What are the connotations and the implications of "Reishis Degancha ... "?
Rashi #1: It refers to Terumah. 1
Rashi #2 (in Shmuel 1, 15:21): It means the choice of one's crops. 2
Rashi #3 (in B'rachos, 31a): "Degancha" implies that corn only becomes subject to Terumah after it enters the heading of 'Dagan' ? after the pile that is formed following the winnowing has been smoothened ? to preclude corn that is still attached from the Din of Terumah.
Pesachim, 33b: It implies 'Sheyareihah Nikarin' (what remains after taking T'rumos and Ma'asros is discernable ? permitted to eat), to preclude Terumah that one takes on Pesach from Chametz, which is not effective (and by the same token, it precludes if one declares one's entire granary Terumah, leaving nothing over ? Chulin, 136b).
What is the Shi'ur of Reishis Degancha?
Rashi: The Torah does not give a Shi'ur ? in which case one may give the smallest amount ? even one grain of wheat. The Chachamim however, fixed the Shi'ur as a fortieth for someone who is generous, a fiftieth for an average person 1 and a sixtieth for someon who is stingy. 2
Rashi: And they supported the Shi'ur of one sixtieth from the Pasuk in Yechezkel, 45:13 "Shishis ha'Eifah Chatzi Sa'ah" ? See Rashi and Sifsei Chachmim. Da'as Zekenim. Hadar Zekenim, Riva and Rosh ? They also supported the Shi'ur of one fortieth from the Pasuk and one fiftieth from the word 'Terumah' - 'T'rei mi'Me'ah (two parts of a hundred). Also the Levi'im receive one part in fifty from B'nei Yisrael's half of the spoils from Midyan (Bamidbar 31:30) and the Torah refers to it as "Terumah". (That was not called Terumah! The one part in five hundred given from the soldiers to Elazar was called Terumah! ? PF) Moshav Zekenim - the Yerushalmi Darshened "Achuz" ? whatever you Ochez (hold - take) from elsewhere should be like this. Some learn one fortieth from the Gematriya of "ve'Yikchu Li Terumah" - Sh'mos, 25:2.
What are the connotations of the word "Degancha"?
Rashi (in Ki Savo, 26:13): The first from the time that it became Dagan - following the Miru'ach (flattening the pile that follows the winnowing). 1
Kidushin, 62a: It is only called 'Dagan' after it has been detached. Consequently, the obligation to Ma'aser one's crops does not apply as long as they are still attached to the ground.
See also Ba'al ha'Turim and refer to Bamidbar, 18:12:1:1*.
What are the implications of "Degancha"?
Chulin, 138b: It precludes corn that is partially owned by a Nochri from T'rumos and Ma'asros. 1
Yerushalmi Ma'asros, 1:1: "Degancha" precludes corn that is Hefker and that belong to Hekdesh from T'rumos and Ma'asros. 2
What is "Reishis Geiz Tzoncha"?
Rashi #1: 'When you shear your sheep each year, give part of the shearings to the Kohen'. 1
See Sifsei Chachamim.
What are the implications of the word "ve'Reishis Gez Tzoncha ... "?
Chulin, 136a: It implies that, as opposed to "Reishis Degancha", 1 the wool before it has been separated is not subject to the Din of Tevel, and that, as opposed to Terumah, there are no Ma'asros to be given after it.
See Torah Temimah, note 27-29.
Why does the Torah write "Reishis Gez Tzoncha" and not "me'Reishis ... " like it does in connection Chalah (See Torah Temimah, note 2) and Bikurim?
Chulin, 136b: To teach us that (as opposed to Terumah) one is permitted to declare the entire batch of wool 'Reishis ha'Gez'. 1
See Torah Temimah, note 21.
What is the definition of 'Gez'?
