colleague's property at the time he is performing the action, he is considered to have damaged the property with his hands. To what can the matter be likened? To a person who is standing in his own property and shooting arrows into his neighbor's, and saying: "What's the problem? I am acting in my own property. " Certainly, such a person should be prevented from causing damage. With regard to all the instances above where a separation was required, if the person does not make the required separation, he is considered to have caused the damage with his arrows. Therefore, one must make a separation of three handbreadths or slightly more between soaking flax and vegetables, leeks and onions, and mustard and bees, so that one will not be considered as having caused the damage through one's own actions. It is, however, not necessary to make a separation great enough to prevent the damage from occurring on its own accord.
