Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 231
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(דברים כב י) לֹא תַחֲרֹשׁ בְּשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר יַחְדָּו, יָכוֹל לְעוֹלָם? כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר (שמות כג יב) ״לְמַעַן יָנוּחַ שׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרֶךָ״ – כְּבָר שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר עוֹשִׂים מְלָאכָה! אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר לֹא תַחֲרֹשׁ בְּשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר? זֶה עִם זֶה. שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר; מִנַּיִן לַעֲשׂוֹת שְׁאָר בְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה וָעוֹף כְּיוֹצֵא בְּשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: לֹא תַחֲרֹשׁ, מִכָּל מָקוֹם. אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר בְּשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר? – בְּשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר אִי אַתָּה חוֹרֵשׁ, אֲבָל אַתָּה חוֹרֵשׁ בְּאָדָם וּבַחֲמוֹר!
(Devarim 22:10) "You shall not plow with an ox and an ass together": I might think, never, but (Shemoth 23:12) "so that there rest (from labor) your ox and your ass" indicates that labor is being referred to. If so, why is "together" written? For I might think that only ox and ass are intended. Whence do I derive (the same for) other beasts and for animals and birds? From "together" — in any event (i.e., it is not the type of animal, but labor that is the criterion). If so, why is it written "with an ox and an ass"? To teach that you may not plow with an ox and an ass, but you may plow with a man and an ass (i.e., by some arrangement where the man directs the animal in its plowing.)
לֹא תַחֲרֹשׁ, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא חוֹרֵשׁ; מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת הַדָּשׁ וְהַיּוֹשֵׁב וְהַמַּנְהִיג? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: יַחְדָּו, מִכָּל מָקוֹם. רַבִּי מֵאִיר פּוֹטֵר בַּיּוֹשֵׁב.
Variantly: "You shall not plow": This tells me only of plowing. Whence do I derive (the same for) threshing and sitting in a wagon (to which they are attached) and going out and directing (them)? It is, therefore, written "together" — in any event. R. Meir exempts sitting in a wagon, (for in that instance he is not doing anything).
יַחְדָּו – פְּרָט לְרָמָךְ. יַחְדָּו – פְּרָט לְקוֹשֵׁר אֶת הַסּוּס לְצִדֵּי הַקָּרוֹן אוֹ לְאַחַר הַקָּרוֹן, וְאֶת הַלַּבְדְּקָס לַגְּמַלִּים.
Variantly: "together": to exclude a mule. Variantly: "together": to exclude tying a horse to a side or the back of a wagon (to which oxen are hitched).