Bekhorot 116

ונוטל אחד מן האלולין והשאר פטורין ממה נפשך

He can also take one from those born in Elul<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not deliberately taking one out, as this would be forbidden, but where, for example, he numbers them either in a crouching position or standing, when be is able mentally to fix upon one from those born in Elul as tithe.');">¹</span>

אי באחד באלול ר"ה דאלול ותשרי מצטרפין ודאב פטורים

and the rest are exempt in any case, for if the first of Elul is New Year [for cattle tithe], [the animals] of Elul and Tishri combine [to enter one shed] and those of Ab are exempt,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because there are no more than five lambs belonging to that year.');">²</span>

ואי באחד בתשרי ר"ה דאב ואלול מצטרפין דתשרי פטורין

and if the first of Tishri is the New Year, the animals of Ab and Elul combine and those of Tishri are exempt.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As there are only five lambs and they belong to a different year.');">³</span>

מאי אמרת לצרפו לגורן אחר עשירי ודאי אמר רחמנא ולא ספק

You will perhaps argue against this that [those five of Tishri] should be combined with those born in a subsequent tithing period.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the same year, viz,, the Peras of Passover,');">⁴</span>

פשיטא

The Divine Law however refers to a sure tenth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXVII, 32.');">⁵</span>

מהו דתימא לגזור דילמא אתי למישקל מהנך קמ"ל:

and not to a doubtful tenth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In case the first of Elul is the New Year for tithing and therefore the five lambs of Elul and the five of Tishri have combined to enter the shed. Consequently, those of Tishri have already been redeemed and the law of tithing does not apply to where there is a doubt,');">⁶</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> באי זה צד מעשרין

But is not this obvious?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That he takes one from those born in Elul. For those born in Ab cannot help to tithe the others, in case Elul is a New Year and therefore there are only five of the previous year, a number insufficient for tithing. Again, he cannot take one lamb as a tenth from those born in Tishri for those born in Ab and Elul, in case Tishri is the New Year and therefore there are only five lambs, a number to which tithing cannot apply.');">⁷</span>

כונסן לדיר ועושה להם פתח קטן כדי שלא יהו שנים יכולין לצאת כאחת ומונין

- You might have said that we ought to enact a prohibition lest he should come to take from these.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Born in Ab and Tishri, and this would lead to an offence against the law by bringing hullin to the Temple, as, for example, if he takes one of the animals born in Ab as the tithe for the others. If Elul is the New Year, it will be found that these cannot combine for tithing and consequently the one taken is not the tithe, and if therefore he eats this as the tithe he will be eating hullin in the Temple. The same applies if he took one lamb from those born in Tishri.');">⁸</span>

א' ב' ג' ד' ה' ו' ז' ח' ט' והיוצא עשירי סוקר בסיקרא ואומר

[Raba] therefore informs us [that we have no such fear of this].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As it is possible to distinguish those born in Elul by arranging for them to be standing or crouching while the counting takes place, thus avoiding taking from the others (R. Gershom) .');">⁹</span>

ה"ז מעשר

<big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>HOW DO WE TITHE ANIMALS?

לא סקרו בסיקרא ולא מנאן בשבט או שמנאן רבוצים או עומדים הרי אלו מתעשרין

WE BRING THEM TO A SHED AND MAKE FOR THEM A SMALL OPENING SO THAT TWO SHALL NOT BE ABLE TO GO OUT AT THE SAME TIME.

היה לו מאה ונטל עשרה עשרה ונטל אחד אין זה מעשר

AND WE COUNT [WITH THE ROD],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Inserted with Sh. Mek.');">¹⁰</span>

רבי יוסי בר' יהודה אומר

ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE.

מעשר

AND HE MARKS EVERY TENTH LAMB THAT GOES OUT AND SAYS: THIS IS [THE TITHE]'.

קפץ אחד מן המנויין לתוכן הרי אלו פטורין מן המעושרין לתוכן כולם ירעו עד שיסתאבו ויאכלו במומן לבעלים:

IF HE FAILED TO MARK IT, DID NOT COUNT THEM [THE LAMBS] WITH A ROD, OR IF HE COUNTED THEM WHILE THEY WERE CROUCHING OR STANDING, THEY ARE STILL CONSIDERED TITHED.

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> ת"ר

IF HE HAD ONE HUNDRED [LAMBS] AND HE TOOK TEN<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the same time, as tithe, without counting one, two, etc., merely choosing ten Iambs from the hundred.');">¹¹</span>

באי זה צד מעשר

OR IF HE HAD TEN AND HE TOOK ONE,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As tithe without counting one, two, etc.');">¹²</span>

כונסן לדיר ועושה להם פתח קטן כדי שלא יהו שנים יכולין לצאת כאחד אימותיהם מבחוץ והם מבפנים וגועות ויוצאות לקראת אמן

THIS IS NOT [VALID] TITHE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because he must count them, in order that the tenth may be holy.');">¹³</span>

ולפקינהו אינהו

BUT R'JOSE B. JUDAH SAYS: THIS IS [VALID] TITHE.

