plough

“All this has only been said for communal peace.” Rebbi Ḥiyya, Rebbi Ammi. One said: “Plough it well then I will rent it from you after the Sabbatical.” The other one said: “May you succed” For him who says plough it well, what means “one greets them”? “May you succed.” For him who says may you succed, what means “one greets them”? Jewish greeting, “Peace upon you.”

“All this has only been said for communal peace.” Rebbi Ḥiyya, Rebbi Ammi. One said: “Plough it well then I will rent it from you after the Sabbatical.” The other one said: “May you succed” For him who says plough it well, what means “one greets them”? “May you succed.” For him who says may you succed, what means “one greets them”? Jewish greeting, “Peace upon you.”

What are we dealing with? If about produce of the sixth year held over to the Sabbatical, even in the Land it is permitted. If produce of the Sabbatical is held over to the year after the Sabbatical, one is permitted to plough but forbidden to harvest. But one deals with produce of the Sabbatical in the Sabbatical.

Rebbi Ḥuna went to Tyre and forbade them a kind of irrigation. Rebbi Yose heard this and said, this is correct, is this not about [plants] connected to the ground? But did we not state (Mishnah Mo‘ed Qaṭan 1:1): “One irrigates a field in intensive agriculture both during the intermediate days of a holiday and during the Sabbatical year?” Rebbi Yudan said, only for the vegetables there. Rebbi Mana said, then it should also be permitted to plough for them!

Ten commandments does a person fulfill before he eats a piece of bread: Do not plough, do now sow, do not muzzle, gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and peah, heave, first tithe, second tithe, and ḥallah. Before Rebbi Isaac went to dinner, he spread out his ten fingers and said, I kept ten commandments.

MISHNAH: If a tree was moved with its lump, if it can survive it is exempt, otherwise obligated. If the lump was partially moved, or the plough displaced it and turned it into dust, if the tree can survive it is exempt, otherwise obligated. If a tree was cut but there remained a root, it is exempt. How large shall the root be? Rabban Gamliel in the name of Rebbi Eleazar ben Jehudah from Birtota: Like a tenter’s needle. If a tree was uprooted but it had a sunken branch and now lives off that, the original trunk becomes like the sunken branch. If he sank year after year and it was interrupted, one counts from the moment it was interrupted. Attachment of vines, attachment after attachment, even if he sank them into the earth, are permitted. Rebbi Meïr says, where it is in its force it is permitted, where it is weak it is forbidden. A sunk branch which became separated but is full of fruits, if it increased by one twohundredth it is forbidden.

All categories of work they learned from the Tabernacle. What kind of ploughing was in the Tabernacle? They ploughed to plant dyestuff. How much does one have to plough to become liable? Rebbi Mattaniah said, enough to plant a leek. Rebbi Aḥa bar Rav said, enough to plant a wheat sprout. There, we have stated: “Two green melon seeds make liable, two squash seeds, two Egyptian bean seeds.” It was stated, two Median wheat kernels. Rebbi Samuel in the name of Rebbi Zeˋira: Since wheat was so much appreciated they treated it like garden vegetables that are not eaten. For everything which improves the soil one is liable because of ploughing: One who digs, who cuts, who inserts, who deposits dung, who hoes, who fertilizes, who sweeps, who sprinkles, who splits blocks, who clears forests, who sets fire to reed thickets or palm swamps, and following Rebbi Zeˋira a water canal prepares its banks for sowing, who removes stones, who builds terraces, who fills the rifts under olive trees, and who makes depressions for vines, and for anything which improves the soil one is liable because of ploughing.

HALAKHAH: 2. What kind of ploughing was in the Tabernacle? They ploughed to plant dyestuff. How much does one have to plough to become liable? Rebbi Mattaniah said, enough to plant a leek. Rebbi Aḥa bar Rav said, enough to plant a wheat sprout.

“Because the latter are not prepared,” and they are used only connected to the ground. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Eleazar: “Originally all implements could be taken on the Sabbath. Because they were suspected of desecrating holidays and Sabbaths as it is written, at that time I saw in Jehudah that they were working wine presses on the Sabbath … and loading on donkeys, etc., they forbade them everything. After they were fenced in they continued to permit to them until they permitted them everything except the big saw and the blade of the plough. Rebbi Yose said, also the engraver’s stylo. Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, also the anchor.” “A mortar, if there is garlic in it one may take it, otherwise one may not take it; Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, if it is a small mortar used at table then it is like a bowl and one moves it on the Sabbath.” Rebbi Yose, Rebbi Ila in the name of Rebbi Eleazar, Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Eleazar, they formulated before implements were permitted.

