Comentario sobre Sheviit 3:8

אין בונין מדרגות – steps leading to ravines (for carrying up the water for irrigation), that they should not level/improve the appearance in their descent to take the water that had gathered in the valley in those holes/indentations, that appears like one is improving/repairing them to ater throough tem his fields in the Seventh Year.

Introduction Today’s mishnah deals with building steps leading down into a ravine. According to Albeck this mishnah refers to terrace farming. The steps are the terraces that are built into the sides of the mountain in order to better utilize this land for farming.

לא יסמוך בעפר – if he comes to dam up the place where the waters go out on the rocks, he should not put dust or plaster between the stones because it looks like more like he intends to water from them his fields.

They may not build steps leading to ravines in the sixth year after the rains have stopped, for this would be improving the fields for the seventh year. But he may build in the seventh year itself, after the rains have stopped, for this would be a improving the fields for the eighth year. Normally speaking, they would build the steps/terraces into the ravine after the rains had stopped (around Pesah time). The rains would have damaged the terraces and hence after the rains stopped it would be time to repair the terraces. If he builds such terraces in the sixth year for the seventh year then it looks like he is improving the field in order to plant it in the seventh year. However, he can build terraces in the seventh year after the rains have stopped because everyone will see that this is preparing the field for the eighth year, which is permitted.

אבל עושה הוא חייץ (he may make a loose embankment/ a pile of loose and uneven material) – stones arranged this one on top of tha tone, similar to a fence without dust and/or plaster.

He may not block them [the steps] with earth, but he may make an embankment. When rebuilding the terraces during the seventh year he may not block them with earth because then it looks like he is preparing the earth to plant for the seventh year. But he may make an embankment, which Albeck interprets as a stone wall that does not have any earth on top of the stones. When he rebuilds the terrace in such a way it will be clear that he is not planning on sewing for the seventh year.

כל אבן – [every stone] that is in his field, even a small one, if when he builds the fence or a building, he can stretch out his hand and take it and to build it.

Any stone which he can stick out his hand and pick up, may be removed. While building the embankment or the terrace he can’t just pick up any stone he wishes because that looks like he is clearing his field in order to prepare it for sewing. He can only pick up a stone that is close enough to him that he can just stick out his hand and pick it up.

הרי זו תנטל – that the fence proves for him that he takes it to build his fence but not to improve/repair his field for sowing.