Question (R. Yudan Kapudkiya to R. Yosi): There, you said that tree seeds are not called 'Zeraim' but here you said that they are?

(R. Yosi replied): There, the pasuk excluded that which people don't called sowing; here, the pasuk included it, as it says (Vayikra 11:37), "upon any sowing seed which is sown''.

(R. Yochanan citing R. Yannai): One who covers Kilayim incurs lashes.

(R. Yochanan to R. Yannai): Isn't it a Mishnah (in Maseches Makkos 3:9 that teaches that one who plows Kilayim in a vineyard incurs lashes.) Why would plowing up Kilayim be prohibited? He must be overturning the soil onto the seeds.

R. Yannai then praised the wisdom of R. Yochanan from the pesukim (Yishaya 46:6), "Those who let gold run from the purse...'' and (Mishlei 3:21),''My son, do not let them depart from your eyes''; (Mishlei 9:9), "Give a wise man, and he will become yet wiser'' and (Mishlei 1:5), "Let the wise man hear and increase learning''.

(R. Shimon ben Lakish): After all of these praises, I could answer that the Mishnah there follows R. Akiva, who said that one who allows Kilayim to grow transgresses a negative commandment.

Rebuttal: R. Akiva said that he transgresses but not that he incurs lashes.

Proof #2: The Mishnah there also spoke about lashes for transgressing Shevi'is. Since there is no prohibition of allowing Shevi'is produce to grow, it must be that covering is considered sowing...

Rebuttal: That Mishnah could be following R. Elazar (the Amora), that there are lashes for plowing in Shevi'is.

(R. Yochanan): There are no lashes for plowing in Shevi'is.

What is R. Elazar's source? The pasuk states (Vayikra 25:2), "...the Land shall rest a Shabbos to Hashem'' is a general rule; (Pasuk 4), "you shall not sow your field, nor shall you prune your vineyard'' are specifics. Sowing and pruning were part of the general case, so why were they specified? To compare to them and say that just as sowing and pruning are types of work that are done both to the land and to trees, so too all types of work done to the land and to trees.

How does R. Yochanan learn this pasuk? There are two specifics mentioned and when two are mentioned, we don't say that it teaches about the entire general case.

Question: Does R. Elazar not agree with this?

Answer: He does agree, but he says that instead, we learn a Klal, U'Prat, u'Klal (a generalization followed by a specification followed by a generalization, where one must include things that are similar to the specification. 'And the Land shall rest' is a generalization; 'you shall not plant...you shall not prune' is a specification; 'a complete rest' is a generalization).

Question: Does R. Yochanan not agree with this?

Answer: Since the generalization is written about positive command and the specification is written about a negative command - one cannot learn from the other. (However, R. Elazar reasons that even in that case, we do expound it.)