Bekhorot 109

מיתיבי

An objection was raised: If he had five animals in Kefar Hananiah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Kafr 'Anan, north of Sepphoris.]');">¹</span>

היה לו חמש בכפר חנניה וחמש בכפר עותני אין מצטרפות עד שיהא לו אחת בציפורי

and five in Kefar 'Uthnai<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Kefr Kud, on the border of Galilee and Samaria, South of Sepphoris.]');">²</span>

תיובתא דרב

[a distance of thirty-two mils], the animals do not combine for tithing until he has one animal in Sepphoris.

תרגמה שמואל אליבא דרב

Shall we say that this confutes Rab? - Samuel explained on the view of Rab [as follows]: [The case here is one] where e.g. , there were nine on one side and nine on the other and one in the middle,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the expression 'one in the middle' of the Baraitha does not refer to the first clause, namely, where there are five on one side etc. but it refers to where there were nine on one side etc.');">³</span>

כגון שהיו תשע מכאן ותשע מכאן ואחת באמצע דההיא חזיא להכא וחזיא להכא

the middle animal being fit to be combined either with the one group or with the other.

אמר רב פפא

R'Papa said: According to the opinion of Samuel, even the shepherd himself<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If he has a residence in the middle of the thirty-two mils.');">⁴</span>

ולשמואל אפילו רועה מצרפן ואפילו כליו של רועה מצרפן

can combine the animals [for tithing] and even the implements of the shepherd.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lying in that village in the middle combine to make him liable to tithe the animals, since he must go there eventually to fetch his things and we therefore regard the place as being under his observation.');">⁵</span>

בעי רב אשי

R'Ashi inquired: What of the shepherd's dog?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Do we consider the dog in the middle of the thirty-two mils capable of combining the animals on both sides as regards tithing?');">⁶</span>

כלבא דרועה מאי

Do we say that since when he calls it it comes, therefore it [the dog], cannot help to combine [the animals for tithing],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As then he has no occasion to go there and we cannot apply to him the text, Him that telleth.');">⁷</span>

כיון דקרי ליה ואתי לא מצטרפי או דלמא זימנין דלא אתי ומצטרך איהו למיזל ואתייה

or since the dog does not always come [at his bidding], he requires to go and fetch it [and therefore it does help to combine the animals for tithing]? - Let this stand undecided.

תיקו:

R'MEIR SAYS: THE [RIVER] JORDAN IS REGARDED AS FORMING A DIVISION WITH REFERENCE TO THE TITHING OF ANIMALS.

ר"מ אומר

Said R'Ammi: This is the case only where there is no bridge, but where there is a bridge the bridge combines the animals [for the purpose of tithing].

הירדן מפסיק למעשר בהמה:

We see consequently that the reason<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why the Jordan forms a division.');">⁸</span>

א"ר אמי

is because they are not in contact with each other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The animals are in touch neither with one another nor with the shepherd, the water intervening.');">⁹</span>

לא שנו אלא שאין שם גשר אבל יש שם גשר גשר מצרפן

An objection was raised: If he had animals on both sides of the Jordan or in two autonomous cities<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Although in one province.');">¹⁰</span>

אלמא

as e.g. , Namer and Nemuri<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Although they are near to each other, being only separated by one mil.');">¹¹</span>

משום דלא מיקרבן הוא

the animals are not combined [for the purpose of tithing].

מיתיבי

And needless to say [that animals] outside the Land [of Israel] and [animals] in the Land [of Israel] [do not combine for tithing purposes].

היו לו בשני עברי הירדן אילך ואילך או בשני אבטילאות כגון של נמר ונמורי אין מצטרפין ואין צריך לומר חוצה לארץ וארץ

Now is not outside the Land [of Israel] and in the Land [of Israel] on a par with a place where there is a bridge,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For there is no water to interpose and one can go from one to the other territory without hindrance.');">¹²</span>

והא חוצה לארץ וארץ כמקום שיש גשר דמי וקתני

and yet the [Baraitha] states that they do not combine?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even although both are within a mil of each other, yet since one part is in Palestine and the other outside, there is no combination as regards tithing.');">¹³</span>

לא מצטרפין

- Rather said R'Hiyya B'Abba in the name of R'Johanan: The following is the reason of R'Meir: Scripture says: And the Jordan was the border of it on the east side;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. XVIII, 20.');">¹⁴</span>

אלא א"ר חייא בר אבא אמר רבי יוחנן

Scripture thus makes it a separate border [boundary] on its own.

