Si uno recibió un campo de su vecino durante unos años, [menos de siete], no puede sembrarlo con lino, [porque la semilla de lino debilita mucho el suelo y sus raíces permanecen en el suelo durante siete años], y él tiene no (privilegios de corte) en el tronco de un sicómoro, [una higuera silvestre, cuyas ramas están cortadas para vigas.] Si la recibió de él durante siete años, el primer año puede sembrarla con lino, y tiene ( privilegios de corte) en el maletero de un sicómoro. [El sicómoro es una higuera salvaje cuyas ramas se cortan para vigas. Cuando se cortan, vuelven a crecer, pero en menos de siete años, no pueden convertirse en vigas. Por lo tanto, si lo recibió por menos de siete años, no puede cortarlo para vigas, ya que no lo ha recibido para este propósito. En pocos años no pueden volver a crecer (para ser adecuados) para vigas. Pero si lo recibió durante siete años, el primer año puede sembrarlo con lino, y puede cortar el sicómoro que contiene.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
לשנים מועטות – less than seven years.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Introduction
Mishnah nine states some legal differences with regards to the rights of a sharecropper who receives a field for less than seven years versus one who receives the field for more than seven years.
Mishnah ten deals with the issue of including the sabbatical year in the rental agreement.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
לא יזרענה פשתן – for flax weakens the land a great deal and its roots remain in the land until seven years.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
If one leased a field from his fellow for but a few years he may not sow flax and he has no right to cut beams from the sycamore tree. If he leased it for seven years he may sow flax the first year and he has a right to cut beams from the sycamore tree. When one rents a field he is expected to return the field and everything in it to its owner in a state similar to that that in which he received it. If he were to sow the field with flax which damages the soil and then return the field, the field would still bear the damage of the flax. Therefore, if he wishes to plant flax he must plant it at least seven years before the end of the rental agreement. If he rents the field, therefore, for seven years, he may plant flax during the first year. Similarly, he must return the trees that were on the field in the same condition in which he received them. If he were to cut down the thick branches of the sycamore, they would take a long time to grow back. Therefore, he may only cut down these types of branches if there are seven years left before the end of the rental agreement.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Bava Metzia
ואין לו בקורת שקמה – it is the wood of a fig-tree of the forest. And we cut its branches for beans of the building and they continue to grow, but for less than seven years, one does not make beams. Therefore, acceptance [of a lease] for less than seven years, he cannot cut down beams on it, for it is not the intention that beams come down, for in a few years, they do not restore the beams. But if he accepted [a lease] for seven years, the first year, he can sow flax and cut down the sycamore that is in it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Bava Metzia
Questions for Further Thought: • Mishnah Nine: If one were to rent a field for ten years when could he sow flax and cut down branches of the sycamore tree?
