Who is considered a 'merchant' (whose produce is considered Demai)? One who has sold produce three times (the large quantity shows that he is selling another person's produce).

Question (R. Yona): It is obvious that merely bringing three piles of produce at the same time does not identify a merchant, but three consecutive times does identify a merchant. But when does he actually receive the status of a merchant - does it take effect retroactively back to the first time he brought, or only from when he brought three times?

What is the difference? Whether a buyer needs to tithe the produce from the first two times.

Question (R. Mana): If the three times were each brought by him, his son and his worker, do they combine to create the three times required? (The Gemara leaves the question unanswered.)

Question (R. Yona): If a boat arrived from Rome, it is carrying several types of produce. Do you view them all as one or as several? (This question also remains unresolved.)

Concerning fruits of unknown status, we do not follow their smell, nor their appearance, nor their taste, nor their price; rather we follow the majority. (If the majority of them come from Chutz LaAretz, it is exempt from Demai; if the majority comes from Eretz Yisrael, it is obligated in Demai.)

(R. Yaakov bar Acha citing R. Yochanan): If he had different wines, such as new wine from Eretz Yisrael and old wine from Chutz LaAretz, we must follow the flavor. (If it tastes like old, it is exempt; if it tastes like new, it is obligated.)

(R. Mana): I once went to Kisarin and saw that they were treating pressed figs as exempt (since in Kisarin, they were from Chutz LaAretz). I asked R. Yitzchak b'R. Eliezer about them and he said that this was the custom of (the great Sage) Zuga.

(R. Yitzchak b'R. Eliezer in the name of Zuga of Kisarin): (Not only are they exempt in Kisarin, but even in the towns in its close proximity) as long as the sea is visible from there. Some say that means until Migdal Milcha and some say it means until Maaras Talimon.

(R. Abba Mari): This can also be understood from the words of the Rabbis, who said - 'the types that are prohibited in Kisarin (without tithing) are wheat, bread, wine, oil, dates, rice, and cumin' - but pressed figs were not mentioned.

Rebuttal: It wasn't mentioned because it was already listed in the Mishnah as obligated.

Question: So why were rice and cumin mentioned (if they appear in the Mishnah)?

Answer: Rather, pressed figs wasn't mentioned because it is exempt.

Produce of Kisarin (which is in an area that was not reconquered at the time of the building of the 2nd Temple, so that although technically, it did not then have sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, the Rabbis required that for land belonging to Jews, the laws of Maaseros and Sheviis apply. Nevertheless, they said that the vegetables found in Kisarin in Sheviis) are permitted (and there is no prohibition of Sefichin (if produce grows naturally); and in other years, they are tithed as Demai.

Question: Why are they permitted in Sheviis - they should be considered Sheviis produce?!

Answer: Jews are not suspected of planting in Sheviis, and produce of a gentile is exempt. (But if you are concerned that they come from the Kusim (who were considered Jews but they didn't observe Shemittah); the Jews (from the 6th year) and gentiles are the majority that override the minority of Kusim.

However, in other years (of the Shemittah cycle), Demai is separated - the reliable Jews tithe (although the minority are Amei HaAretz who don't) and the gentiles are not obligated; so the Jews and the Kusim (who are all obligated) combine to make a majority over the gentiles. (However, as for the obligation of definite Tevel, the Jews and the gentiles are the majority over the Kusim - as most Jews tithe and gentiles are exempt; so there is no definite obligation, only Demai.)

Question: Until where are the limits of the city of Kisarin? Until Pundaka D'Amuda. Until where is Pundaka D'Tivta? Until Kfar Saba.

Tziran (a type of vegetable) should be tithed as definite Tevel in Kisarin as it certainly comes from Jews in Eretz Yisrael.

Kilkasin that is sold in Kisarin is prohibited to eat without tithing, because most of it comes from Har HaMelech (in Eretz Yisrael).

(R. Chiya bar Abba): Only white ones grow there.

(Rabbanan of Kisarin): Only red ones grow there.

(R. Zeira/ R. Chiya citing R. Yochanan): Rebbi permitted produce from Beis Shean without tithing and permitted working the land there in Sheviis.

He learned this from the mouth of Yehoshua ben Zariz, son of the father-in-law of R. Meir, who said, "I saw R. Meir take a vegetable from the garden in Sheviis) and he was not concerned for the prohibition of Sefichin (produce that grows naturally in Sheviis)" - and based on this, Rebbi permitted all of Beis Shean.

(R. Zeira): This teaches that it is prohibited for an important person to act leniently, as the onlookers might wrongly apply it elsewhere. (Otherwise, how could Rebbi have learned this from the actions of R. Meir - maybe R. Meir had a specific reason why he permitted eating from there!)

Rebbi permitted (without tithing, the produce from) Beis Shean, Kisarin, Beis Guvrin, Kfar Tzemach. Rebbi permitted buying vegetables on Motzei Sheviis and everyone mocked him (for permitting that which had been previously prohibited).+

(Rebbi): Let's expound it - the pasuk states (Melachim II 18:4), "and [Chizkiyahu] crushed the copper serpent (that Moshe had made)". But there was no-one righteous before him who did this; so how could he do it? Hash-m left him the merit of doing this; so too here, Hash-m gave us the merit of allowing these vegetables.