BURIED LUF (Yerushalmi Sheviis Perek 5 Halachah 2 Daf 13b)
משנה הטומן את הלוף בשביעית רבי מאיר אומר לא יפחות מסאתים עד גובה שלושה טפחים וטפח עפר על גביו
(Mishnah): If one buried a Luf in the ground for storage during Sheviis, R. Meir says that not less than two Se'ah in quantity must be buried (meaning that the pile of Luf in the hole must not be less than two Se'ah); not less than three tefachim high and with a tefach of soil on top of it.
וחכמים אומרים לא יפחות מארבעה קבין עד גובה טפח וטפח עפר על גביו וטומנו במקום דריסת בני אדם
(Chachamim): Not less than four Kav in quantity must be buried; not less than a tefach high and with a tefach of soil on top of it; and he must bury it in a place where people walk.
[דף לו עמוד א (עוז והדר)] לוף שעברה עליו שביעית רבי ליעזר אומר אם לקטו העניים את עליו לקטו ואם לאו יעשה חשבון עם העניים
If a Luf remained in the ground until after Sheviis (and increased in size in the year that followed it) - R. Eliezer says that if the poor picked its leaves during Sheviis, that is fine; but if they did not (so that the leaves also grew in Sheviis), he must make a calculation with the poor (and he keeps that which grew in the 8th year, but the rest must go to the poor).
רבי יהושע אומר אם לקטו עניים את עליו לקטו ואם לאו אין לעניים עמו חשבון
(R. Yehoshua): If the poor picked the leaves, that's fine; if not, they don't need to make a calculation (as he also had rights to take it).
לוף של ערב שביעית שנכנס לשביעית וכן בצלים הקיצונים וכן פואה של עידית ב''ש אומרים עוקרין אותן במארופות של עץ ובית הלל אומרים בקרדומות של מתכות
Luf of the 6th year that remained until Sheviis (without growing more); and similarly summer onions and Puah (madder) growing in fine soil - Beis Shammai say that he must uproot them with wooden rakes; Beis Hillel say that he may even uproot them with metal spades.
[דף לו עמוד ב (עוז והדר)] ומודים בפואה של צלעות שעוקרין אותן בקרדומות של מתכות
And they agree that if it's Puah growing in gravelly soil, they may be uprooted with metal spades.
מאימתי מותר אדם ליקח לוף במוצאי שביעית רבי יהודה אומר מיד וחכמים אומרים משירבה החדש:
Question: From when is it permitted to buy Luf after Sheviis? R. Yehuda says immediately; Chachamim say from when the new crop is abundant.
גמרא הטומן את הלוף עד כדון לוף בצלים
(Gemara) Question: "If one buried a Luf...'' - but what is the law concerning onions?
א''ר יונה היא לוף היא בצלים
(R. Yona): They are the same as Luf in this law.
אמר רבי יוסה מסתברא בבצלים אפילו פחות מכאן מותר דאינן שפין:
(R. Yosa): It's logical that onions are permitted with even less than two Se'ah, as they are stepped on by people, so they don't look like they are planted.
לוף שעברה עליו שביעית כו' רבי אבהו בשם רבי יוחנן אתיא דרבי יהודה כרבי ליעזר ודרבי יוסי כרבי יהושע דתנינן תמן העניים אוכלין אחר הביעור אבל לא עשירים דברי רבי יהודא רבי יוסי אומר אחד [דף יד עמוד א] עניים ואחד עשירים אוכלין אחר הביעור
"If a Luf remained in the ground until after Sheviis etc.'' - R. Abahu cited from R. Yochanan that R. Yehuda is like R. Eliezer and R. Yosi is like R. Yehoshua - as the Mishnah states (further on in Perek 9 Halachah 6) - R. Yehuda says that from when people declare the produce ownerless at the time of Biur (removal), only the poor may eat. R. Yosi says that even the rich may eat.
THE PROHIBITION OF SEFICHIN (Yerushalmi Sheviis Perek 5 Halachah 2 Daf 14a)
רבי אימי בעי קומי ר''י מתני' עד שלא גזרו על הספיחי'
(R. Imi to R. Yochanan): (The Mishnah permitted Luf leaves that grew and were picked in Sheviis.) The Mishnah is speaking about the time before the decree of Sefichin (Things that grew naturally in Shemita are prohibited - they are referred to as Sefichin ('aftergrowths').)
