Commentary for Avodah Zarah 100:5
אמר רבינא אנא לא נגר אנא ולא בר נגר אנא ומפרקינא לה מאי קא קשיא ליה אילימא מועד אשביעית קא קשיא ליה מאי שנא שביעית דשרי ומ"ש מועד דאסור מי דמי שביעית מלאכה אסר רחמנא טירחא שרי מועד אפי' טירחא נמי אסור
Ravina said: I am neither a carpenter nor a son of a carpenter yet I can explain it. What is the difficulty he has with it? If I say that the difficulty is the festival vis a vis the Sabbatical year, why is it that the Sabbatical year is permitted and the festival forbidden? Are the two the same? On the Sabbatical year the Torah prohibited work but exertion is permitted, but on the festival even exertion is forbidden.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
Ravina first needs to figure out what the difficulty is. If we think the difficulty is in figuring out why one can treat the tree on the Sabbatical year but not on the festival, this is not a difficulty. The Torah prohibits certain types of agricultural work but there is no prohibition of exertion. Taking care of the tree is not one of those forbidden labors. But on the festival it is prohibited to do all sorts of activities that require exertion. This would include taking care of the tree. So this should not be a difficulty at all.
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