תלמוד על כלאים 4:4

MISHNAH: What is a trellis¹This is the interpretation of most commentaries, from Hebrew ערש “crib”, Arabic عَرِبش “trellis, crib”. R. Abraham ben David in his commentary to Idiut 2:4 explains that five vines in a row form a vineyard for the House of Hillel only if the vines are growing on a trellis near a fence, not if the fence is used as a trellis. This is the only possible explanation in Idiut, but in his Commentary on this Mishnah, Maimonides explains that vines lean on or upon the (stone) fence. He gives the same interpretation in his Code (Kilaim 8:2) but then has to come to the conclusion (loc.cit. 8:3) that the four cubits to be measured from the fence are on the side pointing away from the vines. R. Abraham ben David protests against this interpretation which “never entered the mind of any commentator.” Maimonides’s interpretation is difficult to accept, the tortured justifications of R. David ben Zimra and R. Joseph Caro in their commentaries on the Code notwithstanding, since the vines according to the Mishnah can be up to three cubits distant from the fence.? If somebody plants a row of five vines along a fence ten hand-breadths high or a ditch ten hand-breadths deep and four wide, one gives it four cubits working space. The House of Shammai say one measures four cubits between the stems of the vines and the field. The House of Hillel say, between fence and field²For them, the trellis (or plantation) is not quite a vineyard; it is irrelevant where in the strip near the fence the vines are planted.. Rebbi Joḥanan ben Nuri said, anybody who affirms this is in error; if there are four cubits between the stems of the vines and the fence one gives it its working space and he may sow the rest. What is the working space of a vine³A single vine. For R. Ismael, five vines in a row are never a vineyard; they are a collection of single vines; the restrictions of the Mishnah apply only because the trellis is too close to the fence. But as soon as the vines are a full four cubits distant from the fence, the vines are treated as isolated. For R. Aqiba, the working space must have a diameter of six hand-breadths.? Six hand-breadths in every direction; Rabbi Aqiba says three.

MISHNAH: If somebody plants one row of five vines, the House of Shammai say that this is a vineyard⁸⁹Less than 5 vines are single vines and one has to leave only 6 hand-breadths of free space around them. But a vineyard needs 4 free cubits on all four sides. In addition, while kilaim is forbidden to be sown near a vine, only for a vineyard both vines and seeds become sanctified and forbidden for any use; for single vines the usufruct is not forbidden.. But the House of Hillel say, [a planting] is not a vineyard unless it has two rows⁹⁰It will be clear from Mishnah 6 that the House of Hillel also put the minimal number of vines in a vineyard at 5 but require them to be planted in two rows.. Therefore, if somebody sows within four cubits of a vineyard, the House of Shammai say that he sanctifies one row, but the House of Hillel say, two rows⁹¹The extent of what becomes forbidden to use is detailed in the Halakhah..