[דף לז עמוד א (עוז והדר)] א''ל וכי בעלייה היית
Question (R. Yochanan to R. Imi): Were you in the attic (when they made the decree)? (Are you sure that the prohibition of Sefichin is only Rabbinic?)
סבר רבי אימי איסור ספיחים תורה
R. Imi understood from R. Yochanan's question that the prohibition of Sefichin is from the Torah.
א''ר ירמיה בעלי לוף שוטה היא מתניתא
(R. Yirmiyah): The Mishnah was discussing the leaves of wild Luf (that stays in the ground a long time and was planted in the 6th year, so the prohibition of Sefichin doesn't apply).
אייתי רב הושעיא מתני' דבר קפרא מן דרומא ותני עלי לוף ועלי בצלים אית לך מימר עלי בצלים השוטין
Rebuttal: R. Hoshiya cited a Baraisa taught by Bar Kapara of the South that our Mishnah refers to Luf leaves and onion leaves. Could R. Yirmiyah have also said that it was referring to wild onions (that stay in the ground a long time)? (No such onions exist!)
[דף לז עמוד ב (עוז והדר)] מילתי' דר' ירמי' אמרה דבר שיש לו ביעור שנמצא בתוך דבר שאין לו ביעור יש לו ביעור מה עבד לה ר' ירמיה
Question: From the statement of R. Yirmiyah we can learn that if something that requires Biur grew from something that does not require Biur - it requires Biur. (Even though the roots of the Luf don't require Biur, since the leaves do require it, Biur is required.) What will R. Yirmiyah say about that?
פתר לה בששיקף בעלין
Answer: It applies when the owner picked the leaves before the time of Biur came.
ר' יוסי פתר לה מתניתא לפני ר''ה השביעית נטעו לפני ר''ה השביעית עשה ביצים לפני שביעית ודיכנו בשביעית עקרו במוצאי שביעית
(R. Yosi): It began to grow before Rosh Hashana of Sheviis - he planted it a long time before Rosh Hashana and it grew shoots before Sheviis. He then bent over those shoots in Sheviis (to prevent them growing more) and uprooted the plants after Sheviis...
אין תימר דיכון כעיקר כולו לעניים אין תימר אין דיכן כעיקור אין כולו לעניים מספק יעשה חשבון עם העניים
Explanation: If you say that bending over is like uprooting, everything (that grew until then in Sheviis) belongs to the poor (as whatever is picked in Sheviis requires Biur). But if you say that bending is not like uprooting, the leaves were not picked in Sheviis and the poor have no claim on them. And since R. Eliezer was in doubt over this question, he ruled that only the leaves that grew before bending belong to the poor and he must make a calculation with them (to give them that portion).
[דף לח עמוד א (עוז והדר)] רבי חזקיה פתר מתני' ערב ר''ה שביעית נטעו ערב ר''ה שביעית ועשה ביצה בתחילת שביעית וריכנו בשביעית ועקרו בסוף שביעית
(R. Chizkiyah): It was planted before Rosh Hashana of Sheviis - even if he planted it just before Rosh Hashana of Sheviis and it grew shoots and the beginning of Sheviis and he bent them down and then picked them at the end of Sheviis (after the time of Biur)...
אין תימר דיכון כעקור כולו לבעל הבית אין תימר אין דיכון כעקור אין כולו לבעל הבית לפיכך (אין לעניים עמו חשבון)[יעשה חשבון עם העניים]
Explanation: If bending down is like uprooting, since it was done before Biur, the owner could claim it for himself. And if bending is not like uprooting, it belongs to the poor since its uprooting was done after Biur. Therefore (because of this doubt) he should make a calculation with them.
עשה בארץ שלש שנים נותן לעניים רובע שתי שנים נותן לעניים שליש שנה אחת נותן לעניים מחצה
(How is the calculation made?) If the Luf grew for three years other than in Sheviis, he gives the poor a quarter. If it grew two years, he gives them a third. If it grew one year, he gives them a half.
רבי יוסה פתר מתני' לפני ר''ה שביעית רבי חזקיה פתר מתני' ערב ר''ה שביעית
Summary: R. Yosa explains the Mishnah refers to Luf that was planted long before Sheviis (and was bent down in Sheviis); R. Chizkiyah explained that it was planted close to Sheviis and he bent it down before the time of Biur.
[דף לח עמוד ב (עוז והדר)] לוף של ערב שביעית כו'
The Mishnah taught (above 1(e)) the case of a Luf that mainly grew in the 6th year and remained there into Sheviis but didn't continue to grow...