MISHNAH: All implements may be taken on the Sabbath except for the large saw and the blade of the plough. All implements may be taken whether for a need or not for a need; Rebbi Nehemiah says, they may be taken only for a need.

HALAKHAH: “Lulav and willow six and seven,” etc. Rebbi Ze`ira, Rebbi Ila, Rebbi Yasa in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: The “willow” is practice going back to Moses on Mount Sinai. This is against Abba Shaul, since Abba Shaul said, the willow is a word of the Torah: and brook willows, two. One willow for the lulav, the other willow for the Temple. Rebbi Abba, Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: willow and pouring water are practice going back to Moses on Mount Sinai. This is against Rebbi Aqiba, since Rebbi Aqiba said the pouring of water is a word of the Torah: On the second day and their libations. On the sixth say, and its libations. On the seventh day, and its rules. מ י מ spells “water”. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba asked before Rebbi Joḥanan, why does one now plough because of old trees? He said to him, when the practice was established it was given so that when they desired to plough they might plough. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda in the name of Rebbi Onias from Hauran: Willow, water libation, and ten saplings are institution of the prophets. Do they disagree? Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun in the name of Levi: That was the current practice; they forgot it, but the later ones got up and agreed to the opinion of the earlier ones to teach you that everything the court insists on will come to be in the end just as Moses was told on Sinai, as Rebbi Mana said, for it is not an empty word, if it is empty it is from you. Why? Because you do not exert yourselves. Because it is your life; when is it your life? At the time that you exert yourselves. Rebbi Joḥanan said to Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: Babylonian, two things came from you, prostrating oneself on the fast day, and the willow of the seventh day. The rabbis of Caesarea say, also the moving.

HALAKHAH: “Lulav and willow six and seven,” etc. Rebbi Ze`ira, Rebbi Ila, Rebbi Yasa in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: The “willow” is practice going back to Moses on Mount Sinai. This is against Abba Shaul, since Abba Shaul said, the willow is a word of the Torah: and brook willows, two. One willow for the lulav, the other willow for the Temple. Rebbi Abba, Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: willow and pouring water are practice going back to Moses on Mount Sinai. This is against Rebbi Aqiba, since Rebbi Aqiba said the pouring of water is a word of the Torah: On the second day and their libations. On the sixth say, and its libations. On the seventh day, and its rules. מ י מ spells “water”. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba asked before Rebbi Joḥanan, why does one now plough because of old trees? He said to him, when the practice was established it was given so that when they desired to plough they might plough. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda in the name of Rebbi Onias from Hauran: Willow, water libation, and ten saplings are institution of the prophets. Do they disagree? Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun in the name of Levi: That was the current practice; they forgot it, but the later ones got up and agreed to the opinion of the earlier ones to teach you that everything the court insists on will come to be in the end just as Moses was told on Sinai, as Rebbi Mana said, for it is not an empty word, if it is empty it is from you. Why? Because you do not exert yourselves. Because it is your life; when is it your life? At the time that you exert yourselves. Rebbi Joḥanan said to Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: Babylonian, two things came from you, prostrating oneself on the fast day, and the willow of the seventh day. The rabbis of Caesarea say, also the moving.

HALAKHAH: “Lulav and willow six and seven,” etc. Rebbi Ze`ira, Rebbi Ila, Rebbi Yasa in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: The “willow” is practice going back to Moses on Mount Sinai. This is against Abba Shaul, since Abba Shaul said, the willow is a word of the Torah: and brook willows, two. One willow for the lulav, the other willow for the Temple. Rebbi Abba, Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: willow and pouring water are practice going back to Moses on Mount Sinai. This is against Rebbi Aqiba, since Rebbi Aqiba said the pouring of water is a word of the Torah: On the second day and their libations. On the sixth say, and its libations. On the seventh day, and its rules. מ י מ spells “water”. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba asked before Rebbi Joḥanan, why does one now plough because of old trees? He said to him, when the practice was established it was given so that when they desired to plough they might plough. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda in the name of Rebbi Onias from Hauran: Willow, water libation, and ten saplings are institution of the prophets. Do they disagree? Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun in the name of Levi: That was the current practice; they forgot it, but the later ones got up and agreed to the opinion of the earlier ones to teach you that everything the court insists on will come to be in the end just as Moses was told on Sinai, as Rebbi Mana said, for it is not an empty word, if it is empty it is from you. Why? Because you do not exert yourselves. Because it is your life; when is it your life? At the time that you exert yourselves. Rebbi Joḥanan said to Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: Babylonian, two things came from you, prostrating oneself on the fast day, and the willow of the seventh day. The rabbis of Caesarea say, also the moving.

