Commentary for Kilayim 4:3
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אֵין זֶה אֶלָּא גֶדֶר הַכֶּרֶם. וְאֵיזֶה הוּא מְחוֹל הַכֶּרֶם. בֵּין שְׁנֵי הַכְּרָמִים. אֵיזֶה הוּא גָדֵר, שֶׁהוּא גָבוֹהַּ עֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים. וְחָרִיץ, שֶׁהוּא עָמֹק עֲשָׂרָה וְרָחָב אַרְבָּעָה:
Rabbi Yehudah says, This [above definition of a <i>machol</i>] is nothing more than the fence of a vineyard. What is a <i>machol</i>? [The area] between two vineyards. What is [considered] a fence? Anything that is ten handbreadths high. [What is considered] a trench? That which is ten [handbreadths] deep and four [handbreadths] wide.
English Explanation of Mishnah Kilayim
Introduction
In today’s mishnah Rabbi Judah disagrees with the definition of a “mehol” found in yesterday’s mishnah.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kilayim
Rabbi Judah says: this is nothing but the fence of the vineyard fence. Rabbi Judah says that the empty space between a fence and a vineyard is not a mehol but is rather considered an extension of the fence. In such an area it is prohibited to sow seeds, even if the area is more than twelve cubits by twelve cubits.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kilayim
What then is a mehol of a vineyard? [A space] between two vineyards. According to Rabbi Judah a mehol is the empty space between two vineyards. If there are twelve cubits of such space, they leave four cubits on each side in which to work the vineyard and there will be four cubits left in the middle in which he can plant seed.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kilayim
What is considered a fence? One that is ten handbreadths high. For a fence to legally separate two different entities it must be ten handbreadths high. Note that this was the same height as the eruv and the sukkah. Anything under ten handbreadths is too small to be considered.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kilayim
And what is considered a trench? One ten handbreadths deep and four wide. Similarly, when areas are separated by trenches, the trenches must be ten handbreadths deep in order to function as legal separators (this was already taught above in 2:8).
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