Bava Metzia 176

(דברים יד, כב) עשר תעשר ואכלת ולא מוכר תבואת זרעך ולא לוקח אלא מדרבנן וקרא אסמכתא בעלמא

<i>Thou shalt truly tithe&nbsp;… And thou shalt</i> eat, [implies] but not if thou sellest it; <i>the increase of thy</i> seed, but not if it is purchased!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Deut. XIV, 22f. Hence, only when the farmer consumes his crops himself must he tithe it, but not if he sells it; likewise, only the increase of one's own seed is liable, but not bought grain. And this is designated Biblical law. ');">¹</span>

אלא כנפשך למאי אתא לכדתניא כנפשך מה נפשך אם חסמת פטור אף פועל אם חסמת פטור

— But [the liability of a purchaser] is only by Rabbinic law, and the verse<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. [H], exempting the labourer. ');">²</span>

מתיב מר זוטרא איזהו גורנן למעשרות בקישואים ובדלועים משיפקסו ואמר רבי אסי משינטל פיקס שלהן מאי לאו משיפקסו אפי' בשדה

is a mere support. Then what is the purpose of, <i>'as thine own person</i>?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 507, n, 3 end. Since, however, a purchaser is exempt by Biblical law, it follows, even without a verse, that a labourer is exempt. ');">³</span>

לא משיפקסו בבית אי הכי משיפקסו עד שיפקסו מיבעי ליה

— As has been taught: <i>'As thine own person</i>': just as if thou muzzlest thine own [mouth], thou art guiltless, so also, if thou muzzlest [the mouth of] thy labourer, thou art free [from transgression].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., although the labourer is entitled to eat, yet if the employer stipulates that he shall not, or forcibly prevents him — metaphorically referred to as muzzling, cf. Deut. XXV, 4: Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn — he is not punished for transgressing the injunction just quoted. ');">⁴</span>

אי תנא עד שיפקסו ה"א עד דגמר לפיקוסייהו קמ"ל משיפקסו מכי אתחולי פיקוסייהו

Mar Zutra raised an objection: What is their harvesting time for [liability to] tithes? In the case of cucumbers and gourds, when they are blossomed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ma'as. I, 5. ');">⁵</span>

מתיב מר זוטרא בריה דרב נחמן גורנו למעשר לחייב עליו משום טבל משתגמר מלאכתן ואיזהו גמר מלאכתן מלאכת הכנסתן מאי לאו הכנסתן אפילו בשדה

And R. Assi interpreted this: As soon as their blossoms are shed. Now, does that not mean, as soon as their blossoms are shed even in the field?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though they have not yet faced the courtyard or the house. ');">⁶</span>

לא הכנסתן לבית זה הוא גמר מלאכתן ואיבעית אימא כי קאמר רבי ינאי בזיתים וענבים דלאו בני גורן נינהו אבל חטין ושעורין גורן בהדיא כתיב ביה

— No, only in the house. If so, instead of saying, 'as soon as', etc., he [the Tanna] should state [they are not liable] 'until their blossoms are shed'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'As soon as etc.,' implies that wherever they are the shedding renders them liable. The suggested emendation, however, would imply, even when brought into the house, they are still not liable until, etc. ');">⁷</span>

אשכחן אדם במחובר ושור בתלוש אדם בתלוש מנל

Had he stated 'until etc.', I would think that it means until the shedding of their blossom is complete; therefore we are taught, by stating 'as soon as' etc., that it means as soon as the shedding commences.

קל וחומר משור ומה שור שאינו אוכל במחובר אוכל בתלוש אדם שאוכל במחובר אינו דין שאוכל בתלוש מה לשור שכן אתה מצווה על חסימתו תאמר באדם שאי אתה מצווה על חסימתו

Mar Zutra, the son of R. Nahman, raised an objection: Its harvesting time in respect of tithes, in that the prohibition of <i>tebel</i> is transgressed,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. if one eats anything thereof without tithing it. Before it becomes liable to tithes it is permissible to make a light meal of it, without transgressing the prohibition of tebel. ');">⁸</span>

ויהא אדם מצווה על חסימתו מקל וחומר משור ומה שור שאי אתה מצווה להחיותו אתה מצווה על חסימתו אדם שאתה מצווה להחיותו אינו דין שאתה מצווה על חסימתו

is when its work is finished. And what is the finishing of its work? When it is brought in. Now, surely, 'when it is brought in' means, even in the field?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Brought in' being understood in the sense of 'collected into a stack'. ');">⁹</span>

אמר קרא (דברים כג, כה) כנפשך כנפשו של פועל מה נפשו אם חסמתו פטור אף פועל אם חסמתו פטור

— No; when it is brought into the house, that is the completion of its work. Alternatively, R. Jannai's dictum<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 87b, bottom. ');">¹⁰</span>

ואלא אדם בתלוש מנלן אמר קרא (דברים כג, כו) קמה קמה ב' פעמים אם אינו ענין לאדם במחובר תנהו ענין לאדם בתלוש

refers only to olives and grapes, which are not gathered into a threshing floor;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the liability to tithes is established only when they 'see the face of the house.' ');">¹¹</span>

