Bava Metzia 107A

מיקל,

is lenient, as he maintains that donors are not particular in this regard. This shows that Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel is not bothered by a change of mind if no harm results.

אמר אביי, טעמא דרבן שמעון כדמר. דאמר מר: האי מאן דניחא ליה דתתביר ארעיה ⁠– ליזרעה שתא חטי ושתא שערי, שתא שתי ושתא ערב.

Abaye said: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel’s reason is as explained by the Master, Abaye’s teacher Rabba, as the Master says: One for whom it is preferable to grow crops and yet have his land remain as fertile as if it lay fallow should plant wheat one year and barley the next year. In addition, he should plant one year lengthwise and the following year crosswise. In this manner, he will prevent the field from being weakened.

ולא אמרן אלא דלא כריב ותני, אבל כריב ותני ⁠– לית לן בה.

The Talmud comments: And we said that his use of the land with-out following these dictates would weaken it only where he does not plow and repeat his plowing, i.e., plow the field twice before reseeding it, but if he plows and repeats his plowing, we have no problem with it. Consequently, the reasoning of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel is that a change of crops at the wrong time can weaken the field.

תבואה לא יזרענה קטנית [וכו׳]. מתני ליה רב יהודה לרבין: תבואה ⁠– יזרענה קטנית. אמר ליה: והא אנן תנן: תבואה ⁠– לא יזרענה קטנית! אמר ליה: לא קשיא, הא לן והא להו.

§ The Mishnah states that one who receives a field to plant it with grain may not plant it with legumes. Rav Yehuda taught Ravin that the halakha is that one who receives a field to plant it with grain may plant it with legumes. Ravin said to him: But didn’t we learn in the Mishnah that one who receives a field to plant it with grain may not plant it with legumes? Rav Yehuda said to him: This is not difficult, as this halakha is for us, the residents of Babylonia, and that halakha is for them, the residents of Eretz Yisrael. Since what type of seed to plant depends on the quality of the land, in Eretz Yisrael, where the land is weak, there is concern that the land will be weakened. This concern does not apply to Babylonian fields.