יז ואמר רבא היו לו חמשה עשר טלאים לא יאמר אברור עשרה ואכניסם לדיר ואטול מהם אחד והשאר פטורים אלא כונסן לדיר ומוציא עשרה ונוטל מהם אחד והשאר מצטרפין לגורן אחר תניא נמי הכי היו לו חמשה עשר טלאים
17 But if the one which died was not of those yet counted, the counted ones are exempt<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because it is a counting properly begun.');"><sup>30</sup></span> but those not yet counted combine with [others born] in a later tithing period. Raba further said: If he had fourteen lambs and he led them into a shed, six [first] passing through one door,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There being two doors to the shed.');"><sup>31</sup></span> four through another door and four remaining there [in the shed], if these four [eventually] passed through the same door as the six, he takes one of them as tithe,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since ten lambs had passed through the same door.');"><sup>32</sup></span> and the rest<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The four which passed through the other door, for we cannot exempt them on account of having begun to count them properly, as when the first four passed through the door there were only four left in the shed and you cannot combine four with four.');"><sup>33</sup></span> combine [in one shed] with those [born] in a later tithing period.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To be tithed.');"><sup>34</sup></span> But if not,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the four did not pass through the same door as the six but either remained in the shed or passed through the door of the other four thus making a total of eight, a number insufficient for tithing.');"><sup>35</sup></span> the six are exempt<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because when they left the shed there were sufficient lambs in the shed together with these for the requisite number for tithing.');"><sup>36</sup></span> and the four together with the other four combine with those [born] in a later tithing period. If four pass through this door [first] and six through another door, four remaining there in the shed, if the four [eventually] pass through the same door which the six had passed through, he takes one as tithe and the rest are exempt.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even the first four are exempt because their counting was properly begun.');"><sup>37</sup></span> And if not,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the four did not pass through the door of the six.');"><sup>38</sup></span> the first four and the si are exempt<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because when the first four passed through the door the counting was properly begun, there being ten left in the shed. Likewise with the six, when they passed through the door there were four left in the shed to combine for tithing.');"><sup>39</sup></span> and the last four combine with those [born] in a later tithing period. If four passed through thi door and four through another door, six remaining there [in the shed], if the remaining [six] passed through the door of one of them,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Either through the door of the first four or through the door of the last four.');"><sup>40</sup></span> he takes one [as tithe]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because there are ten passing through the same door.');"><sup>41</sup></span> and the rest are exempt.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even those four through whose door the six did not pass, because when they went through the counting was properly begun.');"><sup>42</sup></span> And if not,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the six did not pass through the door of the first four or the door of the other four, either remaining in the shed or passing through a third door.');"><sup>43</sup></span> [the first] four and [the second] four are exempt<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because in the case of both the first and the second four lambs, the counting was properly begun, there being ten in the shed at the time of counting.');"><sup>44</sup></span> and the [remaining] six combine with those [born] in a later tithing period. What does he [Raba] teach us? That a counting properly begun exempts! But has not Raba already taught us this ruling? - You might have said that we apply the principle that a counting properly begun exempts where it is certain that there is a proper number<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where, for example, he counted five or six and there were sufficient lambs in the shed to combine for tithing purposes, there being also one door in the shed. In such circumstances, the rest are certainly fit to pass through that door and to combine in order to be tithed with those already counted.');"><sup>45</sup></span> but where it is uncertain whether there is a proper number<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As, for example, where four passed through one door and four through another door, six remaining in the shed. Here we cannot say whether the six will pass through this door or the other.');"><sup>46</sup></span> seeing that it is possible to combine the six either here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With the four which passed through one door.');"><sup>47</sup></span> or there,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With the four which passed through the second door.');"><sup>48</sup></span> we do not apply [this ruling].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of a counting properly begun exempting from tithing.');"><sup>49</sup></span> He [Rab] therefore informs us [that it is not so]. Raba further said: If he had fifteen<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The number is not strictly meant, the usual practice however being to combine five with five so as to make up the required number for tithing');"><sup>50</sup></span> lambs he cannot say: 'I will select ten, bring them into the shed, take one [as tithe] from them and the rest will be exempt'. But he must bring them [all] into the shed, bring out ten lambs, take one from them [as the tithe] and the rest combine with those [born] in a later tithing period. So indeed it has been taught: If he had fifteen lambs