Sheviis 1:3 - 1:4

אחד אילן סרק – that does not bear fruit and they are planted three to a Bet Seah (50 cubits by fifty cubits – see the previous Mishnah).

אם ראויין לעשות – we view each and every tree on its own – if it is a fig tree and things similar to it, it would make a loaf of pressed figs and for what reson did they estimate with a fig on its huge fruit and that it makes a lot.

לצרכן – filled with light/sun and its basket is external to it.

עד שיהיו מג' ועד ט' – meaning to say, this law that we stated, meaning from three until nine [trees], but if there were ten [trees] or more, even though they don’t produce [fruit], we plough [the entire Bet Seah].

שנאמר בחריש ובקציר תשבות – it refers to the first clause, as it is taught [at the conclusion of Mishnah 3 of this chapter): “We plow them only according to their need.” And from where do we learn that we don’t plough the entire Bet Seah, as it states (Exodus 34:21): “ you shall cease from labor even at plowing time and harvest time,” and if it has no connection with the Sabbath of Creation, as it is already stated (Exodus 20:9): “Six days you shall labor and do all your work,” and not for Shemittah/the Sabbatical Year , for it already states (Leviticus 25:3): “Six years you may sow your field and six years you may prune your vineyard [and gather in the yield],” teach it in connection with the two periods of the Eve of the Seventh (i.e., Sabbatical) year – from Passover for a grain or vegetable field/a bright field without shade, and from Shavuot for an orchard (see Tractate Sheviit, Chapter 2, Mishnah 1). And this is what the Biblical verse said: “at plowing time” when its harvesting is forbidden. And which is this? The plowing of the Eve of the Seventh year [which enters into the Seventh year] you should cease/rest, and in the harvesting, where plowing is forbidden. And which is this? This is the harvesting of the Seventh year that extends into the year following the Sabbatical year, you should alsorest/cease, and the after-growth/spontaneous growth (see Tractate Sheviit, Chapter 9, Mishnah 1) that grew during the Sabbatical year or that if he transgressed and sowed on the Sabbatical year is forbidden to harvest them in the eighth year.

ר' ישמעאל אומר – the Biblical verse always talks about the Sabbath as its plain meaning, and it comes to inform us: just as plowing [which] is a voluntary act [is prohibited on the Sabbath], for you do not have a commanded form of plowing, so [only] harvesting, which the All-Merciful stated “you shall rest/cease,” [which likewise] is voluntary [is prohibited on the Sabbath] but excludes the harvesting of the Omer/the first sheaf [and is therefore permitted on the Sabbath – see Tractate Menahot, Chapter 10, Mishnah 9], that is a Mitzvah and that we require harvesting for its sake which supersedes the [observance of] the Sabbath.