but also when smoothing down the field of his neighbor."

5. "He who cleaves olive trees must not fill in the vacuum with earth; but
he may cover it over with stones or stubble. He who cuts down trunks of
sycamore must not fill in the vacuum with earth, but he may cover it over
with stones or stubble. Men must not cut down a young sycamore in the
Sabbatical year, because that is labor." R. Judah said, "if as it is
usually done it is forbidden: but one may allow it to be ten handbreadths
high, or cut it just above the ground." "He who lops off vine tendrils,
and cuts reeds?" R. Jose the Galilean said, "he must leave them an
handbreadth high." Rabbi Akiba said, "he may cut them as it is usual with
an axe, or sickle, or saw, or with whatever he pleases." "A tree that is
split?" "Men may bind it round in the Sabbatical year, not that it may
cohere, but that its fissure may not extend."

7. "From what time may the fruits of trees in the Sabbatical year be
eaten?" "Unripe fruits, when they are becoming transparent, may be eaten
with a piece of bread in the field. When they are mellow, they may be
gathered into the house; and so also with all like them." During the
remainder of the seven years their tithes must be paid.

8. The sour grapes in which there is juice may be eaten with a piece of
bread in the field. Before they rot they may be gathered into the house,
and so also with all like them. During the remainder of the seven years
their tithes must be paid.

9. "Olives from which men have collected the fourth of a log(55) of oil to
the seah?"(56) "They may be crushed and eaten in the field." When men can
collect from them half a log, they may be pounded and used for anointing
in the field. When those have been collected which have attained a third
of their size they may be pounded in the field, and gathered into the
house, and so also with all like them. During the remainder of the seven
years their tithes must be paid. But for the rest of all fruits of trees,
as are their seasons for the laws of tithes, so are their seasons for the
laws of the Sabbatical year.

10. "From what time may men not cut trees in the Sabbatical year?" The
school of Shammai say, "every tree when it shoots forth." The school of
Hillel say, "the locust trees when they put forth their curling tendrils,
and the vines when they form berries, and the olives when they flower. And
the rest of the trees when they shoot forth." But it is permitted to cut