Wenn er in Feigen arbeitete, darf er keine Trauben essen; In Trauben darf er keine Feigen essen. Aber er kann sich zurückhalten, bis er den Ort der besten Früchte erreicht und dort isst. Und all dies (Fälle, in denen Arbeitnehmer essen dürfen) wurde nur zum Zeitpunkt der Arbeit angegeben (als erhalten). Aber um den Besitzern "ein verlorenes Objekt wiederherzustellen" (dh damit er nicht aufhört zu arbeiten, um zu essen), entschieden sie: Arbeiter können essen, wenn sie von Furche zu Furche gehen. [Wenn sie eine Furche beenden und eine andere beginnen (sie können essen). Auch wenn diese Zeit nicht "die Zeit der Arbeit" ist, zieht es der Besitzer vor, dass sie dann essen.] Und (sie können essen) von der Weinpresse zurückkehren (um eine weitere Ladung Trauben aufzunehmen). Und ein Esel [kann beim Gehen von der Last auf seinem Rücken fressen], bis er entladen ist.
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
מפני השב אבדה לבעלים – so that he will not be idle from his labor.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Introduction
The two mishnayoth which we will learn today continue to discuss a worker’s right to eat from the produce with which he is working.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
אמרו פועלים אוכלים בהליכתן מאומן לאומן – when they have finished this row and walk to begin its neighbor, and even though at that hour, it is not the time of work, it is pleasing to the owner with this.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If one was working with figs he may not eat grapes, and if among grapes he may not eat figs. But he may refrain [from eating] until he reaches the best produce and then eat. As we learned in the previous mishnah, according to the Rabbinic interpretation of the Torah a fieldworker is allowed to eat from the food in the field while he is working in the field. Our mishnah teaches that a worker may eat only of the food with which he is working. They may not eat of other foods even if they belong to the same owner. However, the worker may save his appetite and eat from the best fruit which he will work with in the end. In other words the worker may eat of any of the fruit with which he is working but he may not eat from anything with which he is not working.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
וחמור כשהיא פורקת – while it is walking, it eats from the burden that is on its back until she unloads.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
In no case have they said [that he may eat] save during the time of his work. But because of the principle of restoring lost property to its owner they have said, “Field laborers may eat as they go from one furrow to another or as they return from the winepress. And a donkey [may eat] while it is unloading.” The basic law is that a worker may only eat while he is working. However, this situation presents a potential problem to both the worker and the employer. The worker would probably prefer to eat when he is completed with his work and the employer, who probably is paying per hour, would prefer the worker not stop working to eat. Therefore, the Rabbis stated that workers may wait to eat until they have completed their work and are going from one place of work to the other.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Questions for Further Thought: • Mishnah four, section two: According to the mishnah is a worker allowed to eat while he is working or must he wait until he completes the job?
