במדבר פרק טו, לב
י נְב וּיְה
יַו- :תָּבַשַה םוֹיְב םיִּצ ע ש שקְמ שיִּא וּאְצְמ
יַו רָּבְדִּמַב ל אָּרְשִּי
ירושלמי סנהדרין דף כד/ב פרק ה הלכה א
ר' חייה בר גמדא שאל מקושש משום מאי מיחייב משום תולש או משום קוצר
One is able to explain the word מקושש in two ways. One is an explanation is that of a gatherer. The second explanation is extracting or removal of an item from its source. This Gemara understands that just gathering items on Shabbos is not prohibited, thus, the interpretation involves the action of detaching branches from the tree which conforms according to the second explanation.
The Gemara (Shabbos 96b) mentions two opinions on the prohibited action performed by the Mekoshesh. One opinion is that the prohibited action was carrying four amos in a public domain; the other opinion was the violation of the prohibition of מעמר (bringing into a pile). Thus, these opinions must have understood the word מקושש as gatherer, and since no such prohibition, each offered other opinions as to the nature of the prohibited action that was actually done on that Shabbos.
