trunk

Then I rose up and I followed him. I walked through the Paradise, and I looked round about, and I saw the tree in the middle of Paradise; now it had no fruit upon it, and thorns grew all over it, and the trunk went down into the ground a very long way. And I answered and said to the Cherubim, 'Make me to understand the matter of this tree which hath no fruit on it, and which is grown over with thorns.' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'This is the tree [of the fruit] of which Adam ate and became naked.' And I said unto him, 'There is no fruit on it; where did he find the fruit which he ate?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'A kind of fruit did grow on it, and it was not without fruit [at that time].' And I said unto him, 'Of what kind was its fruit?' He said unto me, 'It was a kind of apple.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Shall it remain wholly without fruit, or not?' And he said unto me, 'This is the order which God laid upon it from the beginning.'

O ye spirits, ye I conjure by the power, wisdom, and virtue of the spirit of God, by the uncreate divine knowledge, by the vast mercy of God, by the strength of God, by the greatness of God, by the unity of God; and by the holy name of God EHEIEH, which is the root, trunk, source, and origin of all the other divine names, whence they all draw their life and their virtue, which Adam having invoked, he acquired the knowledge of all created things.

They may not plant vegetables in a trunk of a sycamore tree. They may not graft rue on white cassia, since that is [grafting] a vegetable on a tree. They may not plant a young fig-shoot in sea squill so that it might provide shade for it. They may not insert a vine branch into a melon, in order that the latter might shoot its moisture to the former, since that is [grafting] a tree on a vegetable. They may not place gourd seed into anchusa for the purpose of preserving it (the gourd seed), since that is [grafting] a vegetable on another vegetable.

One who suspends [branches of] a vine on part of [the branches of] a fruit tree, it is permitted to bring seed beneath the remainder. If new [tendrils] spread [over the remainder], he must turn them back. It happened that Rabbi Joshua went to Rabbi Ishmael in Kefar Aziz, and the latter showed him a vine [with its branches] suspended on part of [the branches of] a fig tree. He [Rabbi Yishmael] asked him [Rabbi Joshua]: “May I bring seed beneath the remainder?” He answered him: “It is permitted.” He took him to Bet Hamaganyah and he showed him a vine [whose branches were] suspended on part of a beam belonging to the trunk of a sycamore, which had many beams. He [Rabbi Joshua] said to him [Rabbi Yishmael]: beneath this beam it is prohibited [to sow] but beneath the remainder it is permitted.

Rabbi Shimon ben Nannas says: one may spread a goat skin over a box, chest, or trunk which has caught fire, because he singes. And one may make a barrier with all vessels, whether full [of water] or empty, that the fire should not travel onward. Rabbi Yose forbids in the case of new earthen vessels filled with water, because since they cannot stand the heat, they will burst and extinguish the fire.

“ The trunk is aligned but the top is not aligned, that is a vineyard. The top is aligned but the trunk is not aligned, that is not a vineyard. If they were thin, but when they grow thick they will be aligned, that is a vineyard. How does one know that they are aligned? One brings a rope and stretches it.” Some Tannaïm state: “From within.” But some Tannaïm state: “From without.” Rebbi Jonah said, he who says “from within,” within a hand-breadth, but he who says “from without” requires that it touches. “If the outer row is not aligned in its trunks, one reserves for it the space to tend it and one may sow the rest.” Rebbi Yose says, if one sows within six hand-breadths all is forbidden; outside of six hand-breadths single vines are permitted but a vineyard is forbidden.

“ The trunk is aligned but the top is not aligned, that is a vineyard. The top is aligned but the trunk is not aligned, that is not a vineyard. If they were thin, but when they grow thick they will be aligned, that is a vineyard. How does one know that they are aligned? One brings a rope and stretches it.” Some Tannaïm state: “From within.” But some Tannaïm state: “From without.” Rebbi Jonah said, he who says “from within,” within a hand-breadth, but he who says “from without” requires that it touches. “If the outer row is not aligned in its trunks, one reserves for it the space to tend it and one may sow the rest.” Rebbi Yose says, if one sows within six hand-breadths all is forbidden; outside of six hand-breadths single vines are permitted but a vineyard is forbidden.

MISHNAH: If somebody thins out olive trees, the House of Shammai say he should cut them off, the House of Hillel say he may take out the roots, but they agree that one who levels may only cut off. What is thinning? One or two. Levelling are three adjacent to one another. When has this been said? On his own property. But from another’s property, even one who flattens may take out the roots. If somebody cuts down an olive tree, he should not cover [the stump] with dust but cover it with stones or straw. If somebody cuts down a sycamore trunk, he should not cover [the stump] with dust but cover it with stones or straw. One does not cut a virgin sycamore in the Sabbatical year because that is [agricultural] work. Rebbi Jehudah says, in a normal way it is forbidden but he [may] cut higher than ten hand-breadths or cut it down level with the ground.

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.

Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, the people of Nineveh repented in trickery. What did they do? Rebbi Ḥuna in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Ḥalfuta: They put calves inside and their mothers outside, foals inside and their mothers outside; these were mooing from one side and those mooing from the other side. They said, if He does not have mercy on us we shall not have mercy on them. That is what is written, how the animals groan, are cattle herds confused, etc. Rebbi Aḥa said, that is what they do in Arabia. They should be covered by sack-cloth, humans and animals, and call on God in force. What means “in force”? Rebbi Simeon ben Ḥalfuta said, the brash one wins over the proper one, so much more if it is for the good of the world. Each man shall repent his evil ways and robbery in their hands. Rebbi Joḥanan said, what they had in their hands they returned, what was in a chest, a trunk and a cupboard they did not return.

