משנה: עַד אֵימָתַי חוֹרְשִׁין בִּשְׂדֵה הָאִלָן עֶרֶב שְׁבִיעִית בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים כָּל־זְמָן שֶׁהוּא יָפֶה לַפֶּרִי. וּבֵֹית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים עַד הָעַצֶּרֶת. וּקְרוֹבִים דִּבֽרֵי אֵלּוּ לִהְיוֹת כְּדִבְרֵי אֵלּוּ. MISHNAH: Until when may one plough an orchard in the year preceding the Sabbatical? The House of Shammai say, as long as it helps the fruits, the House of Hillel say, until Pentecost. Their words do not differ by much.

הלכה: עַד אֵימָתַי חוֹרְשִׁין כו׳. כְּתִיב שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי תִּשְׁבּוֹת. וּכְתִיב בֶּחָרִישׁ וּבַקָּצִיר תִּשְׁבּוֹת. מַה אֲנָן קַייָמִין אִם לְעִנְיַין שַׁבָּת בְּרֵאשִׁית וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל־מְלַאכְתֶּךָ. וְאִם לְעִנְייַן שַׁבְּתוֹת שָׁנִים וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְרַע שָׂדֶךָ וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְמוֹר כַּרְמֶךָ. אֶלָּא אִם אֵינוֹ עִנְייָן לְשַׁבָּת בְּרֵאשִׁית וְלֹא לְעִנְייַן שַׁבְּתוֹת שָׁנִים תְּנֵיהוּ עִנְייָן בְּאִיסּוּר שְׁנֵי פְּרָקִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים. בֶּחָרִישׁ וּבַקָּצִיר תִּשְׁבּוֹת בֶּחָרִישׁ שֶׁקְּצִירוֹ אָסוּר וְאֵי זֶה זֶה. זֶה חָרִישׁ שֶׁל עֶרֶב שְׁבִיעִית שֶׁהוּא נִכְנַס לַשְּׁבִיעִית. וּבַקָּצִיר שֶׁחָרִישׁוֹ אָסוּר וְאֵי זֶה זֶה. זֶה קָצִיר שֶׁל שְׁבִיעִית שֶהוּא יוֹצֵא לְמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית. HALAKHAH: “Until when may one plough, etc.” It is written¹Shortened versions of this discussion are in the Babli, Roš Haššanah9b, Makkot.8b">Makkot 8b. In both places, the argument is attributed to the school of R. Aqiba. In Mekhilta deR.Simeon bar Ioḥai to 34:22, it is attributed to R. Jehudah. Practice noted in the next paragraph follows the school of R. Ismael as explained in Mishnah 5. (Exodus.23.12">Ex. 23:12): “Six days you shall do your work but on the Seventh Day you shall rest.” And it is written (Exodus.34.21">Ex. 34:21): “You shall rest from ploughing and harvesting.²The argument is somewhat elliptic. Exodus.23.12">Ex. 23:12 reads: “Six days you shall do your work but on the Seventh Day you shall cease, so that your donkey and your ox may rest and the son of your bondsmaid and the stranger may recuperate.” Exodus.34.21">Ex. 34:21: “Six days you shall work; on the Seventh day you shall rest, from ploughing and harvesting you shall rest.” It would seem more natural to quote the second verse in toto; this is the approach of the commentaries which emend the first quote away but such an approach is impossible since our text clearly quotes two different verses. The explanation is in the Mekhiltot(deR.Ismael,Massekhta dekhas pa, p. 331; Exodus.21.1-24.18">deR.Simeon bar Ioḥai,Mishpaṭim, p. 217): It says in the Ten Commandments, that “six days you shall labor and do all your work.” Hence, one could think that the Sabbath has to be kept only if all work is permitted on weekdays. This would exclude the Sabbath days of the Sabbatical year since most agricultural work is forbidden in the Sabbatical. Hence, the verse Exodus.23.12">Ex. 23:12 is necessary to include the Sabbath days of the Sabbatical years; this only makes sure that Exodus.34.21">Ex. 34:21 is redundant as far as both Sabbath day and Sabbatical year are concerned.” Where do we hold? If one speaks about the Sabbath of Creation³The Sabbath day., was it not already said (Exodus.20.9">Ex. 20:9): “Six days you shall labor and do all your work?” If one speaks about Sabbatical years, was it not already said (Leviticus.25.3">Lev. 25:3): “Six years you shall sow your field and six years you shall prune your vineyard?” If it cannot refer to the Sabbath of Creation nor to Sabbatical years, let it refer to the prohibition of the first two terms⁴The “two terms” are the two periods during which agricultural work has to cease before the onset of the Sabbatical year, one for orchards and one for fields.. “You shall rest from ploughing and harvesting,” from ploughing when harvesting is forbidden; what is this? This is ploughing in the year preceding the Sabbatical in preparation of the Sabbatical. And from harvesting when ploughing is forbidden, what is this? That is the harvest of Sabbatical growth after the Sabbatical.

וְאִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר חוֹרְשִׁין עַד רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה. רִבִּי קְרוּסְפִּי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל וּבֵית דִּינוֹ הִתִּירוּ בְאִיסּוּר שְׁנֵי פְרָקִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן בָּעֵי לֹא כֵן תַּנִּינָן אֵין בֵית דִּין יָכוֹל לְבַטֵּל דִּבְרֵי בֵית דִּין חֲבֵירוֹ עַד שֶׁיְּהֵא גָדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ בְחָכְמָה וּבְמִינְייָן. רִבִּי קְרוּסְפִּי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן שֶׁאִם בִּקְּשׁוּ לַחֲרוֹשׁ יַחֲרוֹשׁוּ. וְיַעַקְרוּ אוֹתָן מִן הַמִּשְׁנָה. רִבִּי קְרוּסְפִּי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן שֶׁאִם בִּקְּשׁוּ לַחֲזוֹר יַחֲזוֹרוּ. If it is so, why was it said: One ploughs until the New Year⁵From some baraita. The statement of R. Joḥanan is a Tosephta (Ševi‘it 1:1). In the Babli (Mo‘ed qaṭan3b) the statement is attributed to R. Joshua ben Levi; in neither Talmud is it presented as a tannaïtic statement.? Rebbi Crispus in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Rabban Gamliel and his court abolished the prohibition of the first two terms. Rebbi Joḥanan asked: Did we not state: No court may annul the words of another court unless it is greater in wisdom and numbers⁶Eduyot 1:5" href="/Mishnah_Eduyot.1.5">Mishnah Idiut 1:5. Rabban Gamliel and his court are inferior to the Men of the Great Assembly both in stature and in numbers.? Rebbi Crispus in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: If they wanted to plough, they may plough⁷Since the institution of the Sabbatical year is interwoven with that of the Jubilee year and the Jubilee is possible only if the Twelve Tribes are living on their ancestral lands, the Sabbatical in the times of the Second Commonwealth is not a biblical but a rabbinic institution. It is a general rule in dealing with institutions of the Men of the Great Assembly that one is restrictive in interpretation while the Temple exists and lenient when the Temple does not exist. Since one hopes that the Temple will be re-established, the rules have to be stated in the Mishnah for future generations (Interpretation of Rav Ashi in Babli Mo‘ed Qaṭan 4a).. Then it should have been eliminated from the Mishnah! Rebbi Crispus in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: If they wanted to re-establish it, they may do so.

הָתִיב רִבִּי יוֹנָה הֲרֵי פָּֽרְשַׁת מִילּוּאִין הֲרֵי פָּֽרְשַׁת דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל הֲרֵי אֵינָן עֲתִידִין לַחֲזוֹר מֵעַתָּה יַעַקְרוּ אוֹתָן מִן הַמִּשְׁנָה. אֶלָּא כְדֵי לְהוֹדִיעָךְ. וְכָא כְדֵי לְהוֹדִיעָךְ. אָמַר רִבִּי מָנָא כַּיי דְתַנִּינָן תַּמָּן שֶׁאִם יֹאמַר אָדָם כָּךְ אֲנִי מְקוּבָּל יֹאמְרוּ לוֹ כְדִבְרֵי רִבִּי אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי שָׁמַעְתָּ. וְכֵן שֶׁאִם יֹאמַר אָדָם שָׁמַעְתִּי שֶׁאָסוּר לַחֲרוֹשׁ עַד רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה יֹאמַר לוֹ בְּאִיסּוּר שְׁנֵי פְּרָקִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים שָׁמַעְתָּ. Rebbi Jonah objected: There is the chapter on the induction and the chapter on the generation of the deluge which will have no future use⁸The induction of Aaron and his sons into the priesthood is decribed twice in the Torah, once as commandment (Exodus.29">Ex. 29) amd once in its execution (Leviticus.8-9">Lev. 8–9). The rules given there have no future application since the priesthood of the descents of Aaron is permanent. Similarly, since God has sworn that there will be no more global deluge (Genesis.9.11">Gen. 9:11), the story of the deluge has no future applications.. Should they have been eliminated from what is studied? They are there to inform you. So here also to inform you. Rebbi Mana said, as we stated there⁹Eduyot 1:6" href="/Mishnah_Eduyot.1.6">Mishnah Idiut 1:6, explaining why the Mishnah also transmits opinions which are rejected in practice. The information about rejected opinions is necessary for the future.: “If a person says, so is my tradition, one will say to him, you heard the opinion of Rebbi X.” And so, if somebody should say, I heard that it is forbidden to plough until the New Year, they will say to him, you heard the prohibition of the first two terms.

