Kommentar zu Kilayim 3:11

Introduction In previous mishnayot we learned that vegetables must be separated by a space of six handbreadths to prevent a problem of kilayim. In today’s mishnah we learn that this is only so in a case of a field of vegetables. When it comes to smaller furrows, the rabbis were more lenient and allowed one to distance them by a measure of only 1 ½ handbreadths, the amount of land the rabbis thought that each vegetable used to derive nutrients. To understand this mishnah we must also recall that if the point of one area planted with one species ends at the beginning of another species, this is permitted. I have tried to make a drawing below to illustrate this.

In this drawing the triangle can be of one species and the rectangle of another.

A furrow of vegetables measuring six handbreadths by six handbreadths: it is permitted to sow in it five [different] types of seeds--four [species], one on [each of] the four sides of the bed, and one in the middle. I have drawn an approximation of what this furrow will look like below:

I don’t know how to draw half-filled boxes, so pretend that all boxes marked with “a” are filled with a triangle, such that only a point of this triangle is in contact with the planted area on the outside. In this way one can plant four different species on the outside and still maximize his planting on the inside.

If it had a border one handbreadth high, one may sow in it thirteen [different species] three on every border, and one in the middle. If there is a border that is one handbreadth high, and one handbreadth wide, it turns out that the square is eight handbreadths by eight handbreadths. He can now sow thirteen different seeds, as you can see in the following drawing:

Again, imagine that the “a” boxes are filled to make triangles, coming to a point at their contact with the rows on the outside. In this way, he can sow thirteen different seeds, twelve on the outside rows, and a large patch in the middle. Rabbi Judah below disagrees with this and holds that one can plant six in the middle. This could be accomplished by drawing six diamonds in the middle, so that only the angles of the triangles touch the edges of the outside squares, like this.

Each letter forms a diamond (sorry that I’m not cable of drawing this.) In this way the only the angles of the diamonds touch the squares.

It is prohibited to plant a turnip head in the border since that would fill it [completely]. Rabbi Judah said: [it is permitted to sow] six [species] in the middle. Turnip plants produce many leaves. Therefore if they are planted outside, it will look like they have mixed in with the other species and this is prohibited.

Introduction This mishnah is a direct continuation of yesterday’s mishnah.

They may not sow different species of seeds in one bed, but they may sow different species of vegetables in one bed. In yesterday’s mishnah we learned that in some cases it is permitted to plant five different species in one furrow, six handbreadths by six handbreadths. Our mishnah says that this refers only to vegetables, because it is customary to plant small patches of vegetables. However, it does not apply to seeds, because it is customary to plant them in larger areas, and therefore planting many seeds in one small patch is forbidden because it looks too much like kilayim.

Mustard and small polished peas are a species of seed; large peas are a species of vegetable. The mishnah identifies mustard and a certain small species of peas as being species of seeds, whereas it identifies larger peas as being a species of vegetable.

If a border was originally a handbreadth high and then it fell in height, it remains valid, since it was valid at the beginning. If the border wall was originally high enough to plant on top of it twelve species and then it started to deteriorate, he does not have to uproot all of the seeds which he planted there, since he planted them with permission.

A furrow or water channel which are a handbreadth deep, it is permitted to sow three different species of vegetables, one on one side, one on the other side, and one in the middle. If there is a furrow or water channel that is one handbreadth deep he can plant one species on each side of the furrow, and one species in the middle, because the depth is considered a separation.

Introduction This mishnah deals with potential problems of kilayim in vegetable fields. Note that I have explained this mishnah according to Albeck’s commentary.

If the point of an angle of a vegetable field overlaps into a field of another vegetable, it is permitted because it looks like the end of his field. This section is the same as section one of mishnah 2:7. I am copying my commentary here so that you don’t have to go back and look at it: In this case, a point of an angle of a field planted with one type of vegetable enters into, or according to other interpretations, is adjacent to, a field planted with a different type of vegetable. Imagine a triangular field, where one of the corners is next to a square field. Since it looks like the angle is the end of one of the vegetable fields, there is no problem of kilayim here.

