Our Gemara on amud aleph discusses practices of the Chassidim Rishonim, a sect of sages who were distinguished by taking upon themselves strict requirements of piety.

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: חֲסִידִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הָיוּ מַצְנִיעִים קוֹצוֹתֵיהֶם וּזְכוּכִיּוֹתֵיהֶם בְּתוֹךְ שְׂדוֹתֵיהֶן, וּמַעֲמִיקִים לָהֶן שְׁלֹשָׁה טְפָחִים כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְעַכֵּב הַמַּחֲרֵישָׁה.

The Sages taught: The early pious people would conceal their thorns and their pieces of glass in their fields, and would dig to the depth of at least three handbreadths in order to bury them, so that they would not obstruct (Ye-akev) the plow.

Tosafos notes that the Yerushalmi uses a slightly different phrase: “...so that the plow would not dredge up the thorns or glass.”

The distinction is that the Yershalmi is focusing on the danger of dredging up the hazard that was originally buried. Our Gemara seems to be focusing on the obstruction that the plow would experience when it bumps into the material. The Yerushalami’s description is much more understandable and morally correct. If we take the Bavli’s description literally, of what great piety is it to be careful to safely dispose of your waste so that you do not encounter difficulties when plowing? That’s common sense.

I believe the answer is as follows. The Bavli is actually addressing a deeper issue. The Chassidim Rishonim were not just concerned about the waste casually resurfacing. That is something anybody would be careful to handle properly and remove. Rather, they were concerned that in the frustration of the plow getting fouled up with the hazardous material, perhaps out of impulsivity and anger, the field owner would hastily throw the shards out of his way into a more dangerous place.

The lesson is, that once we are frustrated and angry, our judgment is clouded. This is what the Chassidim Harishonim sought to avoid. See Psychology of the Daf Kiddushin (32), where we discussed this in more depth.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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