Comentário sobre Sheviit 4:4

המדל בזיתים – when the olive [trees] become too close to each other, he takes one [tree] and leaves two or he takes two [trees] and leaves one, in order that it should grow and thicken. [The word] מדל/thins out is the language of slipping off and removal, but there are those who explain it as the language of something torn in shreds and poverty when he reduces/weakens his field from the olives.

Introduction This mishnah deals with one who thins out the trees in his field during the sabbatical year so that the other trees will be able to grow. This is permitted because it is permitted to do things during the sabbatical year that will preserve the trees already growing in his field. However, when he does so he needs to make sure that it doesn’t look like he is clearing his field so that he can plant new trees, which is prohibited.

יגום – he razes and cuts down the tree and leaves the root in the ground, but he does not uproot it completely so that it will not appear like he is working the land.

One who thins out his olive-trees [in the seventh year]: Bet Shammai says: he cuts them down to the ground. Bet Hillel says: he may completely uproot them. According to Bet Shammai, the one who is thinning out olive trees in his field may only cut them down to the ground. He may not uproot them because according to Bet Shammai, this looks like he is preparing the field for planting. Bet Hillel, on the other hand, allows the person thinning out his field to completely uproot the trees. Evidently, Bet Hillel is not concerned lest this look like he is preparing the field for planting. Perhaps people will easily be able to notice that he is thinning out his field and not clearing the land.

ומודים במחליק – as for example, if he takes three olive [trees], one on the side of the other, that he smoothens the face of the field too much, they (i.e., people) will say that the intended to work the field, and that is prohibited.

They agree that if one levels his field, he can only cut them down to the ground. Bet Hillel agrees with Bet Shammai that if one is leveling the trees in his field, which means that he is cutting down more than just one or two in any one spot, he may only cut them down to the ground and he may not uproot them. Since when he is leveling them it looks more like he is clearing his field in order to prepare it for planting, he must be extra cautious to avoid giving this impression.

מתוך של חבירו כף המחליק ישרש- that a person doesn’t act that he clears/repairs the field of his neighbor, for it is known that intends only [to remove] the wood.

What is considered “thinning out”? One or two plants. And what is considered “leveling”? Three plants next to each other. The mishnah now defines the difference between thinning out and leveling. Thinning out is when he cuts down one or two trees and leaves the third tree next to them. Leveling is when he cuts down three adjacent trees.

This applies to his own property only, but from the property of another, even he that levels may uproot. The above halakhot refer to a case where one is working in his own field. However, if one is working in his friend’s field even one who is leveling may uproot the trees because no one will suspect him of clearing his friend’s field so that it can be planted. This is a similar concept to that which we learned in mishnah 3:6.