פירוש על שביעית 4:9

רביעית לסאה – that from a Seah of olives, he is able to produce/bring forth a quarter of a Log of oil.

Introduction This mishnah completes the discussion of when various fruits are considered to be ripe enough to eat on Sheviit. It is interesting to note that the mishnah discusses only figs, grapes and olives. Clearly these are the most important trees in this region, and the only other common fruit that comes to mind is the date.

פוצע – it is the manner of olives to burst them open in order to sweeten their bitterness.

Olives, as soon as they can produce a quarter log [of oil] for each se'ah, they may be split and eaten in a field. When they produce a half-log, then he may crush them in a field and use their oil. When they have reached a third [of their overall potential], they may be crushed in the field and brought home. When it comes to olives, the rules are slightly more complicated since there are three stages of preparation and not just two, as there were with the figs and grapes. Also, olives are not eaten individually, and hence we must pay attention to how much oil they produce and not how ripe each individual olive is. When the olives are laden enough with oil that a seah of them can produce a quarter of a log of oil, then when he is still in the field he can split them and use the little oil that comes out. This oil will not be of great use to him. When they develop a little more, and can produce ½ of a log, then he can crush them but he still must eat them in the field. Finally, when they are able to produce a third of their potential of oil, which is considered to be three logs per seah, meaning they can now produce one log per seah, then he may crush them and bring the oil home.

ואוכל בשדה – for it is a thing whose manner is to eat it, but to pour oil, it was not fit, and they don’t pour oil other than from something whose manner is to pour oil.

And similarly in the other years of the sabbatical cycle [when they have reached this latter stage] they are subject to tithes. This is the same as section two in the previous two mishnayot.

הכניסו חצי לוג – when they became ripe until he is able to remove one-half a LOG from a Seah.

With all other fruit of trees [the season when they become due to be tithed] is the season when they are permitted in the seventh year. This section summarizes the laws found in this mishnah and in the two above. Just as we saw throughout, a fruit becomes permitted in the seventh year at the same time when it becomes liable for tithes in other years. It seems that this is generally when it is ripe enough to eat or use, even if it is not yet fully ripe.

הכניסו שלשי – when they have grown one -third from what they will eventually grow; alternatiely, when he removes from them now one-third from what he he removes for a Seah when they have ripened well.

כך עונתן לשביעית – one does not eat from them in the Seventh Year until they arrive at the season for tithing that is explained in the first chapter of [Tractate] Maaserot (see especially Mishnah 2), for especially figs and grapes and olives that are one eats customarily prior to their ripening, therefore, they permitted to eat of them in the field in the Seventh Year prior to their reaching the season of tithing, but ot with other fruit/produce.