Nedarim 109

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> הנודר מן הדגן אסור בפול המצרי יבש דברי רבי מאיר וחכ"א אינו אסור אלא בחמשת המינין רבי מאיר אומר הנודר מן התבואה אינו אסור אלא מחמשת המינין אבל הנודר מן הדגן אסור בכל ומותר בפירות האילן ובירק:

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. HE WHO VOWS [TO ABSTAIN] FROM DAGAN [GRAIN] IS FORBIDDEN DRY EGYPTIAN BEANS: THIS IS R. MEIR'S VIEW, BUT THE SAGES SAY: ONLY THE FIVE PIECES ARE FORBIDDEN HIM.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., Wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spell. ');">¹</span> R. MEIR SAID: IF HE VOWS [TO ABSTAIN] FROM TEBU'AH,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Field produce. ');">²</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> למימרא דדגן כל דמידגן משמע מתיב רב יוסף (דברי הימים ב לא, ה) וכפרוץ הדבר הרבו בני ישראל [ראשית] דגן תירוש ויצהר וכל תבואת שדה לרוב וגו' ואי אמרת דגן כל דמידגן משמע מאי כפרוץ הדבר הרבו אמר אביי לאתויי פירות האילן וירק:

HE IS FORBIDDEN ONLY THE FIVE SPECIES; BUT ONE WHO VOWS [ABSTINENCE] FROM DAGAN, IS FORBIDDEN ALL; YET HE IS PERMITTED THE FRUITS OF THE TREE AND VEGETABLES. <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Shall we say that DAGAN implies anything that can he heaped up?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. midgan: this being the reason that R. Meir forbids dry Egyptian beans under the term DAGAN. ');">³</span>

ר' מאיר אומר הנודר מן התבואה וכו': אמר ר' יוחנן הכל מודים בנודר מן התבואה שאין אסור אלא מחמשת המינין תניא נמי הכי שוין בנודר מן התבואה שאין אסור אלא מה' המינין פשיטא מהו דתימא תבואה כל מילי משמע קמשמע לן דלא משמע כל מילי

To this R. Joseph objected: And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the first-fruits of corn [dagan] wine and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Chron. XXXI, 5: The emphasis laid upon the abundance of their offering implies that they brought more tithes than required by Biblical law. ');">⁴</span> But should you say that DAGAN implies everything that can be heaped up, what is meant by, And as soon as the commandment came abroad they brought in abundance?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since they were obliged to tithe DAGAN by Biblical law, and DAGAN includes all things that can be heaped up, what did they add to the Biblical ordinance? (Rashi). Asheri explains: since DAGAN includes all things that can be heaped up, what else be implied by the phrase 'and all the increase of the field'? ');">⁵</span>

מתיב רב יוסף וכפרוץ הדבר הרבו בני ישראל כו' אמר רבא תבואה לחוד תבואת שדה לחוד

— Abaye answered: It is to include the fruits of the tree and vegetables. R. MEIR SAID: IF ONE VOWS [TO ABSTAIN] FROM TEBU'AH, etc. R. Johanan said: All agree that if one vows [to abstain] from tebu'ah, the five species only are forbidden to him. It was taught likewise: And both<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Meir and the Sages. ');">⁶</span>

בר מר שמואל פקיד דליתנון תליסר אלפי זוזי לרבא מן עללתא דנהר פניא שלחה רבא לקמיה דרב יוסף עללתא היכי מיקריא אמר רב יוסף מתניתין היא ושוין בנודר מן התבואה שאין אסור אלא מחמשת המינין א"ל אביי מי דמי תבואה לא משמע אלא מחמשת המינין עללתא כל מילי משמע

agree that if one vows [abstinence] from tebu'ah, only the five species are forbidden. But that is obvious? — Tonight argue, tebu'ah implies everything: therefore he teaches that it does not imply everything. R. Joseph objected: And as soon as the commandment came abroad, they brought in abundance etc.?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'And all the increase of the field' (tebu'ath sadeh) is not confined there to the five species only (Rashi). Tosaf. remarks: And Abaye has already interpreted it as referring to vegetables and fruit. ');">⁷</span> — Raba answered: Tebu'ah is one thing: tebu'ath sadeh is another.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e. tebu'ah does mean the five species only: but tehu'ath sadeh, lit., 'that which is brought ');">⁸</span>

אהדרוהו לקמיה דרבא אמר הא לא קא מיבעיא לי דעללתא כל מילי משמע הדא הוא דאיבעיא לי שכר בתים ושכר ספינות מאי מי אמרינן כיון דפחתן לאו עללתא היא או דילמא כיון דלא ידיע פחתייהו עללתא היא אמרוה רבנן קמיה דרב יוסף אמר וכי מאחר דלא צריך לן אמאי שלח לן איקפד רב יוסף

