Kilayim 4:1 - 4:2

קרחת – [razed portion of] a vineyard and the untilled ground surrounding the vineyard [between the vines and the fence], I will explain them further on.

בית שמאי אומרים כ"ד אמות – if its razed portion is twenty-four cubits, it is permitted to sow there; less than this, he should not bring seed to there.

שחרב מאמצע – and there are vines all surrounding the razed portion which is sixteen cubits by sixteen cubits, and similarly, if the razed area went over the face of the width of the vineyard where there are no vines other than from the two sides of the razed portion [of the vineyard].

אם אין שם שש עשרה אמה – according to the words of the School of Hillel, he should not bring seed to there even in the middle cubit, for four cubits that are on the side of the vineyard from this side and four cubits that are on the side of the vineyard from that side, is the tillage of the vineyard of four cubits as is taught in the Mishnah (i.e., Mishnah 2) because they would cut the grapes with oxen and with wagons and at the time of the plowing, they plow it with oxen; therefore, those four cubits in the vineyard are like the vineyard, but if there remained between them eight cubits besides those four on each side, they were not nullified in regard to the vineyard, and it is permitted to sow them; less than eight cubits, they cast one-half to this side and the other half to that side, and they nullify it concerning the vineyard, and it is like the vineyard itself and it is prohibited to sow in them because of mixed seeds/Kilayim. But according to the School of Shammai, it is not considered a field when it is less than eight cubits, therefore, we require twenty-four cubits – four for the tilling/working of the vineyard from this side and corresponding to them from the other side, subtract from them sixteen [cubits]- though eight to here and eight to there, and one has a field and it is not nullified.

מחול הכרם – it is a free space between the vineyard to the fence all around, like (see Judges 21:21: “[As soon as you see the girls of Shiloh] join in the dances, come out from the vineyards; [let each of you seize a wife from among the girls of Shiloh, and be off for the land of Benjamin]) women joining in the dancing that they dance all around. It is the language of (Jeremiah 31:13): “Then shall maidens dance gaily.”

אם יש שם י"ב אמה – according to the words of the School of Hillel, they provide four cubits for the tilling of the vineyard and sow the remainder. But if there aren’t there twelve cubits, he should not bring seed to there, for the four cubits that are near the wall, since they are not sown because of the repair of the wall in order that a person can walk upon the ground near the wall, and that the dirt will be threshed and its foundations will be strengthened, they are declared free. But the middle sections, if there are four cubits they are considered [usable] but if not, they are nullified in regards to the vineyard, but here we don’t require sixteen cubits for there is no prohibition other than from one side. And all of these cubits are a cubit of six handbreadths.