היינו טעמיה דר"מ דאמר קרא

But on this reasoning, where it says: And the border was drawn there, And the border went up,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. XVIII, 12 and 14, with reference to the boundaries between tribe and tribe.');">¹⁵</span>

(יהושע יח, כ) והירדן יגבול אותו לפאת קדמה הכתוב עשאו גבול בפני עצמו

will you also say that the text makes it a separate border on its own?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the animals in the territory of one tribe and animals in that of another do not combine even within the sixteen mils. Why then does the Baraitha mention the case of outside Palestine and Palestine as not combining, since this occurs even in Palestine?');">¹⁶</span>

אלא מעתה

- The case is different there, because Scripture says: This shall be unto you the land according to the borders round about,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XXXIV, 12.');">¹⁷</span>

(יהושע יח, יד) ותאר הגבול ועלה הגבול הכי נמי הכתוב עשאו גבול בפני עצמו

[intimating that] the whole of the Land of Israel is [regarded as possessing] one border.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After mentioning the borders of the various tribes, Scripture proceeds to describe them as one land.');">¹⁸</span>

שאני התם דאמר קרא

If this be the case,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the whole of Palestine is considered as possessing one boundary.');">¹⁹</span>

(במדבר לד, יב) זאת תהיה לכם הארץ לגבולותיה סביב כולה ארץ ישראל גבול אחד היא

then is not the Jordan too [a part of the Land of Israel]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore in the case of tithing it should not divide.');">²⁰</span>

אי הכי ירדן נמי

- [Scripture says: 'According to the border etc.'

ארץ ולא ירדן

with reference to the] 'land',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The land borders of Palestine are regarded as non-existent for purpose of combining, but not the border of the Jordan.');">²¹</span>

בשלמא לר' חייא בר אבא היינו דקתני ירדן אלא לרבי אמי ליתנינהו לכולהו נהרות

but not [with reference to] the Jordan.

קשיא

There is no difficulty on the view of R'Hiyya B'Abba,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who says that the reason why R. Meir holds that the Jordan forms a division is because it is described as 'a border'.');">²²</span>

לימא כתנאי

for this reason [the Mishnah] specially mentions the Jordan, but on the view of R'Ammi, why does it not mention all the rivers?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As forming a division and not allowing combination for the purpose of tithing, since according to his view the only reason why the Jordan forms a division is because there is no contact between the animals on the one side and the shepherd on the other. All rivers, consequently and not only the Jordan divide if they have no bridges.');">²³</span>

(במדבר לג, נא) כי אתם עוברים את הירדן ארצה כנען ארצה ארץ כנען ולא הירדן ארץ כנען דברי ר' יהודה בן בתירה

This is indeed a difficulty.

ר' שמעון בן יוחי אומר

May it be said that Tannaim differ on these points<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whether the Jordan is regarded as the land of Canaan or not.');">²⁴</span>

הרי הוא אומר (במדבר לד, טו) מעבר לירדן ירחו קדמה מזרחה מה ירחו ארץ כנען אף ירדן ארץ כנען

[Scripture says]: When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XXXV, 10.');">²⁵</span>

אמר רבב"ח א"ר יוחנן

implying that the 'land' is the land of Canaan but that the Jordan is not the land of Canaan.

אין ירדן אלא מבית ירחו ולמטה

These are the words of R'Judah B'Bathyra.

למאי הלכתא

R'Simeon B'Yohai says: Behold Scripture says: On this side the Jordan near Jericho eastwards towards the sun rising,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXXIV, 15.');">²⁶</span>

אילימא לנודר הלך אחר לשון בני אדם וכל היכא דקרו ליה ירדן איתסר ליה

implying that just as Jericho is part of the land of Canaan, so is the Jordan part of the land of Canaan.

אלא למעשר בהמה

Said Rabbah B'Bar Hana: The real Jordan is only from Jericho and below.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But the part above is not the Jordan.');">²⁷</span>

תניא נמי הכי

What is the legal bearing of this remark?