There, we have stated: “One might plough one furrow and infringe thereby on eight prohibitions.” Rebbi Hoshaia asked: Could one not state “one who ploughs the place where the calf’s neck was broken,” for a total of nine? The colleagues said before Rebbi Yose: Explain it by the past. He said to them, since it was for the past, so certainly for the future.

MISHNAH: If somebody is forbidden any profit from another person by a vow, he should not borrow from him nor ask him for anything, should not give him a loan nor take a loan for him, should not sell to him nor buy from him. If he said, lend me your cow, he says: she is not available. If he said, a qônam that I shall never plough with her, if he usually ploughs, he is forbidden, the rest of the world is permitted. If he does not usually plough, he and the rest of the world are forbidden.

MISHNAH: If somebody is forbidden any profit from another person by a vow, he should not borrow from him nor ask him for anything, should not give him a loan nor take a loan for him, should not sell to him nor buy from him. If he said, lend me your cow, he says: she is not available. If he said, a qônam that I shall never plough with her, if he usually ploughs, he is forbidden, the rest of the world is permitted. If he does not usually plough, he and the rest of the world are forbidden.

HALAKHAH: “If somebody is forbidden any profit from another person by a vow, he should not lend him,” etc. If somebody says, a qônām that I shall never plough, it is the same as if he said, a qônām that my field should never be ploughed.

Some want to derive it from the following: “For a hanged person is blasphemy.” Anybody warned about blasphemy is warned about a corpse of obligation. Anybody not warned about blasphemy is not warned about a corpse of obligation. They objected, are there not Gentiles? Those executed by hanging, this exludes those executed by the sword. “Bury!” A positive commandment. From where do you add the sword he was killed with, the gallows on which he was hanged, the towel with which he was strangled? Why does the verse say, “you shall bury him”? I could think he alone is buried; the verse says “bury, you shall bury him”, a burial for him, and his gallows, and his stone. How does one do it? One digs down three [handbreadths], so the plough shall not unearth him. “You shall bury him”, whole and not partially. “You shall bury him”, from here that if he left anything [unburied], he did not do anything, for it is said “bury, you shall bury him”. From here that it is not a corpse of obligation unless it consists of his head with most of the body.

Rebbi Ḥiyya, Rebbi Ammi. One said: “Plough it well then, I will rent it from you after the Sabbatical.” The other one said: “May you succeed” For him who says, plough it well, then I will rent it from you after the Sabbatical, what means “one greets them” in a Jewish way? “May you succeed.” For him who says to the Gentile “may you succeed”? Explanation: Rebbi Ḥinena bar Pappa and Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman passed by one of the ploughmen in the Sabbatical. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman said to him, are you not Jewish? Rebbi Ḥinena bar Pappa said to him, did not Rebbi teach us (Ps. 129:8): “The passers-by did not say, the blessing of the Eternal be on you,” these are the nations of the world who pass out of the world, they did not say to Israel “the blessing of the Eternal is on you.” What does Israel say to them, “we bless you in the Name of the Eternal.” All blessings that come into the world because of us are not enough for you; not only do you not say, come and take from these blessings for yourselves, but you roll over us pro-rated contributions and fines, head taxes and annonae.

Rebbi Ḥiyya, Rebbi Ammi. One said: “Plough it well then, I will rent it from you after the Sabbatical.” The other one said: “May you succeed” For him who says, plough it well, then I will rent it from you after the Sabbatical, what means “one greets them” in a Jewish way? “May you succeed.” For him who says to the Gentile “may you succeed”? Explanation: Rebbi Ḥinena bar Pappa and Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman passed by one of the ploughmen in the Sabbatical. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman said to him, are you not Jewish? Rebbi Ḥinena bar Pappa said to him, did not Rebbi teach us (Ps. 129:8): “The passers-by did not say, the blessing of the Eternal be on you,” these are the nations of the world who pass out of the world, they did not say to Israel “the blessing of the Eternal is on you.” What does Israel say to them, “we bless you in the Name of the Eternal.” All blessings that come into the world because of us are not enough for you; not only do you not say, come and take from these blessings for yourselves, but you roll over us pro-rated contributions and fines, head taxes and annonae.

