Mishneh Torah — Tithes (Ma'aserot) הלכות מעשרות, Chapter 11

אָסוּר לִמְכֹּר אֶת הַדְּמאי לְעַם הָאָרֶץ אוֹ לִשְׁלֹחַ לוֹ דְּמַאי מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מְסַיֵּעַ לָזֶה לֶאֱכל דָּבָר הָאָסוּר. אֲבָל מוֹכְרִין וּמְשַׁלְּחִין אוֹתוֹ לְתַלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים שֶׁאֵין תַּלְמִיד חָכָם אוֹכֵל עַד שֶׁיְּעַשֵּׂר אוֹ עַד שֶׁיּוֹדִיעוֹ אָדָם נֶאֱמָן שֶׁזֶּה מְעֻשָּׂר:

It is forbidden to sell demai to a common person or to send demai [as a present to a common person], because one assists him in partaking of forbidden food. It can, however, be sold or sent to a Torah scholar, for a Torah scholar will not partake of it until he tithes it or until a trustworthy person tells him that it has been tithed.

כָּל הַמַּשְׁפִּיעִין בְּמִדָּה גַּסָּה כְּגוֹן הַסִּיטוֹנוֹת וּמוֹכְרֵי תְּבוּאָה מֻתָּרִין לִמְכֹּר אֶת הַדְּמַאי וּלְשַׁלְּחוֹ. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן מוֹסִיפִין עַל הַמִּדָּה הִתְקִינוּ חֲכָמִים שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַלּוֹקֵחַ אוֹ זֶה שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּלְּחוּ לוֹ הוּא הַמַּפְרִישׁ מַעֲשֵׂר דְּמַאי. אֲבָל הַמּוֹדְדִין בְּמִדָּה דַּקָּה הוֹאִיל וְהַמּוֹכֵר מִשְׂתַּכֵּר הוּא מַפְרִישׁ וְלֹא יִמְכֹּר וְלֹא יִשְׁלַח אֶלָּא מְתֻקָּן:

All of those who add to the measure when they sell in large quantities, e.g., wholesalers and grain merchants are permitted to sell and send demai [as a present]. Since they add to the measure, 2:4)]. our Sages ordained that the purchaser or the recipient be the one who separates the tithes from the demai. When, by contrast, people measure with a small measure, since the seller is the one who profits, he should make the separations. [Hence,] he should not sell or send [produce] unless the appropriate separations have been made.

וְכַמָּה הִיא מִדָּה גַּסָּה. בְּיָבֵשׁ חֲצִי סְאָה וּבְלַח מִדָּה שֶׁמַּחְזֶקֶת שְׁוֵה דִּינָר מֵאוֹתוֹ דָּבָר הַלַּח:

What is meant by a large measure? With regard to dry measure, half a se'ah; is 8.3 liter in modern measure according to Shiurei Torah and 16.2 liter according to Chazon Ish. with regard to liquid measure, something that holds a dinar's is a silver coin of significant value. worth of the said liquid.

סַלֵּי זֵיתִים וַעֲנָבִים וְקֻפּוֹת שֶׁל יָרָק אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא מוֹכְרָן אַכְסָרָה אָסוּר לְמָכְרָן דְּמַאי:

Even though a person sells baskets of olives and grapes or containers of vegetables by estimation, 2:5) teaches us that this is not so.The Ra'avad questions the Rambam's ruling, noting that the mishnah quotes Rabbi Yossi as exempting the seller in this situation and does not mention a differing opinion. The Radbaz and the Kessef Mishneh explain that the wording of the mishnah indicates that Rabbi Yossi's view is being cited as a minority opinion and not as a view accepted by all. he is forbidden to sell them as demai.

