Yerushalmi Sheviit 1:6 ירושלמי שביעית א׳:ו׳

MISHNAH: Saplings and gourds go together in a bet seah. Rabban Gamliel says, if there are ten gourds in a bet seah, one ploughs the entire bet seah until New Year’s Day.
How long are they called saplings? Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah said, until they become profane. Rebbi Joshua said, seven years. Rebbi Aqiba said, tree saplings when they are called so. A tree which was cut down and grows anew, if it was cut lower than one hand-breadth it is like a sapling, higher than a hand-breadth it is a tree, the words of Rebbi Simeon.

HALAKHAH: “Saplings and gourds, etc.” That is only if there are more saplings than gourds⁶⁸For the anonymous Tanna, against Rabban Gamliel.. Rebbi Ḥananiah ben Rebbi Hillel⁶⁹Galilean Amora of the fifth generation, a student of R. Mana’s father R. Jonah. asked, is that not reasonable only for Greek gourd? Rebbi Mana objected, did we not state⁷⁰A similar statement in Tosephta Ševi‘it 1:2. For “green melon” (in modern Hebrew: “zucchini”) and “Greek gour”, cf. Kilaim 1:2 (Notes 38,59). Greek gourd is described as needing the most space among all gourd varieties.: “Three green melons, three gourds, and four saplings go together and one ploughs the entire bet seah because of them.” It fits only for the last sentence: Rabban Gamliel says, if there are ten gourds in a bet seah, one ploughs the entire bet seah until New Year’s Day. Rebbi Ḥananiah ben Rebbi Hillel asked, is that not reasonable only for Greek gourd⁷¹For other varieties, Rabban Gamliel will not disagree with the anonymous Tanna.?

“How long are they called saplings⁷⁵This is important both for the Sabbatical year and orlah since around trees one may plough until the New Year but elsewhere only until 30 days before the New Year, and years for orlah are also counted from the New Year., etc.” What means “until they become profane”? Until they are redeemed⁷⁶A fruit tree is orlah for three years, must be redeemed in the fourth, and becomes fully profane in its fifth year; cf. Lev. 19:24. or until they become profane by themselves. Rebbi Abba bar Jacob in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: The Mishnah means “until they become profane by themselves⁷⁷Only in this way can the definition be consistent..” Rebbi Yudan said, a baraita supports Rebbi Joshua: “⁷⁸In Tosephta 1:2, R. Joshua says “five, six, and seven years”, and Rebbi explains “five for vines, etc.” In that version, the comment of R. Yudan would be superfluous. Hence, the text here is from an independentbaraita. Rebbi says, when they said five, six, or seven years old, for vines five years old, for figs six years old, for olives seven years old.” But do we not see the growth of the fig tree come with fruits? Rebbi Yudan said, according to Rebbi we throw it on its width⁷⁹In growing olive trees, the thickness of the stem counts, not the bearing of fruit..

Rebbi Simeon and Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob said the same thing since Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman, Rebbi Jonathan, said in the name of Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob⁸⁰Kilaim 6:2, Note 23. Since R. Eliezer ben Jacob states that a trunk sticking out from the ground less than a hand-breadth is forbidden as orlah only by rabbinic decree, it follows that R. Simeon in the Mishnah also treats the prohibition of ploughing before the Sabbatical year as rabbinic. Otherwise, he and R. Eliezer ben Jacob would not say the same thing.: He who prunes his vineyard down to less than a hand-breadth is subject to the rules of orlah because of the bad appearance. The Sages say, only if he prunes down to the ground.