His field was sown with a certain vegetable and he wants to plant in it a row of another vegetable: Rabbi Ishmael says: [he may do so] as long as a furrow runs through from one end of the field to the other. Rabbi Akiva says: [as long as] it is six handbreadths long and fully as wide. Rabbi Judah says: [as long as] the width is the full width of a footstep. All three sages in this mishnah allow one to plant one row of a different species of vegetable within a field of another species of vegetable. The three sages differ with regard to how long this row has to be. Rabbi Ishmael says that the row has to run the whole distance of the field, essentially dividing the field in half. This turns the row of a different vegetable into its own field, in which case there is no problem of kilayim. Rabbi Akiva says that the row need not go the entire distance of the field. His condition is that the row must be six handbreadths wide and as wide below as it is above. That is to say the sides of the furrow don’t slant but are rather dug straight down. Rabbi Judah says that the width need only be as wide as a footstep. In the Talmud this is explained to be one handbreadth. Rabbi Judah agrees with Rabbi Akiva that the furrow need not run the whole length of the field.

Introduction This mishnah deals with a person who wishes to plant several types of vegetables within one field.

Planting two rows of cucumbers, two rows of gourds, and two rows of Egyptian beans is permitted. When one plants two rows of cucumbers it looks like a separate field. Therefore, one can plant next to it two more rows of gourds and then two more rows of Egyptian beans. There is no need for any minimum length of the rows, as there was in yesterday’s mishnah, because each row looks like its own field.

[But planting] one row of cucumbers, one row of gourds and one row of egyptian beans is prohibited. However, if one plants a field with a row each of three different species, it does look like kilayim, and it is prohibited.

[Planting] one row of cucumbers, one row of gourds, one row of Egyptian beans and [again] one row of cucumbers: Rabbi Eliezer permits, But the sages forbid. In this case he plants four rows of three different vegetables. Somewhat surprisingly, Rabbi Eliezer permits this. Albeck explains that according to Rabbi Eliezer, in this case it will be noticeable that he is not simply mixing up species, but planting alternate rows of three species, cucumbers, gourds and beans. Since it doesn’t look like kilayim, Rabbi Eliezer allows this arrangement. The other sages however still forbid this.

Introduction This mishnah teaches that one can sometimes plant two different species in one hole, as long as it doesn’t look like kilayim.

One may plant a cucumber and a gourd in one hole, as long as this [species] inclines in one direction, and the other [species] in the opposite direction. It is permitted to plant a cucumber and a gourd plant in one hole, as long as the leaves are inclining in opposite directions, so that it doesn’t look like kilayim.

And he should tip the leaves of one [species] one way, and the other the opposite way, since all that the sages prohibited [in matters of kilayim] they only decreed because of appearance. This entire section is missing from good manuscripts of the mishnah and is clearly a later addition, meant to explain section one. The main point is that from the Torah kilayim are only prohibited if the two species are actually mixed together. The rabbis added that if the two species look like they are mixed together, then it is prohibited “derabanan.” In the case of the cucumber and gourd whose leaves incline in opposite directions, since it doesn’t look like the two are intertwined, it is not prohibited at all.

Introduction This mishnah deals with a person who has sown his field with onions and now wishes to plant some gourds there as well.

His field was sown with onions, and he wishes to plant in it rows of gourds:
Rabbi Ishmael says: he pulls up two rows [of onions] and plants [in the cleared space] one row [of gourds], then he leaves onions over a space of two rows, pulls up two rows [of onions] and plants [in the cleared space] one row [of gourds, and so on]. The first thing he does is uproot two rows of onions. Each row is four cubits wide, which means he now has an empty space of eight cubits (about four meters). He then can plant in the middle of this space a row of gourds, leaving two clear cubits on each side to separate them from the onions. He then may keep the next two rows of onions because they are separated from the gourds. Then he pulls up another two rows of onions and again plants within them one row of gourds. In this way there are twelve cubits between each row of gourds. This procedure continues as long as he wants. Rabbi Ishmael holds that since gourds have long leaves, if they are not significantly separated it will look like a field of gourds that has onions (or any other species of vegetable) mixed in.