Sifri: It means wool that has been shorn and not 'Shetef' (wool that came off after the owner washed the lamb). 1
Chulin, 137a: We learn via a Gezeirah Shavah "Gez" "u'mi'Gez Kevasai Yischamam" - Iyov, 31:20, that 'hard' wool - that does not warm a person - is not subject to Reishis ha'Gez.
See Torah Temimah, note 31.
What is "Reishis Gez Tzoncha" coming to preclude?
Chulin, 135a #1: It precludes sheep that belong to Hekdesh (Bedek ha'Bayis). 1
Chulin, 135a #2: It precludes wool of sheep that one owns in partnership with a Nochri from Reishis ha'Gez. 2
Chulin, 136a #1: It precludes the shearings that one purchases from a Nochri from Reishis ha'Gez. 3
Chulin, 136a #2: "Gez Tzoncha Titen" implies that nothing is required between the shearing and giving to the Kohen - to preclude from Reishis ha'Gez wool that one declared Hekdesh before shearing - since it requires redeeming in addition to shearing before giving it to the Kohen. 4
How much wool is one obligated to give the Kohen for Reishis ha'Gez? How many sheep does one need to shear to obtain it?
Rashi: The Shi'ur (mi'de'Rabbanan) 1 for Reishis ha'Gez is a sixtieth, provided the owner shears at least five sheep. 2
Targum Yonasan and Da'as Zekenim (citing Chulin 138a): The minimum Shi'ur of Reishis ha'Gez is enough wool to manufacture a belt for the Bigdei Kehunah. 3 (which the Chachamim learned from the word "Titen" (implying a significant gift - Rosh). 4
Chulin, 136a: Refer to 18:4:5:3.
See Torah Temimah, note 37.
Rashi: Which the Chachamim learn from the Pasuk in Shmuel 1, 25:18, and R' Akiva, from our Pasuk: ' "Reishis Gez" ? Sh'tayim; "Tzoncha" ? Arba; "Titen lo" ? Chamesh'.
Torah Temimah, note 22: One is permitted to give all the shearings to a Kohen, since the Torah writes "Reishis", and not 'me'Reishis' (as it does by Chalah ? Refer to Bamidbar, 15:21: 1:1. And the reason that one is not permitted to give all one's crops as Terumah ? "Reishis", 'she'Shiyrehah Nikarin' ? even though the Torah writes "Reishis Degancha", and not me'Reishis' - is because we learn it from Chalah ? See Torah Temimah. Refer also to 18:4:151:1.
What are the implications of the words "Titen lo"?
Rashi (in Chulin, 136b): It implies Lo", 've'Lo le'Kalbo' - which teaches us that a T'reifah animal is not subject to Matanos. 1
Shabbos, 25b: It implies Titen lo", 've'Lo le'Oro' ? forbidding taking Terumah Teme'ah to cover Tevel Tehorah, implying in turn, that when burning Terumah Teme'ah, a Kohen is permitted to benefit from it. 2
Pesachim, 33a: It implies Titen lo", 've'Lo le'Oro' - One must give the Kohen Terumah to eat and not to use as fuel for his lamp. Consequently, if someone separates T'rumas Chametz on Pesach, the Terumah is not Kadosh. 3
Chulin, 136a #1: It implies an amount that is worthy of a Nesinah, 4 which Chazal assessed as five Sela'im worth in Yehudah, which is equivalent to ten in the Galil.
Chulin, 136a #2: We learn via a Gezeirah Shavah 'Nesinh' 'Nesinah' from Terumah that Reishis ha'Gez only applies in Eretz Yisrael, but not in Chutz la'Aretz. 5
Tosefta Chulin, 10:1: It implies that if the owner separated Reishis ha'Gez and it got lost, he remains liable until he hands it to the Kohen. 6
Rashi (in Korach Bamidbar, 15:21) wrote that "me'Reishis" teaches that also from one's first dough, one separates only part. But also Terumah, one may not make the entire amount Terumah, even though it does not say "me'Reishis"?
Refer to Bamidbar 15:21:151:1 & 2.
