In the name of four Elders they said that if one's Eiruv was eaten on the first (of two days, when Shabbos and Yom Tov occurred consecutively), on the second day, he is considered like one of his city and may not leave its Techum.

(Rav Huna citing Rav): The Halacha follows the four Elders.

Question (Rav Chisda): The opinion of Rav seems to have switched - There (Eiruvin), he rules (like the four Elders) that the two days are separate; here (wicks), he rules that they are like one long day - as it was taught, "May remains of a wick, a bonfire or of oil that went out on Shabbos be lit on Yom Tov? Rav and R. Chanina both prohibit it (as it is like one long day) and R. Yochanan permit it...?

Answer (R. Mana to R. Yudan): Why are you comparing wicks to an egg?

Answer: Since we see that the Rabbis did compare them, they must be the same.

(In the Mishnah, R. Shimon permitted all Sefichin except of cabbage) since people don't usually grow them. Why would that be a reason to prohibit?

(R. Chama bar Ukva citing R. Yosi b'R. Chanina): Since they grow very fast and appear large in a short period of time.

Question: Why would that be a reason to prohibit?

(R. Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak): For any other vegetable, it is possible to identify whether it's new or old; but here (he cannot, and) there's a concern that he might bring from prohibited crops and claim that he brought from permitted cabbage that grew quickly.

(Tosefta): (One may not allow Sefichin to grow in Sheviis, even if they began growing in the 6th year.) One is not required to uproot Sefichin of Luf (that began growing before Sheviis); rather one may leave it in the ground. If it grew after Sheviis, it is permitted.

One is not required to uproot Sefichin of Kurnus in Sheviis; but he must pick those leaves that grew in Sheviis. If they grew after Sheviis, it is permitted.

Question: Isn't he thereby wasting Sheviis animal food?

Answer: The picking isn't considered actively wasting since they then rot by themselves.

R. Shimon ben Yochai was once passing through a field in Shemita. He saw someone picking Sefichin and said to him, "Isn't that prohibited? Aren't they Sefichin?''

The man replied, "Aren't you the one that permits them?''

R. Shimon said, "But don't my colleagues disagree with me (and the Halacha follows them)'' R. Shimon applied the pasuk (Koheles 10:8), "One who breaches the fence will be bitten by a snake'', and that's what happened to that man.

R. Shimon ben Yochai was hiding in the 'Charuvin D'Terumah' cave for 13 years, until his body was covered in sores (from covering himself with the sand). After 13 years, he said that perhaps he should go out and listen to what is being said (to know whether he must continue hiding).

He went out and sat at the entrance to the cave and he saw a bird hunter laying his net. He heard a Heavenly voice say, "Mercy!'' and the bird was saved from the net. R. Shimon said, "If not for Heaven, nothing could be caught or saved from being caught. And this certainly applies to man. When he saw that his words were accepted in Heaven he said, "I will go to Tiveria and heal myself in the hot springs.'' He did this and was healed.

He said, "I must do something to help Tiveria'', just as the earlier generations did, as the pasuk states (Bereishis 33:18), "...and he encamped before the city'' - that they set up a meat store in the marketplace and sold meat to the locals. He said, "I will purify Tiveria (for the benefit of the Kohanim)''. He took lupine beans, cut them into pieces and threw them all over the city. Any place where a corpse was hidden, the corpse rose up to the surface.

A certain Kusi saw this and said, "I am going to play a game with these Jewish Elders.'' He took a corpse and buried it in a place that R. Shimon had already purified. He then said to R. Shimon, "Haven't you already purified this area? I will bring you out a corpse from here.'' R. Shimon saw with Ruach HaKodesh that the Kusi had put it there. He said, "I decree upon you that those above should go down and those below should go up!'' The Kusi then died and the corpse came back to life.

When he passed by the tower, he heard a teacher ridiculing him, saying that they had found a corpse in a place that R. Shimon had already purified. R. Shimon said, "I have a tradition that Tiveria will be purified in the future and I have made great efforts to do this and you still don't believe it.'' Immediately, this teacher became a pile of bones.