“If somebody hides a thorn or [a piece of] glass in another person’s wall; if the owner of the wall then tears it down and a third person is hurt, he is liable. The pious people of earlier times used to take them out into their fields, lower than three handbreadths so that the plough would not lift them.”

MISHNAH: A man may say to another, weed with me and I shall be weeding with you, hoe with me and I shall be hoeing with you, but he shall not tell him, weed with me and I shall be hoeing with you, hoe with me and I shall be weeding with you. All the dry season is one, all the wet season is not; one may not say to him, plough with me in the dry season and I shall be ploughing with you in the wet season. Rabban Gamliel says, there exists predated and postdated interest. How is this? If one indended to borrow from him and sent him [a gift] saying, so you should lend me; that is predated interest. If one had borrowed and returned the money when he sent him [a gift] saying, that is for your money which was not earning for you while it was with me; that is postdated interest. Rebbi Simeon says, there exists verbal interest. One should not say to him, you should know that X came from place Y. The following transgress prohibitions: The creditor, and the debtor, and the guarantor, and the witnesses; the Sages say, also the scribe. They transgress “do not give,” and “do not take from him,” and “do not be a creditor,” and “do not burden him with interest,” and “before a blind man do not put an obstacle; and fear your God, I am the Eternal.”

MISHNAH: Somebody who rented a donkey to lead it on the mountain but led it in the valley, in the valley but led it on the mountain, even if both ways were ten mil, if it died he has to pay. If he rented a donkey and it developed eye trouble or it was taken to government service, he tells him, here is your property before you. If it died or broke a limb, he has to provide him with another donkey. Somebody rented a donkey to lead it on the mountain but led it in the valley; if it slipped, he is not liable; if it suffered a heat stroke, he is liable. In the valley, but he led it on the mountain; if it slipped, he is liable; if it suffered a heat stroke, he is not liable but if it happened because of the ascent, he is liable. Somebody rented a cow to plough on the mountain but ploughed in the valley, if the plough’s peg broke, he is not liable. In the valley but he ploughed on the mountain, if the plough’s peg broke, he is liable. To thresh legumes but he threshed grain, he is not liable; to thresh grain but he threshed legumes, he is liable, for legumes make [the floor] slippery.

MISHNAH: Somebody who rented a donkey to lead it on the mountain but led it in the valley, in the valley but led it on the mountain, even if both ways were ten mil, if it died he has to pay. If he rented a donkey and it developed eye trouble or it was taken to government service, he tells him, here is your property before you. If it died or broke a limb, he has to provide him with another donkey. Somebody rented a donkey to lead it on the mountain but led it in the valley; if it slipped, he is not liable; if it suffered a heat stroke, he is liable. In the valley, but he led it on the mountain; if it slipped, he is liable; if it suffered a heat stroke, he is not liable but if it happened because of the ascent, he is liable. Somebody rented a cow to plough on the mountain but ploughed in the valley, if the plough’s peg broke, he is not liable. In the valley but he ploughed on the mountain, if the plough’s peg broke, he is liable. To thresh legumes but he threshed grain, he is not liable; to thresh grain but he threshed legumes, he is liable, for legumes make [the floor] slippery.

MISHNAH: Somebody who rented a donkey to lead it on the mountain but led it in the valley, in the valley but led it on the mountain, even if both ways were ten mil, if it died he has to pay. If he rented a donkey and it developed eye trouble or it was taken to government service, he tells him, here is your property before you. If it died or broke a limb, he has to provide him with another donkey. Somebody rented a donkey to lead it on the mountain but led it in the valley; if it slipped, he is not liable; if it suffered a heat stroke, he is liable. In the valley, but he led it on the mountain; if it slipped, he is liable; if it suffered a heat stroke, he is not liable but if it happened because of the ascent, he is liable. Somebody rented a cow to plough on the mountain but ploughed in the valley, if the plough’s peg broke, he is not liable. In the valley but he ploughed on the mountain, if the plough’s peg broke, he is liable. To thresh legumes but he threshed grain, he is not liable; to thresh grain but he threshed legumes, he is liable, for legumes make [the floor] slippery.

