Commentary for Kilayim 3:6
הָיְתָה שָׂדֵהוּ זָרוּעַ בְצָלִים, וּמְבַקֵּשׁ לִטַּע בְּתוֹכָהּ שׁוּרוֹת שֶׁל דְּלוּעִים, רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר, עוֹקֵר שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת וְנוֹטֵעַ שׁוּרָה אַחַת, וּמַנִּיחַ קָמַת בְּצָלִים בִּמְקוֹם שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת, וְעוֹקֵר שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת וְנוֹטֵעַ שׁוּרָה אֶחָת. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, עוֹקֵר שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת וְנוֹטֵעַ שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת, וּמַנִּיחַ קָמַת בְּצָלִים בִּמְקוֹם שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת, וְעוֹקֵר שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת וְנוֹטֵעַ שְׁתֵּי שׁוּרוֹת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אִם אֵין בֵּין שׁוּרָה לַחֲבֶרְתָּהּ שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אַמָּה, לֹא יְקַיֵּם אֶת הַזֶּרַע שֶׁל בֵּינְתָיִם:
If his field was sown with onions and he wishes to plant in it rows of gourds, Rabbi Yishmael says, he must uproot two rows [of onions; a row is four cubits, so a total of eight cubits is made empty] and plant one row [four cubits of gourds in the middle; so two cubits on each side remain empty], he [then] leaves the standing crop of onions over a space of two rows [eight cubits wide] and uproots two rows [of onions] and plants one row [of gourds]. Rabbi Akivah says, he must uproot two rows [of onions] and plant two rows [of gourds], he [then] leaves the standing crop of onions over a space of two rows and uproots two rows [of onions] and plant two rows [of gourds]. The Sages say, If there is not between one row [of gourds] and the next twelve cubits, he may not maintain the seeds [of onions] between them.
English Explanation of Mishnah Kilayim
English Explanation of Mishnah Kilayim
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.