Audio by Dr. Michael Sokolow

פרק ד - משנה א
קרחת הכרם A clearing in a vineyard,
בית שמאי אומרים עשרים וארבע אמות Beis Shammai say is twenty-four אמות,
בית הלל אומרים שש עשרה אמה Beis Hillel say is sixteen אמות;
מחול הכרם the border of a vineyard,
בית שמאי אומרים שש עשרה אמה Beis Shammai say is sixteen אמות,
בית הלל אומרים שתים עשרה אמה Beis Hillel say is twelve אמות;
איזו היא קרחת הכרם What is a clearing in a vineyard?
כרם שחרב מאמצעו a vineyard which was destroyed in its center;

אם אין שם שש עשרה אמה

if there are not sixteen אמות there,
לא יביא זרע לשם one cannot bring [other] seeds there
היו שם שש עשרה אמה if there was sixteen אמות there
נותנין לו עבודתו we give it [the vineyard] its workspace
 וזורע את המותר and plant in the rest
   
פרק ד - משנה ב

איזה הוא מחול הכרם

What is the perimeter of the vineyard?
בין הכרם לגדר [The space] between the vineyard and the fence;
אם אין שם שתים עשרה אמה if there are no twelve אמות there
לא יביא זרע לשם one cannot bring [other] seeds there
 היו שם שתים עשרה אמה if there was twelve אמות there
נותנין לו עבודתו we give it [the vineyard] its workspace
   וזורע את המותר and plant in the rest
   

NOTES

משנה א

שש עשרה אמה - Eight of these אמות are actually the workspace of the vineyard, four אמות for the part of the vineyard abutting one side of the clearing and four אמות for the part of the vineyard abutting the other side of the clearing.  As will be stated later in the משנה, this space must be left bare according to Both Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel.  According to Beis Shammai, the remainder of the clearing must be two plots of eight אמות for it not to be בטל to the vineyard (for a total of twenty-four when added to the workspace), according to Beis Hillel, eight אמות (for a total of sixteen when added to the workspace), if sufficient.  The רע"ב explains that they disagree over what is considered a "שדה" but that both hold two such שדות are needed, or else the two surrounding sides of the vineyard would be מבטל the less-than two fields in the middle.  According to ב"ש, a שדה is eight  אמות, while ב"ה hold it is only four אמות.

איזו היא קרחת הכרם - This explanation is made according to Beis Hillel's position that merely eight אמות left for planting the other species is sufficient.

נותנין לו עבודתו - As stated above, this is four אמות of space; such a space must be left on each side of the clearing for a total of eight.  This workspace was considered part of the vineyard, as it was used to service the vines with wagons and plows drawn by oxen.  Other species could not be planted in that space, as it would be like plating inside the vineyard proper.

 

משנה ב

בין הכרם לגדר - Similarly to the clearing of סיפא in the last משנה, four אמות will have to be left fallow between the vineyard and other species.  However the presence of the fence raises additional issues, as normally a four אמה space would be left next to a fence as well, in order to keep the fence's foundation stable.  If, after taking off the four אמות of workspace for the vineyard, less than eight אמות of space are left, four of which will be left empty for the fence, then what can be planted there (less than four אמות according to ב"ה, which this משנה is following, or less than eight אמות if it were according to ב"ש) is to small not to be subsumed to the vineyard.

 

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