ירדן יוצא ממערת פמייס ומהלך בימה של סיבכי ובימה של טבריא ובימה של סדום והולך ונופל לים הגדול ואין ירדן אלא מבית יריחו ולמטה

Shall I say it is with reference to one who vows?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Against deriving any benefit from the Jordan. Should he be permitted to drink of the waters of Jericho and above or not?');">²⁸</span>

א"ר חייא בר אבא א"ר יוחנן

Why not be guided by the common parlance of men so that wherever men call it 'Jordan' it should be forbidden to him?

למה נקרא שמו ירדן שיורד מדן

Rather it must be with reference to the tithing of animals.

א"ל ר' אבא לרב אשי

So indeed it has been taught in a Baraitha: The Jordan issues from the cavern of Paneas,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Caesarea Philippi, modern Banias, a city in North Palestine (Jast.) .');">²⁹</span>

אתון מהתם מתניתו לה אנן מהכא מתנינן לה

flows through the Lake of Sibkay,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sea of Samachonitis, north of Lake Tiberias (Sea of Gennesareth) .');">³⁰</span>

(שופטים יח, כג) ויקראו לו ללשם דן בשם דן אביהם וא"ר יצחק

the Lake of Tiberias, and the Lake of Sodom,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Dead Sea.');">³¹</span>

לשם זו פמייס ותניא

and proceeds to run Into the Mediterranean Ocean.

יוצא ירדן ממערת פמייס

And the real Jordan is from Jericho and below.

אמר רב כהנא

R'Hiyya B'Abba reported in the name of R'Johanan:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Var. lec. R. Jonathan. srh is');">³²</span>

זכרותיה דירדנא ממערת פמייס

Why is it called Yarden [Jordan]?

היכא דאמר

Because it comes from Dan.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A combination of the word ('going down) and (Dan) . (12) That the Jordan comes from Dan.');">³³</span>

לא שתינא מים ממערת פמייס איתסר ליה בכוליה ירדנא

Said R'Abba to R'Ashi: You learnt this is from the name, we learn it from here: And they called Leshem Dan after the name of Dan their father,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. XIX, 47.');">³⁴</span>

זכרותא דדמא כבדא

[expounding which] R'Isaac said: Leshem is Paneas.

כדרבי יצחק דאמר רבי יצחק

And it has been taught: The Jordan issues from the cavern of Paneas.

כבד שנימוח מטמא ברביעית

Said Rab Kahana: The chief supply of the Jordan comes from the cavern of Paneas.

זכרותא דמיא פרת

Where a person says 'I will not drink waters from the cavern of Paneas' the water of the entire Jordan is forbidden to him.

דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב

The liver is the fountain head of the blood, as R'Isaac said.

הנודר ממימי פרת אסור בכל מימות שבעולם

For R'Isaac said: A mashed liver causes tent defilement with a quarter [of a log].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One-fourth of a log being the quantity of vital blood from a corpse which is required to cause tent uncleanness (v. Num. XIX, 14) .');">³⁵</span>

היכי דמי

The chief source of all waters is the Euphrates.

אילימא דאמר

For Rab Judah reported in the name of Rab: If one vows forbidding himself to benefit from the waters of the Euphrates, he is forbidden to benefit from all the waters in the world.

לא שתינא ממימי דפרת מי פרת הוא דלא שתינא הא מנהרא אחרינא שתינא

How am I to understand this?

אלא דאמר

Shall I say that he said: 'I will not drink from the waters of the Euphrates? ' [Does not this imply that he meant to say:] I will not drink from the waters of the Euphrates but l will drink from any other river?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For usually when people speak of the Euphrates they refer to the river generally known as such.');">³⁶</span>

לא שתינא ממים דאתו מפרת

Rather he must have said: 'I will not drink from the waters which come from the Euphrates'.

דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב

For Rab Judah reported in the name of Rab: All other rivers in the world are lower than the three<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel mentioned in Gen. II, all waters drawing their supply from these.');">³⁷</span>

כל הנהרות למטה משלש נהרות וג' נהרות למטה מפרת

and these three are lower than the Euphrates.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' These in turn draw their supply from the Euphrates.');">³⁸</span>

והאיכא

But are there not