משנה: הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה בַתְּאֵנִים לֹא יֹאכַל בָּעֲנָבִים בָּעֲנָבִים לֹא יֹאכַל בַּתְּאֵנִים אֲבָל מוֹנֵעַ הוּא אֶת עַצְמוֹ עַד שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ לִמְקוֹם הַיָּפוֹת וְאוֹכֵל. וְכוּלָּן לֹא אָֽמְרוּ אֶלָּא בְשָׁעַת גְּמַר מְלָאכָה אֲבָל מִשּׁוּם הָשֵׁב אֲבֵידָה לַבְּעָלִים אָֽמְרוּ הַפּוֹעֲלִין אוֹכְלִין בַּהֲלִיכָתָן מֵאֵימֶן לְאֵימֶן וּבַחֲזִירָתָן מִן הַגַּת וַחֲמוֹר שֶׁתְּהֵא פוֹרֶקֶת. MISHNAH: If one was working on figs he may not eat grapes, on grapes he may not eat figs; but he may restrain himself until he reaches the place of the good ones and eat there28The farmer cannot hinder his agricultural worker from eating of his best produce.. In all cases they only referred to the time of finishing29This is also the reading of Alfasi and Maimonides; the latter infers from here (Śekhirut 12:2–3) that at harvest time the worker may eat only during breaks in harvesting, not while he is actually working; he may not harvest with his right hand and eat with his left. The word “finishing” is not in any Ashkenazic text, nor in the editio princeps of the Babli. The Provençal Meïri writes the word in his Mishnah text but not in the quotes from the Mishnah in his commentary. work, but because of returning lost property to its owner30In order to minimize the time for which the employer pays but which the worker uses to eat during working hours, traditional rules encourage him to eat only while going from one job to another or waiting for others to finish a task from where he can start his work. A worker who does not follow this rule is within his rights but cannot be expected to be rehired. they said that workers may eat when they go from row to row, and when they return from the wine press, and a donkey while offloading.
הלכה: הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה בַתְּאֵינִים כול׳. אָמַר רִבִּי לָא. כְּתִיב כִּי תָבֹא בְּכֶרֶם רֵעֶךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ עֲנָבִים כְּנַפְשְׁךָ שָׂבְעֶךָ. וְכִי מַה יֵשׁ בַּכֶּרֶם לוֹכַל אֶלָּא עֲנָבִים. לְלַמְּדָךְ הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה בָּעֲנָבִים לֹא יֹאכַל בַּתְּאֵינִים. HALAKHAH: “If one was working on figs,” etc. Rebbi La said, it is written: “If you come into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat grapes to satisfy yourself.” What else is there in the vineyard to eat but grapes? To teach you that if he was working on grapes he may not eat figs31Deuteronomy.23.25">Deut. 23:25. E quotes the entire first part of the Mishnah which is from the text of Sifry Deut. 266 on this verse. It seems therefore that the text of L is original..