Rav could answer that here we are dealing with a case where he pulled them [from the trunk] so that their ‘making’ is not apparent. In any case, [the baraita] "he inserted them and then cut their ends" is a difficulty against Rav? It is a difficulty.

Gemara. Our Rabbis taught, "Branches of a thick tree" [means] [the kind of tree] whose branches completely cover its trunk Now what [tree] is this? You must say that it is the myrtle (hadas). But perhaps it is the olive? It must be wreathed, but [the olive] is not.

But perhaps it is the plane tree? The branches must cover its trunk, which is not the case [with the plane tree].

Say that you heard [this view ascribed] to Rebbi Yehuda regarding maiser [shenei when it would result in a] stringency. If the trunk is outside and the branches inside, just as on the branches one may not redeem [the maiser shenei], so too on the trunk one may not eat redeem [the maiser shenei], If the trunk is inside and the branches outside, just as on the branches one may not eat [the maiser shenei] without redeeming it, so too on the trunk one may not eat [the maiser shenei] without redeeming it.

Say that you heard [this view ascribed] to Rebbi Yehuda regarding maiser [shenei when it would result in a] stringency. If the trunk is outside and the branches inside, just as on the branches one may not redeem [the maiser shenei], so too on the trunk one may not eat redeem [the maiser shenei], If the trunk is inside and the branches outside, just as on the branches one may not eat [the maiser shenei] without redeeming it, so too on the trunk one may not eat [the maiser shenei] without redeeming it.

Say that you heard [this view ascribed] to Rebbi Yehuda regarding maiser [shenei when it would result in a] stringency. If the trunk is outside and the branches inside, just as on the branches one may not redeem [the maiser shenei], so too on the trunk one may not eat redeem [the maiser shenei], If the trunk is inside and the branches outside, just as on the branches one may not eat [the maiser shenei] without redeeming it, so too on the trunk one may not eat [the maiser shenei] without redeeming it.

Say that you heard [this view ascribed] to Rebbi Yehuda regarding maiser [shenei when it would result in a] stringency. If the trunk is outside and the branches inside, just as on the branches one may not redeem [the maiser shenei], so too on the trunk one may not eat redeem [the maiser shenei], If the trunk is inside and the branches outside, just as on the branches one may not eat [the maiser shenei] without redeeming it, so too on the trunk one may not eat [the maiser shenei] without redeeming it.

But with regards to cities of refuge [going after the branches doesn't always result in a stringency], it is understandable if the trunk is outside and the branches inside, just as on the branches [the Goel Hadam] may not kill him [the murderer], so too on the trunk he may not kill him. But if the trunk is inside and the branches outside [then it won't result in a stringency to say that] just as on the branches [the Goel Hadam] may kill him, so too on the trunk he may kill him, Because he is inside [the boundary]!?

But with regards to cities of refuge [going after the branches doesn't always result in a stringency], it is understandable if the trunk is outside and the branches inside, just as on the branches [the Goel Hadam] may not kill him [the murderer], so too on the trunk he may not kill him. But if the trunk is inside and the branches outside [then it won't result in a stringency to say that] just as on the branches [the Goel Hadam] may kill him, so too on the trunk he may kill him, Because he is inside [the boundary]!?

But with regards to cities of refuge [going after the branches doesn't always result in a stringency], it is understandable if the trunk is outside and the branches inside, just as on the branches [the Goel Hadam] may not kill him [the murderer], so too on the trunk he may not kill him. But if the trunk is inside and the branches outside [then it won't result in a stringency to say that] just as on the branches [the Goel Hadam] may kill him, so too on the trunk he may kill him, Because he is inside [the boundary]!?

But with regards to cities of refuge [going after the branches doesn't always result in a stringency], it is understandable if the trunk is outside and the branches inside, just as on the branches [the Goel Hadam] may not kill him [the murderer], so too on the trunk he may not kill him. But if the trunk is inside and the branches outside [then it won't result in a stringency to say that] just as on the branches [the Goel Hadam] may kill him, so too on the trunk he may kill him, Because he is inside [the boundary]!?

Rava says, On the trunk everyone agrees that he may not kill him. If he is on the branches and [the Goel Hadam] is able to kill him with arrows and pebbles everyone agrees that he is able able to kill him.

When do they argue? On whether the trunk may be used as a ladder to reach the branches. One opinion [Rebbi Yehuda] holds that the trunk may be used as a ladder to reach the branches, and the other opinion [the Rabbis] hold that the trunk may not be used as a ladder to reach the branches.

When do they argue? On whether the trunk may be used as a ladder to reach the branches. One opinion [Rebbi Yehuda] holds that the trunk may be used as a ladder to reach the branches, and the other opinion [the Rabbis] hold that the trunk may not be used as a ladder to reach the branches.

When do they argue? On whether the trunk may be used as a ladder to reach the branches. One opinion [Rebbi Yehuda] holds that the trunk may be used as a ladder to reach the branches, and the other opinion [the Rabbis] hold that the trunk may not be used as a ladder to reach the branches.