Hebrew Literature. Various
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fruits, but we may not cultivate the ground. From the river of Egypt, and from the Amana to the interior, we may eat the fruits and cultivate the ground.
2. Men may labor in that which is separated from the ground in Syria, but not in that which is attached to the ground. They may thresh, and shovel, and tread out, and make sheaves, but they must not reap the grain nor glean the grapes, nor beat the olives. This is the rule; said Rabbi Akiba, “all things similar to that which is allowed in the land of Israel, men may do in Syria.”
3. “Onions upon which fell rain and they sprouted?” “If the leaves on them be dark, they are forbidden; if green, they are allowed.” Rabbi Chanina, the son of Antigonus, said, “if they can be pulled up by their leaves they are forbidden; and contrariwise if it happened so in the close of the Sabbatical year, they are allowed.”
4. “From what time may men buy greens at the close of the Sabbatical year?” “From the time that similar young ones are produced. If the earlier ones are prematurely ripened, than the later ones are allowed.” Rabbi64 allowed greens to be bought off-hand at the close of the Sabbatical year.
5. Men must not export oil65 which is only to be burned, nor fruits of the Sabbatical year, from the land to lands abroad. Said Rabbi Simon, “I expressly heard that they may be exported to Syria, but that they must not be exported to lands abroad.”
6. Men must not import a heave-offering from abroad into the land. Said Rabbi Simon, “I expressly heard that they may import it from Syria, but that they must not import it from lands abroad.”
[pg 066]
Chapter VII
1. The Sages stated an important rule: “In the Sabbatical year, everything eaten by man and eaten by beast, and a kind of dye-stuff, and whatever cannot remain in the ground, to them the laws of the Sabbatical year apply, and to their value the laws of the Sabbatical year apply. They are to be cleared off from being private property, and their price is to be cleared off from being private property.”66 “And which are these?” “The leaves of the deceitful scallion, and the leaves of mint, succory, and cresses, and the leek, and the milk-flower.”67 “And what is eaten by beasts?” “Thorns and thistles and a kind of dye-stuff, sprouts of indigo and madder. To them the laws of the Sabbatical year apply, and to their price the laws of the Sabbatical year apply. They are to be cleared off from being private property, and their price is to be cleared off from being private property.”
2. And again, the Sages stated another rule: “All which is not eaten by man nor eaten by beasts, and a kind of dye-stuff, and whatever remains in the ground, to them the laws of the Sabbatical year apply, and to their price the laws of the Sabbatical year apply, but they are not to be cleared off from being private property, nor is their price to be cleared off from being private property.” “And which are these?” “The root of the deceitful scallion, and the root of the mint, and scorpion grass,68 and the bulbs of the milk-flower, and the spikenard, and a kind of dye-stuff, the dye-plant, and the wormwood—to them the laws of the Sabbatical year apply, and to their price the laws of the Sabbatical year apply. They are not to be cleared off from being private property, nor is their price to be cleared off from being private property.” Rabbi Maier said, “their prices are to be cleared off from being private property till New Year's Day.” The Sages said to him, “if they are not to be cleared off from being private property, it is immaterial about their prices.”
3. “The peelings and flower of the pomegranate, the shells and kernels of nuts?” “To them the laws of the Sabbatical [pg 067] year apply, and to their prices the laws of the Sabbatical year apply.” The dyer may dye for himself, but he must not dye for pay, because men must not trade in fruits of the Sabbatical year, nor in the first-born, nor in heave-offerings, nor in carcasses, nor in that which is torn, nor in abominations, nor in creeping things. And one must not buy greens of the field and sell them in the market. But one may gather them, and his son may sell them on his account. He may, however, buy for himself, and he is allowed to sell what is superfluous.
“He bought a first-born animal for a feast for his son, or for a holiday, and has no need of it?” “He is allowed to sell it.”
4. “Hunters of wild animals—birds and fishes—who chanced to find sorts that are unclean?” “It is allowed to sell them.” R. Judah said, “if a man become possessed of them in his ordinary way, he may buy and sell them, excepting that such shall not be his practice.” But the Sages “disallow them.”
5. “The shoots of vines and of the locust-trees?” “To them the laws of the Sabbatical year apply, and to their prices the laws of the Sabbatical year apply.” They are to be cleared off from being private property, and their prices are to be cleared off from being private property. “The shoots of the oak, and the nuts,69 and the blackberries?” “To them the laws of the Sabbatical year apply, and to their prices the laws of the Sabbatical year apply.” “They are not to be cleared off from being private property, and their prices are not to be cleared off from being private property. But their leaves must be cleared away to become public property, as they fall down from their stems.”70
6. “The rose and the carnation and the balsam and the chestnut?” “To them the laws of the Sabbatical year apply, and to their prices the laws of the Sabbatical year apply.” R. Simon said, “there is no Sabbatical year for the balsam, because it has no fruit.”
7. “A new Sabbatical rose which one steeped in old oil?” “One may pick out the rose.” “But an old rose in new oil?” “One is bound to clear it off from being private property.” “New locust fruit which one steeped in old wine, and old [pg 068] (fruit) in new (wine)?” “Men are bound to clear them off from being private property.” This is the rule: everything which produces taste one is bound to clear off from being private property, sorts that are different and sorts that are the same, however little they be. The laws of the Sabbatical year disallow however little of its own sort, and in different sorts that which produces taste.71
Chapter VIII
1. The Sages stated an important rule for the Sabbatical year: “Of all that is only fit for man's food a plaster may not be made for man, and it is needless to say for beast. And of all that is not fit for man's food a plaster may be made for man, but not for beast.” And all that is not fit either for man's food or beast's food, if one consider it as food for man or food for beasts, the Sages impose on it the inconveniences of the laws relating to man and the inconveniences of the laws relating to beast. If one, however, consider it as wood, it is reckoned as wood; for example, the savory and the hyssop and the laurel.
2. Produce of the Sabbatical year is given for food, for drink, and for anointing, to eat the thing which it is usual to eat, and to anoint with what it is usual to anoint with. One may not anoint with wine or vinegar. But one may anoint with oil. And so is it likewise with the heave-offering and second tithe. The laws of the Sabbatical year are more convenient for them, because it is permitted to light a candle made from them.
3. Men must not sell the fruits of the Sabbatical year, neither by measure, nor by weight, nor by count. Neither may they sell figs by counting, nor greens by weight. The school of Shammai say, “nor in bunches.” But the school of Hillel say, “that which it is usual to make in bunches in the house men may make in bunches in the market; for example, cresses and the milk-flower.”
4. If one said to a laborer, “Here! take this aisar72 and [pg 069] gather greens for me to-day?” “His hire is allowed.” “Gather me for it greens to-day?” “His hire is forbidden.” If one take from the baker a cake for a pundion73 (saying), “when I will gather greens of the field I will bring them to you?” “It is allowed.” “If one take bread from the baker in silence?” “He must not pay him from