MISHNAH: One who contracts with another for a field, at a place where one usually cuts, he has to cut, to uproot, he has to uproot, to plough after harvest, he has to plough, everything according to local usage. Just as they divide the grain, so they divide straw and chaff. Just as they divide the wine, so they divide the vine tendrils and the props; they both provide the props together.

MISHNAH: One who contracts with another for a field, at a place where one usually cuts, he has to cut, to uproot, he has to uproot, to plough after harvest, he has to plough, everything according to local usage. Just as they divide the grain, so they divide straw and chaff. Just as they divide the wine, so they divide the vine tendrils and the props; they both provide the props together.

MISHNAH: A person who lends to another may take a pledge from him only in court. He may not enter his house to take his pledge, as it is said: “You have to stand outside.” If he had two vessels, he takes one and returns one. He returns the pillow for the night and the plough for the day. If he dies, he does not return it to his heirs. Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, even to himself he returns it only up to 30 days; after thirty days he sells it in court

It was stated: He takes a day garment as pledge during the night and a night garment during the day. He returns a day garment during the day and a night garment during the night. Pillow and bed sheet which are used as cover during the night he may take as pledge during the day and return for the night. An axe and a plough which usually are used for work during the day he may take as pledge during the night and return for the day. Rebbi La said: Sometimes one explains the verse “the sun shall not come onto it,” as “the sun shall not rise upon it”, but sometimes one explains as “the sun shall not set upon it” since it is written “returning you shall return the pledge to him when the sun comes,” at sunrise, “until the going of the sun return it to him,” until sundown.

MISHNAH: One distances a tree 25 cubits from a cistern, but carob tree and sycamore 50 cubits, whether on top or level. If the cistern existed before, he shall cut it down and pay for it; if the tree existed before, one shall not cut it down. Rebbi Yose said, even if the cistern existed before, one shall not cut it down since the one digs on his property and the other plants on his property. A person should not plant a tree next to another’s field unless he distanced himself from it by four cubits, whether vines or any other tree. If there was a wall between them, each one goes close to the wall. If its roots extended to another’s field, he lowers the roots three handbreadths in order not to hinder the plough. If one was digging a cistern, or a ditch, or a cavern, he cuts and excavates and the wood is his.

MISHNAH: If a tree overhangs another’s field, he may cut it in the height of the plough’s ox-goad; carob tree and sycamore along the plumb line. Over an irrigated field along the plumb line. Abba Shaul says, every non-fruit-bearing tree along the plumb line. If a tree overhangs the public domain, one has to cut it so that a camel with a rider on it may pass; Rebbi Jehudah says, loaded with flax or bundles of vine cuttings. Rebbi Simeon says, any tree [must be cut] along the plumb line because of impurity.

When the government was oppressing the first time, Rebbi Yannai instructed to plough a single ploughing. An apostate was passing by; he saw the putting up of the harrow. He said to them, hey you! Is it permitted for you to plough? Is it permitted for you to put up the harrow?

When the government was oppressing the first time, Rebbi Yannai instructed to plough a single ploughing. An apostate was passing by; he saw the putting up of the harrow. He said to them, hey you! Is it permitted for you to plough? Is it permitted for you to put up the harrow?

Rebbi Abba bar Mamal asked: Think of it, if he erroneously has sexual relations with it. Should it be stoned because of him while he is not liable? Rebbi Simeon asked: Think of it, if he used it to plough on the Sabbath. Is he not being stoned while it is not liable? You have only, as Rebbi Samuel ben Rav Isaac explained: With their silver and gold they made idols for themselves; it is not written “that they be extirpated” but that he be extirpated. As if a person say: the bones of X be ground up for he led his son to evil ways.

The words of the Sages are like goads; Rebbi Huna said, like a pearl. There, they call a pearl dirah. Another explanation, like goads, like a girl’s ball. Just as this ball is caught from hand to hand but in the end will come to rest in one hand, so “Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly.” Another explanation, like goads. It has three names, mardea`, da̅rva̅n, malmad. Mardea`, because it teaches knowledge to the cow. Da̅reva̅n, because it plants understanding in the cow. Malmad, because it teaches the cow to plough, to keep its owners alive. Rebbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said, if a person makes a goad for his cow, certainly [he has to make one] for his bad inclinations which will remove him from this world and the World to Come.