The Son of Mar Samuel ordered that thirteen thousand <i>zuz</i> worth of 'allalta<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Allalta, connected with Heb. [H] (cf. Lam. I, 22: and do unto them, as thou has done unto me [H]) denotes that which is produced (in the fields), and is the Aramaic equivalent of tebu'ah. ');">⁹</span> from Nehar Pania<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Harpania, a rich agricultural town in the Mesene district S. of Babylon situated on a hill and canal. Obermeyer (op. cit.) p. 198ff.] ');">¹⁰</span>

שמע רבא ואתא לקמיה במעלי יומא דכפורי אשכחיה לשמעיה דהוה קא מזיג קמיה כסא דחמרא אמר ליה הב לי דאמזיג ליה אנא יהב ליה וקא מזיג איהו כסא דחמרא כי קא שתי אמר הדין מיזגא דמי למיזגא דרבא בריה דרב יוסף בר חמא אמר ליה הוא ניהו

should be given to Raba. So Raba sent [an enquiry] to R. Joseph: what is meant by 'allalta? — R. Joseph replied, It is [taught in] a Baraitha: And all agree that if he vows [abstinence] from tebu'ah, the five species only are forbidden him. Said Abaye to him. How compare? Tebu'ah implies only the five species, [whereas] 'allalta implies everything. When this was repeated before Raba, he observed, I am in no doubt that 'allalta means everything. My problem is this: What of the rent of houses and the hire of ships? Shall We say, Since they depreciate, they are not included in 'allalta,' or perhaps since the depreciation is imperceptible they [too] are termed 'allalta?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Allalta, perhaps derived by popular etymology from [H] to enter, to come in (as revenue), applies to that which appreciates, not depreciates. viz., field produce, which from the time of sowing until it is ready for food appreciates in value. Once ready, it cannot depreciate as food, whereas a house, even when still fit for its purpose, continuously depreciates. ');">¹¹</span> The scholars narrated this to R. Joseph, 'Since he does not need us!' he exclaimed, 'why did he send to us?' And so R. Joseph was annoyed. When Raba learnt this, he went before him on the eve of the Day of Atonement, and found his attendant mixing him a cup of wine.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Wine was not drunk raw, but had to be diluted with water. ');">¹²</span>

אמר ליה לא תיתיב אכרעך עד דאמרת לי פירושא דהדין מילתא מאי דכתיב (במדבר כא, יח) וממדבר מתנה וממתנה נחליאל ומנחליאל במות

'Let me prepare it for him,' said he. So he gave it to him, and he mixed the cup of wine. On drinking it he observed, 'This mixture is like that of Raba the son of R. Joseph b. Hama. 'It is indeed he,' was his reply. He then said to him, 'Do not take your seat<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'sit on your legs'. V. Nazir (Sonc. ed.) p. 87, n. 7. ');">¹³</span> until you have explained this verse to me. [Viz.,] What is meant by, 'And from the wilderness, Mattanah; and from Mattanah, Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel, Bamoth'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XXI, 19f. ');">¹⁴</span>

א"ל כיון שעושה אדם את עצמו כמדבר שהוא מופקר לכל תורה ניתנה לו במתנה שנאמר וממדבר מתנה וכיון שניתנה לו במתנה נחלו אל שנאמר וממתנה נחליאל וכיון שנחלו אל עולה לגדולה שנאמר ומנחליאל במות ואם הגביה עצמו הקב"ה משפילו שנאמר (במדבר כא, כ) ומבמות הגיא ולא עוד אלא ששוקעין אותו בקרקע שנאמר (במדבר כא, כ) ונשקפה על פני הישימון ואם חוזר בו הקב"ה מגביהו

— He replied, When one makes himself as the wilderness, which is free to all,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., is prepared truly to teach the Torah to all. ');">¹⁵</span> the Torah is presented to in from the field', is wider in scope, and applies to everything brought in from the field, even fruit and vegetables. him as a gift [mattanah] as it is written, 'And from the wilderness, Mattanah'. And once he has it as a gift, God gives it to him as an inheritance [nahaliel],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., it becomes his safe possession. ');">¹⁶</span> as it is written, 'And from Mattanah, Nahaliel;' And when God gives it him as an inheritance, he ascends to greatness' as it is written, 'And from Nahaliel, Bamoth [heights']. But if he exalts himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, casts him down, as it is written, 'And from Bamoth, the valley'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From the heights he is hurled down into the valley. ');">¹⁷</span> Moreover, he is made to sink<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Var. lec. pressed down — [H] — which has a more obvious connection with the verse adduced. ');">¹⁸</span> into the earth, as it is written, Which is pressed down<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] E.V. 'which looketh', is here connected with [H] to strike (down). ');">¹⁹</span> into the desolate soil. But should he repent, the Holy One, blessed be He, will raise him again,