Komentarz do Bechorot 4:8

החשוד על השביעית – to sow or to do business with the after-growths of the seventh year.

Introduction Since yesterday’s mishnah dealt with a person suspected of selling first borns, today’s mishnah deals with a person suspected of transgressing the laws of the sabbatical year. This would include one suspected of planting on the sabbatical year, or of selling sabbatical year produce as merchandise.

סרק – that is prepared with a comb, for since his trouble is little/small, he is not stringent.

If one is suspected of [ignoring the] sabbatical year, one may not buy from him flax, even combed; but spun or woven flax may be bought from him. One should not buy flax from a person who is suspected of transgressing the laws of the sabbatical year lest that flax was sewn during the sabbatical year. Alternatively, even if it was not sewn that year, the seller is not supposed to be treating sabbatical year produce as merchandise. One shouldn’t buy even combed flax, because the seller, suspected of transgressing these laws, would not hesitate to take this small step in processing the flax. However, one can buy spun or woven flax from him, for the same reason we explained in yesterday’s mishnah. If he is suspected of transgressing the sabbatical year, he would not take the time to process the flax to such a great extent for fear of getting caught. Therefore, we can assume that this flax was not sabbatical year flax.

אריג – not actually woven, for now that which is spun is permitted, we require woven. For this comes within the category of spun before it. But rather, woven, that is by the eye, twisted chains that they make from flax that were never spun.