If a man's field was sown with wheat and then he decided to sow it with barley, he must wait until it [the wheat seeds] become wormy [rots in the soil] and then [he must] turn it over [with a plow so that it does not grow] and afterwards he may sow [the barley]. If it [the wheat] has has already sprouted, he is not to say, "I will [first] sow [the barley], and then I will turn it over," but he must turn it over, and afterwards sow. How much must he plow? Like the forrows [he would plow] after the first rain [wide firrows]. Abba Shaul says, [He must plow] so that he does not leave [unplowed] as much [ground] as holds a quarter <i>kav</i> to a <i>beit se'ah</i>.
English Explanation of Mishnah Kilayim
Introduction
This mishnah deals with a person who had planted his field with wheat and then changed his mind and decided that he wanted to plant barley. What must he do so that he can plant barley?
Note that I have explained this mishnah according to Albeck. There are other quite different explanations.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kilayim
If one’s field was sown with wheat, and he changed his mind and decided to sow it with barley, he must wait until it [the wheat] rots. Before he plants the barley, he must wait for the wheat seed to start to rot underneath the soil, meaning until it stops being “seed”. According to the Tosefta, this takes three days in moist ground and more than that in dry ground. After the wheat has rotted, he can plant barley and according to the mishnah the wheat won’t grow.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kilayim
He turns [the soil] and then he may sow [the barley], if it [the wheat] had already grown. If the wheat has started to sprout, he must first overturn the soil and then he may plant the barley.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kilayim
He should not say: “I shall [first] sow [the barley] and, then turn [the soil]” rather he must first turn [the soil] and then sow. He shouldn’t say that he is going to first sow the barley and then turn over the soil because this would be prohibited. Rather what he must do is first overturn the soil and then he can plant the barley.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kilayim
How much must he plow [when overturning the soil]? Like the furrows [that are plowed after the [first] rainy season. The mishnah now turns its attention to how much one must plow for it to be considered as if he had properly turned the soil. The first opinion is that he must plow furrows like those that are plowed after the first rainy season. These furrows are spread apart one from the other, meaning the mishnah is rather lenient. He need not overturn all the soil.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kilayim
Abba Shaul says: [one should plow] so that one does not leave [unplowed] as much [ground] as holds a quarter [kav] to a bet seah. Abba Shaul holds that he must make sure that no more than ¼ kav within a bet seah (a field large enough to grow a seah of wheat) is left unturned. Since there are six kav to a seah, this means that he must not leave more than 1/24 unturned. Abba Shaul is clearly stricter than the anonymous opinion in section four.
