Bekhorot 22

Chapter 22

א ממורחין מן העובד כוכבים מעשרן והן שלו
1 evenly piled up from a gentile, he tithes it and it is his.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the priest's share of the crop he sells to a priest.');"><sup>1</sup></span>
ב דמרחינהו מאן אילימא דמרחינהו עובד כוכבים דגנך אמר רחמנא ולא דגן עובד כוכבים
2 Who piled it up? Shall I say that a gentile piled it up?
ג אלא דמרחינהו ישראל מרשות עובד כוכבים מעשרן דאין קנין לעובד כוכבים בארץ ישראל להפקיע מיד מעשר והן שלו דאמר ליה קאתינא מכח גברא דלא מצית אישתעיה דינא בהדיה
3 Surely the text says, 'thy corn' implying, but not the corn of a gentile?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' What the Israelite stores and evenly piles up becomes subject to the priestly contribution, but not what is stored by a gentile. The text is in Deut. XIV, 23 and also in Deut. XVIII, 4.');"><sup>2</sup></span> Rather we are dealing here with a case where the Israelites piled it up in the domain of a gentile.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where the Israelite is a tenant in a gentile's field, for which he takes a share of the produce, and the Israelite stored up the grain, R. Hanina therefore means by the words: 'One who buys untithed grain etc.', that the Israelite acquired it by virtue of his labour for him. Another explanation is that the Israelite bought the corn in the ear, and afterwards stored it up in the gentile's domain. (Tosaf.) .');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ד תנן התם המפקיד פירותיו אצל הכותי ואצל עם הארץ בחזקתן למעשר ולשביעית
4 'He tithes it', because a gentile has not the right of possession in Palestine to release [produce] from the obligation of tithing.' And it is his', because h says to the priest, 'I have acquired my rights from a man with whom you cannot go to law'.
ה אצל העובד כוכבים כפירותיו ר"ש אומר דמאי
5 We have learnt elsewhere: If a man deposits his fruits with a Cuthean,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Samaritan.');"><sup>4</sup></span> or with an 'am ha-arez,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. A person suspected of not observing certain customs regarding tithes.');"><sup>5</sup></span>
ו אר"א להפריש כולי עלמא לא פליגי כי פליגי ליתנן לכהן תנא קמא סבר ודאי חלפינהו ובעי מיתננהו לכהן ור' שמעון סבר דמאי
6 it may be presumed that they retain their former condition in respect of tithes and the sabbatical year,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' We do not fear lest the fruits are not the same as those deposited and therefore are untithed. And, with reference to the sabbatical year, if he deposited with them the fruits of the sixth year and they are returned in the sabbatical year, we do not fear that the fruits returned have been exchanged and that, actually fruits of the sabbatical year are being restored, which fruit must not be sold and which require removal from the house after the fruits of the field have been consumed by the beasts.');"><sup>6</sup></span> but if with a gentile, they are like [the gentile's] fruits.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They are considered gentile's fruits, for we say that they have been undoubtedly exchanged.');"><sup>7</sup></span> R'Simeon says: They are dem'ai.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Fruits concerning which there is a suspicion as to the tithes being properly taken therefrom and, owing to this doubt, must be tithed, v. Dem'ai III, 4.');"><sup>8</sup></span> Said R'Eleazar: That [the priest's share] should be set aside all the authorities mentioned agree. Where they differ is on the question whether to give it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The share of the priest from the fruits and grain. It is called 'great terumah', since it is the first sacred gift to be set aside and, also, to distinguish it from the terumah of the tithe, mentioned below.');"><sup>9</sup></span>
ז יתיב רב דימי וקאמר להא שמעתא א"ל אביי טעמא דמספקא לן אי חלפינהו אי לא חלפינהו הא ודאי חלפינהו דכולי עלמא בעי למיתבינהו לכהן והאמר ר' שמואל אמר ר' חנינא הלוקח טבלים מן העובד כוכבים ממורחין מעשרן והן שלו
7 to the priest. The first Tanna [mentioned] holds that he has certainly changed them and therefore he must give the priestly share to the priest, whereas R'Simeon maintains that they have the law of dem'ai. R'Dimi was once sitting and repeating this teaching. Said Abaye to him: The reason is because we are in doubt whether he changed them or not.
ח דלמא כאן בתרומה גדולה כאן בתרומת מעשר
8 But if he certainly changed the fruits, all the authorities [mentioned] would agree that he is required to give the priestly share to the priest, would they not?
ט אזכרתן מילתא דא"ר יהושע בן לוי מנין ללוקח טבלים ממורחין מן העובד כוכבים שהוא פטור מתרומת מעשר שנאמר (במדבר יח, כו) ואל הלוים תדבר ואמרת אליהם כי תקחו מאת בני ישראל טבלים שאתה לוקח מבני ישראל אתה מפריש מהן תרומת מעשר ונותנה לכהן טבלים שאתה לוקח מן העובד כוכבים אי אתה מפריש מהן תרומת מעשר ונותנה לכהן:
9 But surely did not R'Samuel report in the name of R'Hanina: If one bought untithed grain from a gentile piled up [in proper shape], he gives tithes and it is his? - Perhaps [he replied], the one<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The teaching reported by R. Dimi from which Abaye made his deduction.');"><sup>10</sup></span> refers to great terumah, and R'Samuel's report refers to the terumah of the tithe!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The tithe of the tithe, which the Levite owes to the priest.');"><sup>11</sup></span> [Said Abaye], This indeed reminds me of something [which supports your very explanation]. For R'Joshua the son of Levi said: Whence do we derive that a purchaser of untithed grain from a gentile piled up in proper shape is exempt from the terumah of the tithe?
י ואם מת נהנים בו: דמית היכא אילימא דמית בי כהן ונהנה בו כהן פשיטא ממונא דידיה הוא אלא דמית בי בעלים ונהנה בו כהן הא נמי פשיטא
10 Because Scripture says: Moreover thou shalt speak unto the Levites and say unto them, when ye take of the children of Israel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XVIII, 26.');"><sup>12</sup></span> [We infer that] from the untithed grain which you buy from the children of Israel, you separate the terumah of the tithe and give it to the priest. But from untithed grain which you buy from a gentile you do not separate terumah of the tithe and give it to the priest. AND IF IT DIED, HE BENEFITS THEREFROM.
יא סד"א כל כמה דלא מטא לידיה לא זכה ביה קמ"ל דמעידנא דאפרשיה ברשותיה דכהן קאי:
11 In what circumstances are we to suppose it to have died?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A physical disability of the animal, which renders it forbidden to be eaten.');"><sup>13</sup></span> Shall I say that it died in the possession of the priest and that he is permitted to benefit therefrom? This is obvious, since it is his own money. Again, if it means that it died in the possession of the owner and that he [the priest] is permitted to benefit therefrom, this too is obvious! - I might have assumed that as long as the animal has not reached the priest's hands, the latter does not really possess it. [The Mishnah] accordingly informs us that from the time that [the Israelite] has set it aside, it stands in the domain of the priest.
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