דתניא (במדבר ו, כג) כה תברכו את בני ישראל רבי ישמעאל אומר למדנו ברכה לישראל מפי כהנים לכהנים עצמן לא למדנו כשהוא אומר ואני אברכם הוי אומר כהנים מברכין לישראל והקדוש ברוך הוא מברך לכהנים רבי עקיבא אומר למדנו ברכה לישראל מפי כהנים מפי גבורה לא למדנו כשהוא אומר ואני אברכם הוי אומר כהנים מברכין לישראל והקדוש ברוך הוא מסכים על ידם אלא רבי עקיבא ברכה לכהנים מנא ליה אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק (בראשית יב, ג) מואברכה מברכיך ומאי מסייע כהני דמוקי לה לברכת כהנים במקום ברכה דישראל
R. Ishmael said: We observe here a blessing for Israel at the mouth of the priests, but we know of no blessing for the priests themselves; when the verse adds: And I will bless them,20 it means to say that, the priests bless Israel, and the Holy One, blessed be He, blesses the priests. R. Akiba said: We observe here a blessing for Israel at the mouth of the priests but not from the Almighty; when the verse therefore adds: And I will bless them, it means to say that the priests bless Israel, and the Holy One, blessed be He, approves of it. But whence does R. Akiba derive that the priests also receive a blessing? - R. Nahman b. Isaac said: From the verse: And I will bless them that bless thee.21 In what respect then does R. Ishmael favour the priests? - In that he establishes in the one verse the blessing of the priests side by side with the blessing of Israel. ...
(א) הַמַּבְרִיךְ אֶת הַגֶּפֶן בָּאָרֶץ, אִם אֵין עָפָר עַל גַּבָּהּ שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים, לֹא יָבִיא זֶרַע עָלֶיהָ, אֲפִלּוּ הִבְרִיכָהּ בִּדְלַעַת אוֹ בְסִילוֹן. הִבְרִיכָהּ בְּסֶלַע, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין עָפָר עַל גַּבָּהּ אֶלָּא שָׁלֹשׁ אֶצְבָּעוֹת, מֻתָּר לְהָבִיא זֶרַע עָלֶיהָ. הָאַרְכֻּבָּה שֶׁבַּגֶּפֶן, אֵין מוֹדְדִין לָהּ אֶלָּא מִן הָעִקָּר הַשֵּׁנִי:
(1) If one bends the branch of a vine into the soil to take root, is bent, if there is not a layer of three handbreadths of soil above it, he may not bring [sow] seeds on it. [This is the law] even if he bent it into a [dried out] gourd or an [earthenware] pipe. If he bent it into a rock, even if there is only three fingerbreadths of soil above it, he is permitted to bring [sow] seeds on it. If a vine has been bent in such a manner that the main stem is underground, we only measure [the six handbreadths] from the second root [the place where it rises from the ground and again becomes visible].
Rav Aḥa bar Avira said that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida said: Rabban Gamliel would allow the prayer leader to exempt even the people who were in the fields and away from the synagogue. The Gemara challenges: This statement implies that the prayer leader exempts even the people in the fields, and needless to say, he exempts those who are here in the city but did not attend the prayer service in the synagogue. The Gemara questions this conclusion: On the contrary, the opposite is more reasonable: Those in the fields did not come to the synagogue due to circumstances beyond their control, and therefore they should be allowed to fulfill their obligation through the prayer leader. By contrast, those in the city were not prevented from coming to the synagogue due to circumstances beyond their control. Consequently, they should not fulfill their obligation through the prayer leader. As Abba, son of Rav Binyamin bar Ḥiyya, taught in a baraita: Those people standing in the synagogue behind the priests during the Priestly Blessing, who are not positioned in front of them, face-to-face, are not included in the blessing. They are expected to make the minimal effort to stand in front of the priests. However, those in the fields are included in the Priestly Blessing. Rather, Rabban Gamliel’s statement should be understood differently: When Ravin came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, he reported that Rabbi Ya’akov bar Idi said that Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥasida said: Rabban Gamliel allowed the prayer leader to exempt only the people in the fields. What is the reason for this? Because the people in the fields are unable to come to the synagogue due to work circumstances beyond their control, and do not have time to prepare their prayers. However, Rabban Gamliel did not exempt those in the city who do not come to the synagogue, as they are able to prepare their prayers and pray by themselves.