Beitzah

One1 is [according to] Rabbi and the other2 is [according to] R. Jose son of R. Judah.3 For it was taught: If he brought in ears of corn4 to make dough therefrom, he may eat a slender repast5 thereof and it is exempt [from terumah]; [if however he brought in the ears of corn] in order to rub the in together,6 Rabbi declares them liable [to terumah]7 and R. Jose son of R. Judah exempts them.8 But [even] according to R. Jose son of R. Judah, it9 may also occur when, for example, one has brought in ears of corn to make dough therefrom10 and on the Festival changed his mind [deciding] to rub them,11 so that they become tebel12 on the day [of the Festival]!13 — Rather what does terumah [mentioned in the Mishnah] mean? Terumah [as separated] in most cases.14 Abaye said: The dispute15 is only with respect to ears of corn,16 but in the case of grain of pulse all agree that when in bundles they are tebel.17 Shall it be said that the following supports him? [For we have learnt]: He who had bundles of fenugreek of tebel, must beat out [the seeds] and estimate how much seed there is in them and separate [terumah] on the seed, but he does not separate [terumah] on the stalks.18 Is not the author of this R. Jose son of R. Judah who says there19 that it is not tebel, yet here20 it is tebel?21 — No, it is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi.22 If it is in accordance with Rabbi, [then] why state fenugreek; even ears of corn too [are liable to be tithed]? — What then: [it is according to] R. Jose son of R. Judah? Let [the text] inform us of other kinds of pulse23 and [I would infer] how much more [is it true of] fenugreek? But he [the Tanna] needs [to teach it about] fenugreek; for I might have thought that since the stalks have the same taste as the fruit, he should also give tithe on the stalks, 24 so he informs us [that it is not so]. Others state: Abaye said: The dispute is only with respect to ears of corn,25 but as for grain of pulse all agree that when in bundles they are not tebel.26 An objection is raised: He who had bundles of fenugreek of tebel, he must beat out [the seeds] and estimate how much seed there is in them and separate [terumah] on the seed but not on the stalks. Does not tebel connote that it is tebel in respect of terumah?27 — No, [it means] tebel in respect of the terumah of the tithe,28 and it is in accordance with R. Abbahu's dictum in the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish. For R. Abbahu said in the name of R. Simeon b. Lakish: The first tithe [levitical] which one anticipated while the corn was yet in the ears,29 its designation renders it tebel in respect of the terumah of the tithe.30 Why must he [the Levite] beat out [the seeds]? Let him say [to the priest]: Just as they have given them to me so will I give them to you!31 — Said Raba: This is a penalty.32 Likewise has it been taught: A Levite to whom his tithes were given while the corn was still in the ear, must33 make it [fit for] a barn;34 [if it is] grapes, he must make them into wine; if olives, he must turn them into oil; [only] then does he separate the terumah of [the] tithe and give same to the priest. For just as the great terumah is taken separated. Rabbi maintains that it is required; consequently terumah may in such a case be separated on a Festival. R. Jose, however, holds that it is unnecessary; hence terumah may never be separated on a Festival. (Rashi). Tosaf: This, i.e., the Mishnah, is according to Rabbi, for since Rabbi holds that the bringing in of the ears for eating raw constitutes the final stage for tithing, terumah could and should have been separated before the Festival; and it is a general rule that whatever could be done before the Festival may not be done on the Festival. But the Baraitha is according to R. Jose b. R. Judah: for since he holds that the bringing in of the ears for eating raw does not constitute the final stage for tithing, there was no obligation to tithe them before the Festival; hence if he decides on the Festival to make a full meal of them, he must first separate terumah; since there was no obligation before, it is regarded as something which could not be done earlier, and therefore it is permitted on a Festival. finishing touch of the corn brought into the barn and makes it liable for tithing even for a light meal. which has been threshed and levelled out in a heap, and as this corn was brought in the ears, it has not had the finishing touch making it ready for tithing. to Rabbi . . . therefrom’ (when no obligation rested upon him to title before the Festival), ‘and on the Festivals . . . to rub them’, when he may not eat of these except after tithing, so that we find terumah being authorized to be set apart on a Festival. made them liable for terumah, and by changing his mind to rub the ears together to eat them raw not only cannot remove the liability for tithing, but, on the contrary, takes the place of the finishing touch in the barn so that not even a light meal may be had without first taking terumah. and therefore generally disregarded. The Mishnah can therefore agree both with Rabbi and R. Jose. consequently the bringing in of a bundle of pulse in the house corresponds to the finishing touch of grain in a barn. (Rashi). the finishing preparation for tithing. accordance with Rabbi, so that it affords no support to Abaye. them raw or roasted without having been stored and prepared for tithing in a barn. for the priest (called the great terumah) and one-tenth of the remainder (called tithe) for the Levite, who in turn, separates one-tenth of his tithe for the priest which is designated terumah of the tithe. The great terumah, or simply terumah as it is generally referred to, varies from one-fortieth to one-sixtieth. It is also called the ‘great terumah’ because this portion is greater than that received from the Levite. Similarly in the Baraitha, although pulse does not become liable to terumah before it has been made into a stack, once the Levite anticipated and received his share when in bundles, it becomes liable also to terumah of the tithe. XVIII, 27) signifies that the priest is to be given tithe only when the corn is threshed; V. Rashi.