ZEVACHIM 78 (17 Tamuz) - Dedicated in honor of the birthday of Mairav Linzer.
1)

NOVALOS (UNRIPE DATES) (Yerushalmi Demai Perek 1 Halachah 1 Daf 2a)

תני רבי יוסי ב''ר יהודא הנובלות הנמכרות עם התמרים הרי אילו (פטורות)[חייבות]

(a)

Baraisa (R. Yosi b'R. Yehuda): Unripe dates that are sold with regular dates are obligated.

[דף ג עמוד ב (עוז והדר)] מה שתי קופות זו בצד זו או שתי קופות זו על גב זו לא

(b)

Question: (What is the meaning of 'with regular grapes''?) Is it when two boxes were next to each other, one with regular grapes and one with unripe grapes? (Since they are all sold together, it is clear that he hasn't declared them ownerless.) Or alternatively, is it only when one is on top of the other that they are obligated, as they appear like one; but if next to each other, they would be viewed as separate and would be exempt...?

שניי' היא זו בצד זו והיא זו על גב זו אלא כי אנן קיימין במעורבות

(c)

Answer: In both cases, the unripe dates are certainly exempt; it is when they are mixed together in a box that we say that they are obligated, as it clearly indicates that he did not make them Hefker.

כשהטילו שאור או כשלא הטילו שאור

(d)

Question: (According to R. Yosi, are the unripe dates exempt) even if they began to swell (which is the stage when dates usually become obligated in Maaseros) or only before that?

רבי מנא אמר כשהטילו שאור אנן קיימין

(e)

Answer (R. Mana): Even when they began to swell.

אם כשהטילו שאור בפני עצמן יהו חייבות

(f)

Question: If they began to swell, they are themselves obligated (even without mixing them)?

לית יכול דאמר רבי יוחנן מפני שרוב המינין האילו באין מן ההפקר לפיכך מנו אותן חכמים

(g)

Answer: They are not themselves obligated because they are amongst the fruits about which the Chachamim were lenient, as R. Yochanan said (Zevachim 76(c)), that the Chachamim gave that list (in our Mishnah) since most of those species come from Hefker.

רבי חנינא אמר כשלא הטילו שאור אנן קיימין

(h)

(R. Chanina): (Disagreeing with R. Mana) R. Yosi spoke only about before they began to swell.

אם כשלא הטילו שאור אפילו במעורבות יהו פטורין

(i)

Question: If so, even if they were mixed they should be exempt?

לית יכיל דאמר רבי ישמעאל ב''ר יוסי משום אביו אשכול שביכר בו גרגיר יחידי כולו חיבור למעשרו'

(j)

Answer: You cannot say this, as R. Yishmael b'R. Yosi said from his father that if a single grape seed ripened on a cluster (and became obligated in Maaseros), all of the cluster becomes obligated. The same applies to unripe dates - as soon as one swelled, they all become obligated.

רבי יוסי ב''ר בון אמר ר''ז ורבי חילא חד אמר כהדין וחד אמר כהדין

(k)

(R. Yosi b'R. Bun): R. Zeira and R. Chila also disagreed over the same dispute as R. Mana and R. Chanina.

וחכמים אומרים לא כדברי זה ולא כדברי זה אלא (אפילו)[אלו] שהטילו שאור חייבות ושלא הטילו שאור פטורות

(l)

(Chachamim): It is not like either of them (as there is no difference whether the unripe and ripe dates are mixed or separate); rather, the dates that swelled are obligated and those that did not swell are exempt.

והגופנן שמירה מה בין יהודא בין גליל

(m)

Question: Amongst the Mishnah's list was 'Gufnan' - late grapes. These are known as 'Shomirah'. Does this exemption apply both in the regions of Yehuda and Galil or only in the Galil? (The Mishnah differentiated between these places only after Gufnan was mentioned.)