ר' אמי אמר אדם בתלוש לא צריך קרא כתיב (דברים כג, כה) כי תבא בכרם רעך מי לא עסקינן ששכרו לכתף ואמר רחמנא ליכול

but in the case of wheat and barley, the threshing floor is distinctly stated.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XVIII, 30: Then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor. This shews that in the case of cereals the threshing floor establishes the Levite's right to the tithe. ');">¹²</span>

שור במחובר מנ"ל קל וחומר מאדם ומה אדם שאינו אוכל בתלוש אוכל במחובר שור שאוכל בתלוש אינו דין שאוכל במחובר מה לאדם שכן אתה מצווה להחיותו תאמר בשור שאי אתה מצווה להחיותו

We now know that man [may eat when employed upon] what is attached to the soil, and an ox of what is detached;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 4. Threshing follows reaping, when the crops are no longer in the earth. ');">¹³</span>

ויהא שור מצווה להחיותו מקל וחומר ומה אדם שאי אתה מצווה על חסימתו אתה מצווה להחיותו שור שאתה מצווה על חסימתו אינו דין שאתה מצווה להחיותו

whence do we know that man may eat of what is detached?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As stated in the Mishnah. ');">¹⁴</span>

אמר קרא (ויקרא כה, לו) וחי אחיך עמך אחיך ולא שור ואלא שור במחובר מנלן אמר קרא רעך רעך ב' פעמים אם אינו ענין לאדם במחובר תנהו ענין לשור במחובר

— It follows a <i>minori</i>, from an ox: if an ox, which does not eat of what is attached,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., which Scripture does not explicitly permit to do so, though it is inferred below. ');">¹⁵</span>

רבינא אמר לא אדם בתלוש ולא שור במחובר צריכי קראי דכתי' (דברים כה, ד) לא תחסום שור בדישו

may nevertheless eat of what is detached; then a man, who may eat of what is attached,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., permission is explicitly granted: Deut. XXIII, 25f. ');">¹⁶</span> may surely eat of what is detached! As for an ox, [it may be argued] that [sc. the privilege mentioned] is because you are forbidden to muzzle him; can you assume the same of man, whom you are not forbidden to muzzle?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p. 509, n. 5. ');">¹⁷</span> (But then let the muzzling of man be interdicted, <i>a fortiori</i>, from an ox: if you must not muzzle an ox, whose life you are not bidden to preserve, then man, whose life you are bidden to preserve,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Lev. XXV, 36. ');">¹⁸</span> you must surely not muzzle him! — Scripture teacheth, 'As thine own person', so is the person of the labourer: just as 'thine own person', if you muzzle [yourself], you are free [from penalty], so also, if you muzzle the labourer, you are free.) Then [the question remains], whence do we know that man [may eat when engaged upon] what is attached? — Scripture saith, '[When thou comest into] the standing corn&nbsp;… [but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbour's] standing corn,' — twice: since its purpose is not to teach that man may eat of what is attached,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It being unnecessary to state 'standing corn' twice for that purpose. ');">¹⁹</span> apply it to man, in respect of what is detached. R. Ammi said: That man may eat of what is detached, no [redundant] verse is necessary. For it is written, 'When thou contest into thy neighbour's vineyard': does this not hold good even if he was hired for porterage?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., for carrying the cut-off grapes to the press or elsewhere; for Scripture does not specify the nature of the work. ');">²⁰</span> And yet the Torah states that he may eat [of the grapes]. Whence do we know than an ox [may eat] of what is attached? — It follows, a <i>minori</i>, from man: if man, who does not eat of what is detached,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 510, n. 7. ');">²¹</span> may eat of what is attached; then an ox, which may eat of what is detached, may surely eat of what is attached! — As for man, [may it not be argued,] that [sc., the privilege mentioned] is because you are bidden to preserve his life; will you say the same of an ox, whose life you are not bidden to preserve? (But then infer a duty to preserve the life of an ox,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., until it is actually needed for food, one should be bidden to keep it in good health and save it from an unnecessary death. ');">²²</span> a <i>minori</i>: if man, though you are not forbidden to muzzle him, you are commanded to preserve his life; then an ox, which you may not muzzle, you are surely commanded to keep it alive! — Scripture saith, <i>That thy brother may live with thee</i>, — thy brother, but not an ox.) Then [the question remains,] whence do we know that an ox may eat of what is attached? — Scripture saith, '[When thou contest into] thy neighbour's [vineyard]&nbsp;… [When thou comest into the standing corn of] thy neighbour' — twice: since it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The repetition of 'thy neighbor'. ');">²³</span> is unnecessary for man in respect of what is attached, apply it to an ox in respect of what is attached. Rabina said: Neither for a man, in respect of what is detached, nor for an ox, in respect of what is attached, are the [above] verses necessary; because it is written, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox, when he treadeth out the corn.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXV, 4. ');">²⁴</span>