(Mishnah): If there are three trees belonging to three different people, they combine and they may plow the entire Beis Seah for their sake (until Rosh Hashana.) (Note: The Vilna Gaon understands that plowing is permitted only until Shavuos and he removes the words 'until Rosh Hashana' from the text of the Gemara below in (e).)

Question: How far apart must they be?

Answer (Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel): Enough space for the ox with its pack to pass.

(Gemara) Baraisa (R. Chiya): If the trees belong to one person and the field to another, they combine to allowing plowing the entire Beis Seah (until Rosh Hashana. See next entry and note above in (a)).

(R. Yosi): R. Chiya Rabbah also taught it, deriving it from an even greater leniency (in our Mishnah) - If the three trees belong to three different people, they combine to allow plowing the entire Beis Seah until Rosh Hashana. (See earlier note as to the text of the Vilna Gaon.) (If so, certainly if the trees belong to one person and the field belongs to another, he may plow the entire Beis Seah.)

(Mishnah): If there are ten saplings planted within a Beis Seah, one may plow the entire Beis Seah for their sake until Rosh Hashana. If they were arranged in a row surrounded by a fence, one may only plow as needed.

(Gemara) (R. Zeira citing R. Ila/ R. Yosi citing R. Yochanan): Aravah (the requirement to circuit the Mizbeach with a willow branch on Succos) is Halacha L'Moshe MiSinai (an oral tradition dating back to the Giving of the Torah). This is unlike Abba Shaul who said that its source is in the Torah, as the pasuk states (Vayikra 23:40), "willows of the river'' - the plural word indicating that there are two required willows - one used for the Lulav bundle and one used in the Temple.

(R. Ba/ R. Chiya citing R. Yochanan): Aravah and Nisuch HaMayim (the water libations performed on Succos) are Halacha L'Moshe MiSinai. This is unlike R. Akiva who said that its source is in the Torah - on the 2nd day of Succos, in describing the wine libations the Torah says 'Veniskayhem' - 'and their libations' (the letter 'Mem' is extra); on the 6th day it's 'UNesachehah' - ' and its libations' (the letter 'Yud' is extra) and on the 7th day it's 'Kemishpatam' - 'as their law' (the letter 'Mem' is extra) - the extra letters spell out the word Mayim - water - which is an allusion to the requirement of the water libations.

Question (R. Chiya bar Abba to R. Yochanan): If the permission to plow until Shavuos is only for saplings, how could Rabban Gamliel and his Beis Din permit plowing for mature trees?

Answer (R. Yochanan): When the Halacha was given to Moshe, it included a condition that if Beis Din would decide that there was a need to plow, it would be permitted.

(R. Ba bar Zavdi citing R. Chunia of the Chavran valley): Aravah, water libations and the law of 10 saplings are an enactment of the earlier prophets (of the 1st Temple).

Question: Does he disagree (with our statement that it's Halacha L'Moshe MiSinai)?

Answer (R. Yosi bei R. Bun): They had this Halacha in their hands and it was forgotten and the latter prophets (of the 2nd Temple) agreed with the earlier prophets. This teaches you that anything that Beis Din make special effort to understand will ultimately be preserved in their hands as it was given to Moshe at Har Sinai.

This follows the statement of R. Mana - The pasuk says (Devarim 32:47), "It is not an empty matter from you (as it is your life)'', meaning, 'if it is an empty matter', it is coming 'from you', because you aren't toiling in it, "as it is your life'' - when is it your life? When you toil in it.

(R. Yochanan to R. Chiya bar No of Bavel): Two accepted Halachos were brought by you from Bavel - bowing with outstretched arms on a fast day and hitting the Aravah on Hoshana Rabbah, as a memorial of the Temple. The Rabbanan of Kisarin also added the law of shortening Hallel on Rosh Chodesh. (This latter phrase was the explanation of the Vilna Gaon.)

Tosefta: For saplings, (lit. like ten) even if some appear mature, ten are required (in a Beis Seah to be able to plow the entire Beis Seah); for mature trees, even if some appear to be saplings, only three are needed (to be able to plow the entire Beis Seah).

Question: How could this be, if there's a Tosefta that teaches - If the saplings appear to be mature, only three are required. If so, how could you say that for saplings, ten are always required?

(R. Chuna): What's the meaning of 'like ten'? That even if saplings appear mature, having three trees isn't enough - that you shouldn't say that having three saplings that produce a 60 Mana cake is the same as having three mature trees. Similarly, if three mature trees don't produce that amount, they are the same as three saplings that don't (and one shouldn't be permitted to plow) - therefore, it needed to say 'sapling like ten' (to teach that ten saplings are always needed and even if a mature tree produces like a sapling, it still needs only three).

Tosefta: If a person planted a field of canes (in order that they grow and thicken), it's like a grain field (see Chapter 2 - that one may plow between the canes only until Pesach).

(R. Abahu citing R. Yosa bei R. Chanina): (To be considered a field of canes) there must be (at least) a Beis Sasayim (50X100 Amos).

Question: Doesn't the Mishnah's law (above (a) that if the ten saplings were arranged in a row surrounded by a fence, one may only plow as needed) disagree with Shmuel (in Halachah 2) who said that when three trees are in a row, (one may plow the entire Beis Seah)?

Answer: In Shmuel's case, since they are scattered within a Beis Seah, since the roots spread outwards, you view it as if it's full and you may plow the entire Beis Seah. Here, the saplings are all viewed as being in one place since the roots aren't spread outwards.