Moed Katan

to pull out [vegetables],1 as we learned:2 ‘If one is [engaged in] thinning3 vines, just as he may thin his own, so also he may thin those due to the poor;4 so R. Judah. R. Meir says: He is permitted [to attend] to his own but not to those of the poor’.5 Said Rabina: But it is taught [explicitly]: ‘One may raise water for vegetables if they are to be eaten’! — Said Rabbah [of Thospia] to Rabina: If it is thus taught, that settles the matter.6 NOR MAY SMALL BASINS [‘UGIOTH] BE FORMED ABOUT THE VINES. What is meant by ‘ugioth?7 — Said Rab Judah, [What we call] banki.8 It is also taught thus: These are ‘ugioth; light hoeing done about the roots of olives and at the roots of vines.9 [But] this is not so, for did not Rab Judah allow the family of Bar-Zittai10 to make banki in their vineyards? — This is not difficult: The one statement [in the Mishnah] refers to fresh [trenchings], the other [Rab Judah's] refers to re-trenching.11 R. ELEAZAR B. AZARIAH SAYS A [WATER] CHANNEL MAY NOT BE NEWLY MADE [DURING THE FESTIVAL WEEK, NOR IN THE SABBATICAL YEAR; BUT THE SAGES SAY].12 It is perfectly in order in regard to the festival week, because he performs laborious work, but what reason can there be [against making a channel] in the sabbatical year? — R. Zera and R. Abba b. Memel differ in the matter: One says [it is forbidden] because [the digger] seems to be doing spading [in his field]; the other says, because he is [thereby] preparing the banks for sowing. What is the [practical] difference between the two [explanations]? — There is a difference where water comes along forthwith; according to the one who says that [it is] because he is preparing the banks for sowing, there is [still an objection], but according to the one who says that [it is] because he seems to be doing spading, there is none.13 But, the one who objects on the ground that he seems to be doing spading, should he not likewise object on the ground that he seems to be preparing the bank for sowing? — Rather, the [practical] difference between them is where he takes [the mould] from the trench and throws it outside. According to the one who says that [it is] because he seems to be preparing the banks for sowing, there is no objection, whereas according to the one who says that [it is] because he seems to be spading, there is [still an objection]. But, he who takes the view that he seems to be preparing the banks for sowing, should he not likewise admit the objection that he seems to be doing spading? — [No,] because one who does spading, as soon as he takes up a spadeful he puts it down again in its place. Amemar taught this [clause of the] Mishnah with the explanation [that R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah forbids making a channel] ‘because he seems to be doing spading [in his field]’14 but felt some difficulty about it in view of another statement of R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah. Could R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah [said he] have held the view that wherever one seems to be spading [his field],14 it is forbidden? And he contrasted that with the [statement in the] following [Mishnah]:15 One may lay up a store of manure [in his field].14 R. Meir says he may not until he places it either three handbreadths below or three handbreadths above [the surface]. If he had some small quantity [already there] he may go on adding thereto. R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah says [even then] he may not until he puts it down either three handbreadths below, or raises it three handbreadths above [the surface],16 or places it on a rock!’ — R. Zera and R. Abba b. Memel [explained this seeming discrepancy], one said: [The latter Mishnah means where], for instance, he has had the place excavated; the other said: [The reason there is because] the manure heap itself attests his intention. 17 AND [A CHANNEL] THAT HAS GOT OUT OF ORDER MAYBE RE-PAIRED. What is meant by OUT OF ORDER? — Said R. Abba:18 ‘It means that if it is [now, for instance] but one handbreadth in depth, he may restore it to [a depth of] six handbreadths’. It is obvious that [to restore it] from half a handbreadth to [the original] three, seeing that there was [originally] scarcely any flow of water, it is nothing at all;19 [to deepen it] front two handbreadths to [the original] twelve20 which involves extra exertion,21 is not [allowed]. What about [deepening it] front two [handbreadths] to [the original] seven? [Do we argue that] as in the first instance [it was explained above] he deepens it by five handbreadths, [from one to six], so here he deepens it by five handbreadths [from two to seven];22 or, maybe that as in this instance he [actually] deepens the channel by an extra handbreadth there is extra exertion, and hence it is forbidden? — It stands undecided. Abaye allowed the people of Harmek to clear away23 [the growths obstructing]24 the canal.25 R. Jeremiah allowed the people of Sacutha to dredge the canal that had become blocked.26 R. Ashi allowed the people of Matha-Mehasia to clear obstructions from the river Barnis, saying that as the public obtained their drinking water from it it was virtually a [pressing] public need, and we learn: AND ALL PUBLIC NEEDS MAY BE PERFORMED. course of the festival week, and it should be vocalized to read madlin. without seeming concern about giving a wrong impression, that he is said to have had in his mind when he prohibited the making of a water channel. the repairing to be done in the festival week.