מן מה דמתלין לה מתל בגלילא [דף ד עמוד א (עוז והדר)] שומרה שמר מרה מאן מתל לך עם תבלייא הדא אמרה בגליל פטור וביהודא חייב

(n)

Answer: According to the parable they say in the Galil, 'Shomirah'- "Shamar Marah'' - the owner guards it; but who would compare it to spices? (It is insignificant when compared to spices.) - this shows that in the Galil it is exempt and in Yehuda it is obligated.

כוסברה כוסברתה מה בין יהודא בין גליל מן מתליך עם תבלייא הדא אמרה בגליל חייבת וביהודה פטורה

(o)

The Mishnah mentioned Kusbarah - that is Kusbarta (coriander) - from the parable of spices, it shows that in the Galil it is obligated and in Yehuda it is exempt.

תניא אמר רבי יהודה בראשונה היה חומץ שביהודה פטור מן המעשרות שהיו עושין יינן בטהרה לנסכי ולא היה מחמיץ והיו מביאין מן התמד ועכשיו שהיין מחמיץ חייב

(p)

Baraisa (R. Yehuda): Originally, the vinegar in Yehuda was exempt from Maaseros - since they would produce their wine in purity for the wine libations of the Temple, they were blessed that it never became vinegar and they would rather produce vinegar from pouring water on the grape pits (known as Temed). Such vinegar is exempt from Maaseros. But nowadays (that we do not have the merit of the libations) wine does turn to vinegar and it is obligated in Maaseros.

מחלפא שיטתיה דר' יהודא דתנינן תמן המתמד ונתן במים במידה ומצא כדי מידתו פטור ורבי יהודא מחייב וכא הא אמר הכין

(q)

Question: The opinion of R. Yehuda seems to have switched - in Maseches Maaseros (5:6) the Mishnah teaches that one who pours water on grape pits and finds afterwards that the same quantity of water remained (as it was not absorbed into the pits), the liquid is exempt from Maaseros (as it remained only water). R. Yehuda obligates it (since it has a taste of grapes and the pits are obligated in Maaseros). However, here R. Yehuda said that Temed is exempt?

אמר רבי לא בראשונה היו ענבים מרובות ולא היו חרצנים חשובות ועכשיו שאין ענבים מרובות חרצנים חשובות

(r)

Answer (R. Ila): (Really Temed is obligated in Maaseros but here) originally, there was an abundance of grapes, so the pits were insignificant; nowadays that the grapes are not in abundance, the pits are significant.

ר' הונא א''ר ירמיה בעי לית הדא פליגי על ר''ש בן לקיש

(s)

Question (R. Huna citing R. Yirmiyah): Doesn't R. Ila's answer disagree with Reish Lakish (earlier Zevachim 76(d)) who said about all of the cases in the Mishnah that the Chachamim only taught Demai, but definite (untithed produce) is obligated in Maaseros. But according to R. Ila, the Mishnah's case of vinegar refers to Temed, which is definitely untithed, but is still exempt for a different reason? (The Gemara leaves this question unanswered.)

וירבו כל הרמונים על ריסי שקמא ויהיו פטורין

(t)

Question: (R. Yehuda said in the Mishnah that all Rimin are exempt, except for Rimin of Shikmonah.) (Why would the Rimin of Shikmonah be obligated? Since most of the Rimin come from Hefker, anywhere that one would want to buy Rimin, even if there might be a minority of Rimin of Shikmonah sold there) the majority should Mevatel (negate) the minority and they should be exempt?

א''ר יוסי [דף ד עמוד ב (עוז והדר)] תיפתר במקום שרוב משמרין

(u)

Answer (R. Yosi): R. Yehuda is discussing a place where most people guard Shikmonah Rimin.

רבי יוסי ב''ר בעי ואין כל העולם לפניו וירבו כל הרימון שבעולם על רימי אותו המקום ויהיו פטורים:

(v)

Question (R. Yosi b'Rebbi.): Even in Shikmonah, most Rimin come from elsewhere and we should even follow the majority there and everything should be exempt? (The Gemara leaves the question unanswered.)