Shabbat 169

Chapter 169

א וקים להו לרבנן דחמשא בשיתא לא ינקי מהדדי
1 and the Rabbis ascertained that five [species sown] in six [handbreadths square] do not draw [sustenance] from each other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the implications of the verse are referred to a plot of this size. ');"><sup>1</sup></span> And how do we know that that which the Rabbis ascertain is of consequence?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To base a law thereon. ');"><sup>2</sup></span> For R. Hiyya b. Abba said in R. Johanan's name: What is meant by, Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old have set?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XIX, 14. ');"><sup>3</sup></span> The landmark which they of old have set thou shalt not encroach upon.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By planting so near to your neighbour's border that the roots must draw sustenance from his land, thus impoverishing it. ');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ב ומנלן דהא דקים להו לרבנן (דחמשא בשיתא) מילתא היא דא"ר חייא בר אבא א"ר יוחנן מאי דכתיב (דברים יט, יד) לא תסיג גבול רעך [אשר גבלו ראשונים] גבול שגבלו ראשונים לא תסיג מאי גבלו ראשונים אמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני אמר רבי יונתן (מאי) דכתיב (בראשית לו, כ) אלה בני שעיר החורי יושבי הארץ אטו כולי עלמא יושבי רקיע נינהו אלא שהיו בקיאין בישובה של ארץ שהיו אומרים מלא קנה זה לזית מלא קנה זה לגפנים מלא קנה זה לתאנים וחורי שמריחים את הארץ וחוי אמר רב פפא שהיו טועמין את הארץ כחויא רב אחא בר יעקב אמר חורי שנעשו בני חורין מנכסיהן
2 What landmarks did they of old set? R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in R. Johanan's name, [Even] as it is written, These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the earth:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXXVI, 20. ');"><sup>5</sup></span> are then the whole world inhabitants of heaven? But it means that they were thoroughly versed in the cultivation of the earth. For they used to say, This complete [measuring] rod [of land is fit] for olives, this complete [measuring] rod [is fit] for vines, this complete [measuring] rod for figs.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They know how to divide up the land for cultivation, and as a corollary they must have known how much earth each species required for its sustenance. It was from them that the Rabbis acquired this knowledge, whose correctness is vouched for by this verse. ');"><sup>6</sup></span> And Horite [hori] implies that they smelled [merikin] the earth. And Hivite [hiwi]? Said R. Papa: [It teaches] that they tasted the earth like a serpent [hiwya].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In both cases for agricultural purposes. ');"><sup>7</sup></span> R. Aha b. Jacob said: Horite [hori] implies that they become free [horin] from [the cares of] their property.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Being dispossessed thereof, v. Deut. II, 12. ');"><sup>8</sup></span>
ג אמר רב אסי ערוגה תוכה ו' חוץ מגבוליה תניא נמי הכי ערוגה תוכה ששה גבוליה בכמה כדתנן רבי יהודה אומר רוחב כמלא רוחב פרסה א"ר זירא ואיתימא רבי חנינא בר פפא מ"ט דר' יהודה דכתיב (דברים יא, י) והשקית ברגלך כגן הירק מה רגל טפח אף גבול נמי טפח
3 R. Assi said: The internal area of the seed-bed must be six [handbreadths square], apart from its borders.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Fallow borders were left around seed-beds for the convenience of threshing; the area stated in the Mishnah does not include the borders. ');"><sup>9</sup></span> It was taught likewise: The internal area of the seed-bed must be six [handbreadths square]. How much must its borders be?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the whole may be technically regarded as a seed-bed, and the laws appertaining thereto (v. infra) apply to it. ');"><sup>10</sup></span> — As we learnt, R. Judah said: Its breadth must be the full breadth of [the sole of] a foot, R. Zera — others say, R. Hanina b. Papa — said: What is R. Judah's reason? Because it is written, and wateredst it with thy foot:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XI, 10. ');"><sup>11</sup></span> just as the [sole of] the foot is a handbreadth, so must the border too be a handbreadth.
ד אמר רב ערוגה בחורבה שנינו והאיכא מקום קרנות אמרי בי רב משמיה דרב בממלא את הקרנות וליזרע מאבראי ולא לימלי מגואי
4 Rab said: We learnt of a seed bed in a waste plot.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the Mishnah refers to sucb. But if it is surrounded by other beds sown with different seeds, there is only the two handbreadths space occupied by the borders of the two contiguous beds between them, whereas three handbreadths space is required between two rows of different plants. ');"><sup>12</sup></span> But there is the corner space?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which can be left unsown. It is then possible to have the bed surrounded by others. ');"><sup>13</sup></span> — The School of Rab<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The term Be Rab may mean either the School founded by Rab or scholars in general; Weiss Dor, III, 158. ');"><sup>14</sup></span> answered in Rab's name: It refers to one who fills up the corners. Yet let one sow on the outside,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the seed-bed, i.e., it need not be in the middle of an unsown plot. ');"><sup>15</sup></span> and not fill up the inside?
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