משנה: אֵין בּוֹנִין מַדְרֵיגוֹת עַל פִּי גֵּאָיוֹת עֶרֶב שְׁבִיעִית מִשְּׁפָּֽסְקוּ גְשָׁמִים מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מְתַקְּנוֹ לַשְּׁבִיעִית. אֲבָל בּוֹנֶה הוּא בַּשְּׁבִיעִית מִשְּׁפָּֽסְקוּ גְשָׁמִים מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מַתְקִינָן לְמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית. וְלֹא יִסְמוֹךְ בֶּעָפָר אֲבָל עוֹשֵׂהוּ חַייִץ. כָּל־אֶבֶן שֶׁהוּא יָכוֹל לִפְשׁוֹט אֶת יָדָיו וְלִיטְּלָהּ הֲרֵי זוּ תִינָּטֵל. MISHNAH: One does not build steps77This is the standard meaning of the word; Maimonides explains it by Arabic דדג “staircase”. The explanation given by the classical commentaries is that hewn stairs down the ravine make it easier to draw water for manual irrigation. It seems to me that a better interpretation would be: “One does not build terraces out of ravines.” There is nothing in the Halakhah that would contradict this interpretation. If the Mishnah permits building terraces during the dry season of the Sabbatical year, it makes sense that one may not fill the terraces with earth since that clearly would be agricultural work. If one speaks of stairs, it is difficult to see why one would want to fill up with earth what will be washed away by next winter’s rains. out of ravines78Translation of Maimonides, Arabic ח֗נדק. before the Sabbatical year after the rains stopped because that is preparation for the Sabbatical. But he may build during the Sabbatical year after the rains stopped because that is preparation for the year after the Sabbatical. One should not fill with earth but he may use it for a divider. Any stone may be taken if he can stretch out his hand and take it79Without a tool..
הלכה: רִבִּי קְרִיסְפָּא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל בְּאִיסּוּר שְׁנֵי פְרָקִים הִיא מַתְנִיתָא. תַּנֵּי רִבִּי יוּדָה וְרִבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹסְרִין. לֹא בְּאִיסּוּר שְׁנֵי פְרָקִים וָכָא בְּאִיסּוּר שְׁנֵי פְרָקִים. רִבִּי שַׁמַּאי בָּעֵי אִם בְּאִיסּוּר שְׁנֵי פְרָקִים כְּהָדָא תַּנִינָן לַחֲרוֹשׁ מוּתָּר וְלִבְנוֹת אָסוּר. אֶלָּא בְּהֵיתֵר שְׁנֵי פְרָקִים. אִם בְּהֵיתֵר שְׁנֵי פְרָקִים כְּהָדָא תַנִּינָן אֲבָל בּוֹנֶה הוּא בַּשְּׁבִיעִית מִשְּׁפָּֽסְקוּ גְשָׁמִים מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מַתְקִינָן לְמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית. אָמַר רִבִּי מָנָא יֵאוּת. אָמַר רִבִּי שַׁמַּאי הָדָא קַדְמִיתָא לַחֲרוֹשׁ מוּתָּר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מַתְקִינָן לְמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית. לִבְנוֹת אָסוּר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מַתְקִינָן לַשְּׁבִיעִית. מַתְנִיתָא לֹא אָמַר כֵּן אֶלָּא אֲבָל בּוֹנֶה הוּא בַּשְּׁבִיעִית מִשְּׁפָּֽסְקוּ גְשָׁמִים מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מַתְקִינָן לְמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית. HALAKHAH: Rebbi Crispus in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan, Ḥananiah ben Gamliel80He might be R. Ḥananiah ben Gamliel, oldest son of Rabban Gamliel, brother of Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel, Tanna of the fourth generation. In that case, it would be difficult to disagree with his determination, since he would have heard from his father that with the two terms he also abolished the prohibition of building.: The Mishnah refers to the prohibition of the two terms81Cf. Sheviit 1:1:3" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sheviit.1.1.3">Chapter 1, Note 5. Since the prohibition was lifted, the Mishnah would no longer be operative.. It was stated: “Rebbi Jehudah and Rebbi Neḥemiah forbid it82This fragment of a baraita contradicts Tosephta 3:4: “Rebbi Neḥemiah says one builds steps out of ravines in the year before the Sabbatical and fills them with earth during the Sabbatical down to the ravine.” If there is a text by R. Neḥemiah that forbids building, that text would refer to the prohibition of the two terms and the Tosephta to the permission..” Does this not refer to the prohibition of the two terms, so here also about the prohibition of the two terms. Rebbi Shammai inquired: If this is about the prohibition of the two terms, did we state that one is permitted to plough83After the rains stopped, some time before Passover, it is possible to plough until Pentecost at least, but it would be forbidden to build. This does not make sense since ploughing is a direct agricultural activity but building is only an indirect one. but forbidden to build? So it must refer to the permission of the two terms. If it refers to the permission of the two terms, we have stated: “But he may build during the Sabbatical year after the rains stopped because that is preparation for the year after the Sabbatical.” Rebbi Mana said, is Rebbi Shammai correct? In the first case, one is permitted to plough because that prepares for the year after the Sabbatical84It is good practice to plough a field with large furrows before letting it lay fallow.. It is forbidden to build since that prepares for the Sabbatical. The Mishnah does not say so, “but he may build during the Sabbatical year after the rains stopped because that is preparation for the year after the Sabbatical.85Hence R. Crispus in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan is justified and practice should follow R. Neḥemiah in the Tosephta.”
לֹא יִסְכֹּךְ בֶּעָפָר אֲבָל עוֹשֵׂהוּ חַייִץ. מַהוּ חַייִץ. חָייַץ לֵיהּ כְּמַה דְתֵימַר וְהוּא בוֹנֶה חַייִץ. “He should not cover it86This reading the Mishnah, יסכך, is only in the Leyden ms. The Arukh and the Tosafists’ tradition read יסבוך “scramble”. Some late mss. have יסכוד “dam up”. with earth but he may use it for a divider.” What is a divider? It divides, as it is said (Ezekiel.13.10">Ez. 13:10): “He is building a dividing wall.”