About this episode
If a landowner expects the sharecropper to plant a certain crop, can the sharecropper change to a different crop? This question hinges on whether the change benefits or harms the field in the long term. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel disagrees with the rabbis and forbids any change. The Gemara suggests possible explanations of why he forbids it. The first explanation is rejected but the second is accepted. Rav Yehuda teaches Ravin three halakhot/advice regarding fields. One can steal cress that grows between flax plants, as it is detrimental to the growth of the flax. Another teaching addresses trees that grow on the border between two neighbors, explaining who has the right to eat the fruits and on what does it depend. Additionally, he advises that it is best not to have a field close to the city. There are contradictory sources regarding whether or not it is preferable to have fields close to the city. One source says it will bring an ayin hara , implying that proximity to the city might attract jealousy or negative attention. Another source says it is preferable as it is convenient, providing easier access. The reconciliation of these sources depends on whether one has put up a wall around the field, blocking the view of others. Verses from Devarim 28:3 and 6 regarding blessings that come upon a person in the city, in the field, when returning home and when leaving, are extrapolated with advice and recommendations. These verses provide practical guidance for living a blessed and healthy life. Five explanations are brought for the verse in Devarim 7:15 - "God will remove all disease" - to elucidate what is meant by "all disease." Rav says it refers to the ayin hara . Shmuel says it is the wind that gets into the body. Rabbi Chanina says it is the cold. Rabbi Yosi son of Rabbi Chanina says it is excrement of the nose and ear. Rabbi Eliezer says it is the gall bladder. If one eats bread and water in the morning, it prevents sickness of the gall bladder. They attribute thirteen benefits to eating bread in the morning, highlighting this practice's importance in maintaining health. Rav Yehuda advised Rav Ada who was a measurer. Make sure to be exacting, as any piece of land, even small, can be used to plant something valuable. Four cubits of space should be left bare near the irrigation channel, but since it is only for individual use, one can estimate it, and it can be even less than four cubits. However, on the edge of one's field near the side of the river, one must leave four cubits of space for public use and should estimate generously. Those who own land near the river should cut all trees along the river's edge to allow those who pull in the boats to have space to do so.