Pesachim

he said, Scripture saith, The firstfruits [of thy corn etc.], [implying] that its residue is distinct [in that it becomes permitted] to the Israelite,1 [thus] this2 is excluded, since its residue is not [so] distinct. 3 R. Ala b. R. ‘Awia sat before R. Joshua and he sat and said in R. Johanan's name: If grapes are defiled, one may tread them out less than an egg in quantity at a time, and their wine is fit for libations.4 This proves that he holds that the juice is indeed stored up;5 [consequently] when is it [the juice] defiled? When he expresses it; [but] when he expresses it, its standard quantity [for defiling] is absent.6 If so, [he can tread] as much as an egg too, for we learned: If a man unclean through a corpse squeezes out olives or grapes exactly as much as an egg in quantity, they are clean?7 — There it is [thus] if he did it;8 here it is in the first instance [when he must not tread as much as an egg] for fear lest he come to tread9 more than an egg.10 Said R. Hisda to him, Who needs you and R. Johanan your teacher: whither then has their uncleanness11 gone? This proves that he holds that the juice is indeed absorbed,12 and since the [solid] eatable is defiled, the juice too is defiled. And do you not hold that the juice is stored up? he replied. Surely we learned: If he who is unclean through a corpse squeezes out olives and grapes exactly as much as an egg in quantity, they are clean. Now it is well if you say that the liquid is stored up: for that reason it is clean. But if you say [that] it is absorbed, why is it clean? — Said he to him: We discuss here grapes which were not made fit;13 when [then] do they become fit? when he squeezes them;14 but when he squeezes them the standard quantity [for defilement] is diminished.15 For if you should not say thus, [them] when it was taught, ‘To what is this like? To terumah of mulberries and grapes which were defiled, which is not permitted to him either for eating or for burning.’16 — but surely it may be eaten too, for if he wishes, he can tread them out less than an egg at a time?17 — Said Raba: It is a preventive measure,18 lest he come to a stumbling-block through them.19 Abaye said to him, Yet do we fear a stumbling-block? Surely it was taught: One may light [a fire] with bread or oil of terumah which was defiled!20 — The bread he casts among the wood, he replied, and the oil of terumah he pours into a repulsive vessel. 21 [It was stated in] the text: ‘One may light [a fire] with bread or oil of terumah which was defiled’. Abaye said in Hezekiah's name, and Raba said, The School of R. Isaac b. Martha said in R. Huna's name: They learned this of bread only, but not of wheat, lest he come to a stumbling-block through it.22 But R. Johanan said: Even wheat.23 But why? Let us fear lest he come to a stumbling-block through it? — As R. Ashi said [elsewhere]. grapes in such small quantities, there is never enough to defile the exuded juice, and the wine manufactured therefrom is clean, and consequently fit for libations on the altar, for which, of course, only undefiled wine is valid. to be absorbed and part of the skin, it would become unclean simultaneously with the skin. not touch the expressed juice. Now after the first drop issues the residue is less than the necessary minimum and therefore it does not defile the liquid that follows exactly as much as an egg, he may exceed it, thus rendering the whole unclean. simultaneously with the outer skins of the mulberries and grapes.