יעבור כתיב ולא שיעבירוהו

IF ONE [OF THE LAMBS] ALREADY COUNTED<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even if there had been no tithing yet, as for example if he had not yet counted ten.');">¹⁴</span>

ולשדי להו ירקא וליפקו לותיה

LEAPED AMONG THE FLOCK [IN THE SHED]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not yet tithed.');">¹⁵</span>

אמר רב הונא

THEY ARE ALL EXEMPT.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For those already counted are exempt from redemption because a count properly begun redeems, since there were ten in the shed when counting commenced, and as we are in doubt which is the redeemed lamb among the flock, all are exempt.');">¹⁶</span>

גזירה משום לקוח ומשום יתום

IF ONE OF THEM THAT WAS MARKED AS TITHE LEAPED AMONG THE FLOCK [IN THE SHED],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not yet tithed.');">¹⁷</span>

ת"ר

THEY ALL GO TO PASTURE UNTIL THEY BECOME UNFIT FOR SACRIFICE,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because concerning each lamb there is a doubt whether it he the one set aside as tithe.');">¹⁸</span>

(ויקרא כז, לב) כל אשר יעבור תחת פרט לטריפה שאינה עוברת תחת השבט מצוה למנותן בשבט

AND THE OWNERS MAY EAT THEM IN THEIR UNFIT STATE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because they cannot be eaten while in a fit condition for sacrifice, as any one of them may be the tithe, and he will thus be eating a consecrated animal without the Temple wall.');">¹⁹</span>

לא מנאן בשבט או שמנאן רבוצים או עומדים מנין

<big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>Our Rabbis taught: How does he tithe animals?

תלמוד לומר

He brings them into a shed and makes for them a small opening so that two may not go out at the same time.

(ויקרא כז, לב) העשירי קדש מ"מ

He also places their mothers outside [the shed] while the offspring are inside, so that [the mothers] low and [the offspring] go out to meet their mothers.

ואין לי אלא שקרא שמו עשירי לא קרא שמו עשירי מנין

But let him bring them out himself? - Scripture Says: Shall pass,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXVII, 32.');">²⁰</span>

ת"ל

intimating that he must not cause them to pass.

(ויקרא כז, ט) יהיה קדש מכל מקום

But let him throw them some green herb [outside]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' What need therefore is there to place the mothers outside?');">²¹</span>

יכול היו לו מאה ונטל עשרה עשרה ונטל אחד יכול יהיו מעושרין

so as to induce them to go out? - Said R'Huna: This was prohibited<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' No other device being adopted except that of placing the mothers outside the shed.');">²²</span>

ת"ל

on account of an animal bought or orphaned.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because an animal bought or orphaned is exempted from tithing, and the placing of the mothers outside is a reminder that an animal bought and not born to him, or one whose mother died during or soon after confinement, is exempt from tithing; whereas if some other plan were adopted of inducing the young to go out, orphans and animals bought might enter the shed and thus cause the rest to be exempted.');">²³</span>

עשירי ואין זה עשירי

Our Rabbis taught, Scripture says: Even of whatsoever passeth under the rod:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXVII, 32.');">²⁰</span>

ר' יוסי בר' יהודה אומר

this excludes a trefah which is unable [physically] to pass under the rod.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where, for example, its leg from the knee and upwards is broken.');">²⁴</span>

מעשר

It is a duty to count them with the rod.

מאי טעמיה דר' יוסי בר' יהודה

If, however, he did not count them with the rod, or if he counted them while they were crouching or standing, whence do we infer that the tithing is valid?

סבר ליה כאבא אלעזר בן גומל

The text states: The tenth shall be holy,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXVII, 32.');">²⁰</span>

דתניא אבא אלעזר בן גומל אומר

in any case.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even in the instances just mentioned.');">²⁵</span>

(במדבר יח, כז) ונחשב לכם תרומתכם בשתי תרומות הכתוב מדבר אחת תרומה גדולה ואחת תרומת מעשר כשם שהתרומה גדולה ניטלת באומד ובמחשבה

I have here mentioned only that the tenth animal is holy when he calls it the tenth. Whence is it derived that it is holy even if he did not call it tenth? Scripture says: 'It shall be holy', intimating that [it is holy] in any case. You might think that if he a hundred [lambs] and he took ten [at the same time as the tithe], or if he had ten lambs and he took one [as the tithe], they are redeemed? The text states: 'The tenth', and this is not the tenth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not having been counted.');">²⁶</span> But R'Jose son of R'Judah says: Such is [valid] tithe. What is the reason of R'Jose son of R'Judah? He agrees with Abba Eleazar B'Gomel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or, Gamala; v. Bez. 13b, Git. 30b.');">²⁷</span> For it was taught: Abba Eleazar B'Gomel Says: [Scripture says]: And this your heave-offering shall be reckoned unto you as though it were the corn of the threshing-floor.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XVIII, 27.');">²⁸</span> Scripture speaks of two kinds of terumah,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The verse refers to the Levite who has to give terumah to the priest from the tithe he received from the Israelite and this is compared to the terumah which the Israelite gives to the priest from the threshing-floor, v. Glos. s.v. Terumah.');">²⁹</span> one that of terumah gedolah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The gift which the Israelite gives to the priest is called the 'great' because it is the first to be separated from the grain. cajbu');">³⁰</span> and the other the terumah of the tithe.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The text: 'And this shall be reckoned unto you , referring to the gift of terumah given by the Levite to the priest may also be held to refer to the terumah given by the Israelite to the priest.');">³¹</span> Just as terumah gedolah may be set apart for the priest by estimating [without measuring the quantity]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Estimating approximately how many se'ah there are, and he gives terumah according to his judgment.');">³²</span> and by [merely] mentally planning [the separation],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And not actually separating with the hand but merely glancing at one side and deciding (Lit., 'thinking') to give it as terumah, after which he can immediately eat what is on the other side.');">³³</span>