רבי בון בר חייא בעא קומי ר' זעירא אף בשאר [דף יד עמוד ב] שני שבוע כן והא תני היתה שניי' נכנסת לשלישי' אינו מדכנו ואינו מונע ממנו מים בשביל שיהא מעשר היתה שלישית נכנסת לרביעית מדכנו ומונע ממנו מים בשביל שיהא מעשר עני הדא אמרה שדיכון כעיקור
Question (R. Bun bar Chiya to R. Zeira): If so, then even in other years it should be the same (as the time of picking establishes the obligation of Maaser); and a Tosefta teaches that if an onion was planted and it was the second year (of the Shemita cycle) entering into the third year, the owner is not permitted to bend them down and withhold from them water (in the second year) in order that they should be obligated in Maaser Sheni (as second year produce). If it was the third year entering into the fourth year, he may bend it down and withhold from it water so that it will be obligated in Maaser Ani. This teaches that bending down is like uprooting.
רבי יוסי בשם רבי לא תפתר שעקרן עד שלא צימחו:
(R. Yosi citing R. Ila): (The Mishnah taught (above 1(e)) - Luf of the 6th year that remained until Sheviis...Beis Shammai say that he must uproot them with wooden rakes; Beis Hillel say that he may even uproot them with metal spades. But both agree that they may be uprooted in Sheviis) The Mishnah is referring to when he did it before they grew new leaves (in Sheviis), but if they had grown, he may not uproot them (since he is causing a loss to Sheviis produce).
SUMMER ONIONS, PUAH AND LUF (Yerushalmi Sheviis Perek 5 Halachah 2 Daf 14b)
וכן בצלים הקיצונים קטינאי
The Mishnah there (above 1(e)) said, 'And similarly summer onions' - which means that they are planted and picked in the summer.
[דף לט עמוד א (עוז והדר)] מודים בפיאה של צלעית פיטרה
The Mishnah also taught (1(f)), 'And they agree that if it's Puah growing in gravelly soil' - which is soil that is hard like stone '(they may be uprooted with metal spades).'
ותני עלה מקום שנהגו לחרוש יחרוש לנכש ינכש:
There is also a Baraisa about this - In a place where the custom is to plow (to uproot Puah), he may plow; where the custom is to weed, he may weed.
מאימתי מותר אדם ליקח לוף כו'. מ''ט דרבי יודה
Question: (The Mishnah taught - From when is it permitted to buy Luf after Sheviis? (R. Yehuda says immediately; Chachamim say from when the new crop is abundant).) What's R. Yehuda's reasoning? (Here he permits it immediately and in the later Mishnah (see Chulin 23-1(b)), he agrees to only permit vegetables from when similar crops (of the 8th year) are produced?)
גזרו על הלוף ולא גזרו על הירק
Answer: Since they decreed that the Luf may only be uprooted in Sheviis in an unusual and tedious manner, we can assume that Luf that is sold after Sheviis was not from Sheviis. However, since they did not make such a decree on vegetables, we must be concerned that those that were sold after Sheviis were uprooted in Sheviis. (See the commentary of Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita.)
מעתה אפילו בשביעית יהא מותר
Question: If so, even in Sheviis it should be permitted (to buy from one who is suspected in laws of Sheviis, as there should be no concern that he went to the trouble of uprooting Luf in an unusual way)?
בטמון אנן קיימינן שלא ילך ויביא מן האיסור ויאמר מן הטמון הבאתי
Answer: This that the owner wouldn't trouble himself, is only if he will be burying (i.e. storing) the Luf in the ground (such as to save it to sell after Sheviis); but if he will be selling it immediately, then he would trouble himself. Therefore, we are not concerned when buying it after Sheviis, but during Sheviis, he might bring from the prohibited crop and claim that it was stored away from the 6th year.
תני אמר ר' יודה מעשה שהיינו בעין כושין ואכלנו לוף על פי רבי טרפון במוצאי החג של מוצאי שביעית
Baraisa (R. Yehuda): It once happened that we were in Ein Cushin and we ate Luf according to R. Tarfon's ruling, on the day after Succos, in the year after Sheviis.
אמר לו רבי יוסי עמך הייתי ולא היה אלא מוצאי הפסח:
(R. Yosi): I was with you then and it was actually after Pesach of that year (which provided enough time for fresh crops to grow).