HALAKHAH: “Also in a case where they said to lease,” etc. Therefore, at a place where one is used to sell, he may sell even a dwelling and lease a dwelling. Rebbi Aḥa, Rebbi Tanḥum bar Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Yose: Even a small room as in the tannery of Sidon. Not only all of it, but even one room. “If there were two, one inside the other, the inner one is liable, the outer one is not liable.” If there was one and it was subdivided into two, two and combined into one? Rebbi Abin in the name of the rabbis there: This implies that if there was a field adjacent to a road it is forbidden to lease it to Gentiles because it is known by the name of the Jew and they plough there on Sabbaths and holidays.

Rebbi Ḥiyya and Rebbi Immi. One said, “plough it well; then I will rent it from you after the Sabbatical.” The other one said, “may you succeed.” For him who said, plough it well; then I will rent it from you after the Sabbatical, what means “one greets them”? “May you succeed.” But he who said that one says to a Gentile, may you succeed, what means that one greets Jews? “Peace be on you.”

Rebbi Ḥiyya and Rebbi Immi. One said, “plough it well; then I will rent it from you after the Sabbatical.” The other one said, “may you succeed.” For him who said, plough it well; then I will rent it from you after the Sabbatical, what means “one greets them”? “May you succeed.” But he who said that one says to a Gentile, may you succeed, what means that one greets Jews? “Peace be on you.”

MISHNAH: One might plough a single furrow and be liable because of it for eight prohibitions. If one ploughs with an ox and a donkey which had been sanctified for kilaim in a vineyard, in a Sabbatical year, on a holiday, he is a Cohen and a nazir at an impure place. Onias ben Ḥakhinai said, also if he wore kilaim. They told him, this is not of the same category. He told them, neither is the nazir of the same category.

It happened that Rebbi Eliezer, Rebbi Joshua, and Rebbi Aqiba went to the dunes of Antiochia on the occasion of fundraising for the rabbis. There was there a certain Abba Jehudah who gave alms generously. Once he lost his property, he saw our teachers and gave up hope about them. He went home looking sickly. His wife asked him, why are you looking sickly? He told her, our teachers are here and I do not know what I could do. His wife, who was even more pious than he, told him: You have a field left; go, sell half of it, and give to them. He went and did so, came to our teachers and gave them. Our teachers prayed for him and said to him, Abba Jehudah, the Holy One, praise to Him, may fill your want. After they left, he went to plough his half of the field. When he was ploughing in his half of the field, his cow sank down and broke [its leg]. He went to lift her up when the Holy One, praise to Him, enlightened his eyes and he found a treasure. He said, my cow’s leg broke for my benefit. When our teachers returned, they inquired about him. They asked, how is Abba Jehudah doing? They answered, who can appear before Abba Jehudah? Abba Jehudah of his cattle, Abba Jehudah of his camels, Abba Jehudah of his donkeys! Abba Jehudah had returned to his former self; he came to our teachers to greet them. They asked him, how is Abba Jehudah doing? He told them, your prayer brought result and compound results. They told him, even though others had given more than you the last time, we wrote you on top of the honor list. They took him, made him sit with them, and recited for him this verse: The gifts of a man put him at ease; in front of great ones they will make him rest.

R. Simeon b. Johai says : Is it possible for a man to plough at the time of ploughing, sow at seed-time, reap at harvest-time, thresh at the time of threshing, and winnow at the time of wind — what is to become of Torah? But when Israel perform the will of the All-present, their work is done by others; as it is said, "And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks," etc. (Is. Ixi. 5) ; and at the time when Israel perform not the will of the All-present, their work has to be done by themselves ; as it is said, "And thou shalt gather in thy corn." Not that alone, but the work of others will be done by them ; as it is said, "And thou shalt serve thine enemy" etc. (Deut. xxviii. 48).

Our Rabbis have taught: How much rain must fall in order that the congregation may stop fasting? There must be rain enough to penetrate the cavity made by the plough; this is the opinion of R. Meir; R. Judah said, if the soil is dry (hard), it is enough if the rain penetrates to the depth of a hand-breadth, in moderately soft soil the penetration of two hand-breadths is required, and in tilled (loose) ground three hand-breadths.