Sheviis 4:4 — Thinning an olive grove

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ZeraimSederסדרזְרָעִים
SheviisMesechtaמסכתשביעית
4Perekפרקד׳
4Mishnahמשנהד׳
נושא · Topicהַמֵּדֵל בַּזֵּיתִיםThinning an olive grove
This Mishnah is:a case, then drawing the boundary · with a machlokeswhat does that mean?
Mishnah שביעית ד׳:ד׳ · Sheviis 4:4
הַמֵּדֵל בַּזֵּיתִים,
בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, יָגוֹם.
וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, יְשָׁרֵשׁ.
וּמוֹדִים בְּמַחֲלִיק, עַד שֶׁיָּגוֹם.
אֵיזֶה הוּא הַמֵּדֵל,
אֶחָד אוֹ שְׁנַיִם.
הַמַּחֲלִיק, שְׁלֹשָׁה, זֶה בְצַד זֶה.
בַּמֶּה דְבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁלּוֹ,
אֲבָל מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ, אַף הַמַּחֲלִיק, יְשָׁרֵשׁ:
One who thins out olive trees -
Beis Shammai say: he must cut it level.
and Beis Hillel say: he may uproot.
But they agree, regarding one who clears a patch, that he may only cut level.
Who is [called] one who thins out?
[One who removes] one or two.
One who clears a patch [removes] three, side by side.
In what case is this said? when [taking] from his own [field],
but [taking] from his fellow's [field], even one who clears a patch may uproot:
A reading aid, not an exact translation.

This English is a clause-by-clause rendering to help you follow the Hebrew. It is not word-for-word literal, and it is not a transcript of the recorded shiur — the audio carries explanation and context the translation deliberately leaves out.

case/objectrestrictive rulingpermissive rulingTannacondition
Structure
The Mishnah's Structure
הַמֵּדֵל בַּזֵּיתִיםהַמֵּדֵל — אֶחָד אוֹ שְׁנַיִםthinning — one or twoיְשָׁרֵשׁBeis Hillel — roots and all · Beis Shammai — leave the stumpהַמַּחֲלִיק — שְׁלֹשָׁה זֶה בְצַד זֶהclearing — three in a rowעַד שֶׁיָּגוֹםeven Beis Hillel — stumps standאֲבָל מִתּוֹךְ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ, אַף הַמַּחֲלִיק יְשָׁרֵשׁin a friend's field, even the clearer uproots
Summary Chart
Thinning an olive grove
CaseRulingReason
May one thin out his olive grove on Sheviis?Beis Shammai: Yes — but leave the stump
Beis Hillel: Yes — even roots and all; clearing three side by side, leave the stumps
And in a friend's field?Roots and all, even three side by side
Transcript
A machine transcript of the recorded shiur.

This is the shiur as spoken, transcribed automatically and left unedited — the wording is Ephraim's, and occasional transcription errors remain. It follows the audio word by word.

All Meforshim
הֲדַרַן עֲלָךְ מַסֶּכֶת שְׁבִיעִית
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