רִבִּי אָחָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹנָתָן בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָֽסְרוּ לַמִּקְרָא סָֽמְכוּ וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהִתִּירוּ לַמִּקְרָא סָֽמְכוּ. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָֽסְרוּ לַמִּקְרָא סָֽמְכוּ בֶּחָרִישׁ וּבַקָּצִיר תִּשְׁבּוֹת בֶּחָרִישׁ שֶׁקְּצִירוֹ אָסוּר וְאֵי זֶה זֶה זֶה חָרִישׁ שֶׁל עֶרֶב שְׁבִיעִית שֶׁהוּא נִכְנַס לַשְּׁבִיעִית. וּבַקָּצִיר שֶׁחָרִישׁוֹ אָסוּר וְאֵי זֶה זֶה זֶה קְצִיר שֶׁל שְׁבִיעִית שֶהוּא יוֹצֵא לְמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהִתִּירוּ לַמִּקְרָא סָֽמְכוּ. שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבוֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל־מְלַאכְתֶּךָ מַה עֶרֶב שַׁבָּת בְּרֵאשִׁית אַתְּ מוּתָּר לַעֲשׂוֹת מְלָאכָה עַד שֶׁתִּשְקַע הַחַמָּה אַף עֶרֶב שַׁבְּתוֹת שָׁנִים אַתְּ מוּתָּר לַעֲשׂוֹת מְלָאכָה עַד שֶׁתִּשְקַע הַחַמָּה. Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: When they forbade it, they were inspired by Scripture¹⁰It is not claimed that the rules of the Sabbatical year in the Second Commonwealth are biblical, only that they are inspired by the interpretation of biblical verses., and when they permitted it, they were inspired by Scripture. When they forbade it, they were inspired by Scripture, (Leviticus.25.3">Lev. 25:3): “You shall rest from ploughing and harvesting,” from ploughing when harvesting is forbidden; what is this? This is ploughing in the year preceding the Sabbatical in preparation of the Sabbatical. And from harvesting when ploughing is forbidden, what is this? That is the harvest of Sabbatical growth after the Sabbatical. When they permitted it, they were inspired by Scripture, (Exodus.20.9">Ex. 20:9): “Six days you shall labor and do all your work,” just as on the eve of the Sabbath of Creation³The Sabbath day. one may do work until sundown, also before the start of the Sabbatical year one may work until sundown¹¹Sundown of the eve of New Year’s Day.
The Babli (Mo‘ed qaṭan 3b–4a) has another interpretation, based on R. Ismael’s opinion in Mishnah 1:5. It cannot accept the interpretation here since in the theory of the Babli one is obliged by biblical decree to start Sabbath and holidays some time before sundown (Yoma.82b">Yoma 82b, Roš Haššanah 9a)..

וְלָמָּה עַד הָעֲצֶרֶת עַד כָּאן הוּא יָפֶה לַפֶּרִי מִיכָּן וָאֵילַךְ הוּא מְנַבֵּל פֵּירוֹתֵיו. וְהָא תַנִּינָן אֶחָד אִילַן סְרָק וְאֶחָד אִילַן מַאֲכָל עַד כָּאן הוּא מְעַבֶּה אֶת הָכּוֹרֶת מִיכָּן וְהֵילַךְ הוּא מַתִּישׁ אֶת כּוֹחוֹ. וְיַחֲרוֹשׁ מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהוּא מַתִּישׁ כּוֹחוֹ שֶׁל אִילָן אַף הוּא אֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּין לַעֲבוֹדַת הָאָרֶץ. Why until Pentecost? Until then it is good for the fruits, from there on he degrades his fruits. But did we not state: Both for a useless tree¹²For the definition of “useless tree”, cf. Kilayim 6:3:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Kilayim.6.3.1">Kilaim Chapter 6, Note 40. and a fruit tree, until then¹³Pentecost. After that time, any ploughing makes sense only as preparation for the next season, the Sabbatical. it fortifies the stem, from there on it weakens its force. Let him plough! Because he knows that he will weaken the tree, he does not intend to work the ground.

וְלָמָּה לֹא תַנִּיתָהּ מִקּוּלֵּי בֵית שַׁמַּאי וּמֵחוּמְרֵי בֵית הִלֵּל. פְּעָמִים שֶׁאֵין הַגְּשָׁמִים מְצוּייִן וְאֵין הַלֵּיחָה מְצוּיָה וְהוּא עָתִיד לַחֲרוֹשׁ קוֹדֶם לָעֲצֶרֶת כְדִבְרֵי בֵית שַׁמַּאי. בֵּית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים עַד הָעַצֶּרֶת. Why did we not state this with the leniencies of the House of Shammai and the stringencies of the House of Hillel? Sometimes there is no rain and no moisture and he would plough only before Pentecost following the House of Shammai¹⁴Ploughing in a time of draught robs the ground of moisture. In that case, the House of Shammai is more restrictive than the House of Hillel.. The House of Hillel say, until Pentecost.