(Mishnah): One is permitted to receive a plowed field from a gentile in Chakirus (to be a sharecropper who gives the owner a specific amount of produce per year; even though the gentile plowed it in Sheviis, which then assisted the Jew to plant after Sheviis). However, he should not receive it in this way from a Jew.

One may encourage a gentile who is working his land in Sheviis, but one may not encourage a Jew. (The Gemara will discuss the exact nature of this encouragement.) One may greet gentiles with "Shalom Aleichem'' for the sake of peaceful relations.

(Gemara): R. Chiya and R. Imi disagreed (over the meaning of 'encouraging a gentile' and 'greeting gentiles'). One said that the Jew could even say, "Plow well and I will buy from you after Sheviis''. The other said that the Jew may only say, "Be Strengthened!''

According to the first opinion, what's the meaning of 'greeting gentiles'? Greeting with "Be Strengthened''. According to the second opinion, what's the meaning of 'greeting gentiles'? Using the greeting usually given to a Jew - 'Shalom Aleichem'.

Once, R. Chinana bar Papa and R. Shmuel bar Nachman passed by a gentile plowing in Sheviis. R. Shmuel bar Nachman said to him, "Be Strengthened!''

(R. Chinana to R. Shmuel): Rebbi, didn't you teach us that the pasuk (Tehillim 129:8), "And the passers-by didn't say, 'May the blessing of Hash-m be upon you; (we have blessed you in the Name of Hash-m)'" - that from here we learn that one may not greet those plowing in Sheviis with, "Be Strenghthened''!

(R. Shmuel to R. Chinana): You know how to read but not how to expound - 'The passers-by didn't say' - this refers to the idolaters who will pass from this world and they did not say to Yisrael, 'May the blessing of Hash-m be upon you'. What does Yisrael say? "We have blessed you in the name of Hashem'' - It's not enough for you that all of the blessings that come to the world are for us - you don't invite us to partake of those blessings and not only that but you place on us all types of taxes.

R. Imi ruled that one may not remove bread from an oven together with a baker that prepares bread in Tumah. (Note: This ruling is printed out of place and is relevant to a Mishnah in the Yerushalmi Avodah Zarah - Perek 4 Halacha 10, where our sugya is also brought.)

One who is Meidel with olive trees (when there are many olive trees growing in close proximity, some are removed in order that the remaining ones grow better) - Beis Shammai say that he may only cut them near the ground (but not uproot them); Beis Hillel permit even uprooting them. They both agree that if he is Machlik (clearing a large area), he may only cut them near the ground (but not uproot them).

Meidel refers to one or two trees. Machlik refers to three trees next to each other. The prohibition of uprooting when clearing three trees applies when he is doing this to his own field, but it's permitted to uproot in his friend's field.

One who is chopping off olive branches for firewood should not cover the cut with dirt (as it improves the tree). However, he may cover it with stones or straw.

One may not cut a virgin (i.e. never previously cut) sycamore in Sheviis, because it's considered agricultural work.

(R. Yehuda): To cut it in the regular way is prohibited; rather he should leave it 10 tefachim tall or cut close to the ground.

(Gemara): 'One who is Meidel'. What does it mean? He takes away one and leaves two or takes two and leaves one.

(Baraisa of Beis Rebbi): He takes one and leaves two.

Question: But doesn't it teach later in the Mishnah, "One who is Machlik refers to three trees next to each other''; meaning that Meidel is when he takes two and leaves one (so how could Beis Rebbi say the opposite)?

Answer (R. Yona): The Mishnah is discussing when he first wants to take one - so Chazal permitted taking two and leaving one. Beis Rebbi's case is when one had already been taken before Sheviis, so Chazal only permitted taking one from two; (as if they would allow him to take two, if you add the one taken before Sheviis, it makes a total of three trees, which would be an issur of Machlik).

Tosefta: One may not light (the top of) a bundle of canes (to ensure that they grow thick rather than narrow) as it considered agricultural work (like pruning). R. Shimon ben Gamliel permits it. And so R. Shimon ben Gamliel would say that one may plant a non-fruit bearing tree in Sheviis (for example, to form a partition).

One may only train a cow by having it plow in sand. R. Shimon ben Gamliel says that even inside a field is permitted, as long as the furrows aren't close to each other.

Baraisa (Abba Shaul): One may remove wild bushes and trees to use as firewood, by cutting them close to the ground (rather than uprooting them) and as long as he doesn't cut them with a hatchet (as it looks like he is coming to dig).

One may not check seeds by having them grow in earth that's in a plant pot; but in dung in a plant pot is permitted. One may soak seeds in Sheviis to prepare them for planting after Sheviis. One may allow Aluvei (medicinal herbs) to grow (by treating them with permitted treatments in Sheviis). This must be done on a roof and they may not be watered.

One may not hang a wild fig branch on a garden fig tree. (This was done as a Segulah (spiritual remedy) for the garden fig tree to grow better.) What should he do? In a different year, he should bring a branch from a productive fig tree and hang it there and say, "This branch produced fruit but you did not''.

Question: Doesn't it teach that if there a tree whose fruits fall off (too early), (as a Segulah) he should paint it red and rest stones on it to weaken it? (This shows that one may do a Segulah to a tree in Sheviis?)

Answer: There, they permitted it in order not to waste the fruits and keep the tree in its current state. Here, he is attempting to strengthen the tree.

One may not graft date palms in Sheviis as it is considered agricultural work. Isn't that obvious? You might think that since a date palm is large and the grafting isn't so visible, it might be permitted - therefore it teaches that it is prohibited.

(In the Mishnah, R. Yehuda said that to cut a virgin sycamore in the regular way is prohibited; rather he should leave it 10 Tefachim tall or cut close to the ground. Cutting close to the ground means below 3 Tefachim, so that only) between 3 and 10 Tefachim is prohibited.