Rabbi Akiva says: he pulls up two rows [of onions], plants [in the cleared space] two rows [of gourds], then he leaves onions over a space of two rows, pulls up two rows [of onions], and plants two rows [of gourds; and so on]. Rabbi Akiva is more lenient than Rabbi Ishmael and allows him to simply uproot two rows of onions and plant two rows of courts. There is no need for the gourds to be two cubits away from the onions. According to Rabbi Akiva, the gourds will end up being only eight cubits apart.

The sages say: if between one row [of gourds] and the next there are not twelve cubits, one may not allow that which is sown in the intervening space to remain. The sages partially agree with Rabbi Ishmael and partially with Rabbi Akiva. They agree with Rabbi Ishmael that the gourds must be twelve cubits apart. However they don’t agree that there must be two cubits separating the gourds from the onions. Therefore, what he may do is uproot two rows of onions and plant two rows of gourds, then leave three rows of onions, then uproot two rows of onions and plant two rows of gourds. In this way there are twelve cubits between the gourds (=three rows of onions) but there is no clear space separating the rows of gourds from the rows of onions.

Introduction This mishnah deals with how close one may sow gourds to other species of vegetables or grain.

A gourd [sown] among a [different] vegetable [must be separated by as much] as any other vegetable. If he wants to sow a single gourd plant next to a different vegetable, the same rule that always applies to vegetables still applies he must distance them six handbreadths.

[A gourd sown] among grain he must give it [a separating space of] a bet rova. However, if he wants to sow the gourd next to grain, he must separate them the same distance that grains must be separated by a bet-rova (a space big enough to grow a quarter kav of grain). This is 10.2 cubits by 10.2 cubits, or about 25 square meters (see above 2:10).

If his field was sown with grain, and he wishes to plant within it a row of gourds, he must give [the gourds] six handbreadths for them to be worked. And if [the row of gourds] overgrows [into the border] he must pull up that which is within it. If he wants to make an entire row of gourds he need not separate it as far from the grain as he would if it were a single plant, because an entire row is recognizable as being distinct and looks less like kilayim than does a single plant. All he must do is separate the row of gourds from the grain by six handbreadths, the amount of space he needs around the gourds in order to take care of them. If the gourd plants overgrow this six handbreadth limit, he needs to remove the leaves that creep into the separation area.

Rabbi Yose says: he must give [the gourds] four cubits for them to be worked. They said to him: Do you rule more stringently with regard to this than with regard to a vine? He said to them: We find that [the gourd] is treated more stringently than a vine, since for a single vine he must give six handbreadths for it to be worked, but for a single gourd a bet rova. Rabbi Yose disagrees with the previous opinion and holds that he must give the gourds four cubits space to work them. The other rabbis respond that this would make the rule with regard to gourds stricter than the rule with regard to vines. Below in mishnah 4:5 we will learn that when it comes to separating vines from grain, only six handbreadths are required. Since the rules of kilayim governing vines mixed in with grain are in some ways stricter than those governing mixing of seeds, the rabbis question why Rabbi Yose is stricter with regard to the mixing of seeds. Rabbi Yose answers that there is precedent for his strict ruling. Single vines may be planted six handbreadths from grain, whereas single gourd plants must be distanced by a bet rova, as we learned above. In essence, Rabbi Yose holds that there is no difference in the distancing of single plants from full rows if a single plant must be distanced by a bet-rova, then so too must the full row.

Rabbi Meir said in the name of Rabbi Ishmael: if there are as many as three gourds in a bet seah, he may not bring [another] seed into the bet seah. Rabbi Yose ben Hahotef Ephrati said in the name of Rabbi Ishmael: if there are as many as three gourds in a bet kor, one may not bring [another] seed into the bet kor. Rabbi Meir says that if there are three gourd plants in a field the size of a bet seah (2500 square cubits) then he should not put any other type of seed in that plant. From here we can see that according to Rabbi Meir, gourds must be separated from other vegetables by the distance of 1/3 of a bet seah, and not merely by a bet rova, a far smaller amount. Rabbi Meir attributes this opinion to Rabbi Ishmael. Rabbi Yose ben Hahotef Ephrati transmits an even stricter opinion in the name of Rabbi Ishmael. A bet kor is 75,000 square cubits. If one brings so much as three gourd plants into a field this size, he may not plant another species of vegetable in that same field.