Commentary for Avodah Zarah 43:6
רב גביהה מבי כתיל אמר הנהו שתילי דערלה הוה עובד כוכבים אכיל שני דערלה וישראל שני דהתירא אתו לקמיה דרבא שרא להו
R. Gavihah of Be-Katil said: That was a case of orlah plants, the non-Jew ate the produce during the orlah years and the Israelite during [a corresponding number of] permitted years. They came before Rava who permitted it.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
Rav Gavihah has a different version of the story. The partnership was not made to get around the issue of Shabbat, it was to get around the problem of orlah—the prohibition of eating the fruit of a tree during its first three years of growth. Rava allowed this deal to exist. Rashi explains that this agreement is more acceptable with regard to orlah than it is with Shabbat.
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