תלמוד על כלאים 6:1

But for tending a vineyard¹⁸This discussion is independent of the previous paragraph, since an inconsistency was shown in the position of R. Joḥanan. Since the Mishnah does not define how much space is needed for tending a vineyard, this has to be established here., according to the House of Shammai 8 cubits, according to the House of Hillel 6¹⁹This is the mss. text, but it is unacceptable since the following discussion clearly indicates that the reading is “4”. The entire sentence is questionable since the contraction of על דעתיה to אדעתיה is Babylonian Aramaic. cubits. But did we not state²⁰Mishnah 4:5: “If somebody plants five vines in a row, the House of Shammai say it is a vineyard, the House of Hillel say that there is no vineyard unless there are two rows. Therefore, he who sows four cubits in a vineyard, the House of Shammai say that he sanctified one row, but the House of Hillel say he sanctified two rows.” Since the verse declares that sowing (grains or vegetables) in a vineyard sanctifies “the vineyard”, the sown plants sanctify the nearest vineyard; for the House of Hillel this involves two rows. In any case, the House of Shammai is also mentioned in the Mishnah that puts the minimal distance of seeds from vines at slightly greater than 4 cubits.: “Therefore, he who sows four cubits in a vineyard, the House of Shammai say that he sanctified one row, but the House of Hillel say that he sanctified two rows.” Let us say that it²¹“4 cubits.” was stated because of the House of Hillel. But did we not state²²Mishnah 6:1: “What is a trellis? If one plants a row of five vines near a fence 10 hand-breadths high or next to a ditch 10 hand-breadths deep and four wide, one gives it four cubits for tending. The House of Shammai say, one measures four cubits from the stem of the vines into the field, but the house of Hillel say, from the fence towards the field.” The fact that the trellis makes a single row into a vineyard is needed only for the House of Hillel, since Mishnah 4:5 already had stated that five vines in a row are a vineyard for the House of Shammai.: “What is a trellis? He who plants a row of five vines.” There is a difference, since Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, this was taught about a curved trellis. By its curving, two are absorbed²³Hence, for the House of Shammai the five vines would not form a vineyard were it not for the trellis; no conclusion can be drawn for the position of the House of Shammai on the measure of space for tending of a vineyard planted in a straight line..

It was stated in the name of Rebbi Meïr: “All trees can be exempted by intention except olive and fig trees.” Rebbi Meïr is consistent since he says⁶Mishnah Kilaim 6:6. He holds there that any “futile” fruit-bearing tree may be planted in a vineyard to support the spreading vines without infringing on the prohibition of mixing species in a vineyard. all trees are futile except olive and fig trees.

There is no difference whether one built a fence and then planted eleven vines or he planted eleven vines and then built a fence⁶⁰Cf. Note 1 for a discussion of the role of the fence.. If the middle vine is destroyed we have trellis and interrupted trellis⁶¹There now are two legal trellises that form one interrupted trellis.. If the fence is destroyed, there is no trellis and no interrupted trellis. Rebbi Eudaimon, brother of Rebbi Yose, inquired: If he then rebuilt the fence, since the trellis was reconstituted, do you say that the interrupted trellis also was reconstituted⁶²Since growing other crops in a vineyard is a potential transgression of a biblical prohibition, in doubt one has to take the more severe position. The absence of an answer therefore implies a positive answer.?