אָמַר אֶחָד מֵהֶן בּוֹא וּנְתַקֵּן הַפֵּרוֹת הָאֵלּוּ בֵּין שֶׁהָיָה מוֹכֵר בְּדַקָּה אוֹ בְּגַסָּה הַמּוֹכֵר מַפְרִישׁ תְּרוּמַת מַעֲשֵׂר וְהַלּוֹקֵחַ מַפְרִישׁ מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי וְדָבָר זֶה תְּנַאי בֵּית דִּין הוּא:

If one of them, [either the seller or the buyer] - whether the sale is made with a small measure or a large measure - says: "Come let us make the separations for this produce," the seller should separate terumat ma'aser and the purchaser should separate the second tithe. This is an edict of the court.

חָבֵר וְעַם הָאָרֶץ שֶׁיָּרְשׁוּ אֶת אֲבִיהֶן עַם הָאָרֶץ יָכוֹל הוּא לוֹמַר טֹל אַתָּה חִטִּים שֶׁבְּמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי וַאֲנִי חִטִּים שֶׁבְּמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי. אַתָּה יַיִן שֶׁבְּמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי וַאֲנִי יַיִן שֶׁבְּמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי. אֲבָל לֹא יֹאמַר טֹל אַתָּה חִטִּים וַאֲנִי שְׂעוֹרִים. טֹל אַתָּה הַלַּח וַאֲנִי הַיָּבֵשׁ. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁזֶּה מוֹכֵר דְּמַאי:

When a chavair and a common person inherit [the estate] of their father who was a common person, [the chavair] may say: "Take the wheat in this-and-this place and I will take the wheat in this-and-that place. Take the wine in this-and-this place and I will take the wine in this-and-that place.", we apply the principle of bereirah, and retroactively - after the division of the property has been made - we consider that from the outset, it was as if the estate had originally been bequeathed to each of the sons separately, according to this division. He should not say: "Take wheat and I will take the barley. Take the produce that is fresh and I will take what is dry," for this is considered as selling demai. with regard to two different types of produce.

מִי שֶׁהָיָה נוֹשֵׂא יָרָק וְכָבֵד עָלָיו מַשָּׂאוֹ וְרָצָה לְהַשְׁלִיךְ מִמֶּנּוּ עַל הַדֶּרֶךְ כְּדֵי לְהָקֵל מִמַּשָּׂאוֹ. לֹא יַשְׁלִיךְ עַד שֶׁיְּעַשֵּׂר. כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תְּהֵא תַּקָּלָה לְעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ שֶׁאוֹכְלִין אוֹתוֹ בִּדְמַאי:

When a person is carrying [a load of] vegetables, which had reached the stage where the tithes were required to be separated from it. his load becomes heavy for him and he desires to cast some vegetables on the road to lessen his burden, he should not cast them away until he tithes them., ownerless, before the obligation to tithe becomes incumbent upon it, there is no need to tithe it afterwards. If, however, that obligation has already taken effect, declaring produce ownerless does not remove that obligation (see Chapter 3, Halachah 20; Radbaz). [This is necessary] so that it shall not create a stumbling block for the common people who consume demai.

הַלּוֹקֵחַ יָרָק מִן הַשּׁוּק וּמָשַׁךְ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא שָׁקַל וְלֹא מָדַד וְלֹא נָתַן דָּמִים וְנִמְלַךְ לְהַחֲזִיר לְבַעַל הַחֲנוּת לֹא יַחֲזִיר עַד שֶׁיְּעַשֵּׂר:

When a person purchases vegetables which had reached the stage where the tithes were required to be separated from it. from the market and draws them into his possession, even though he did not weigh them, measure them, or pay for them, if he changes his mind and returns them to the owner of the store, 3:2). he should not return them until he tithes them.

הַמּוֹצֵא פֵּרוֹת בַּדֶּרֶךְ. אִם רֹב מַכְנִיסִין לְבָתֵּיהֶן פָּטוּר מִלְּעַשֵּׂר שֶׁעֲדַיִן לֹא נִקְבַּע לְמַעֲשֵׂר. וְאִם רֹב מַכְנִיסִין לִמְכֹּר בַּשּׁוּק הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ דְּמַאי. וּמֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה דְּמַאי:

[The following laws apply when a person] discovers produce on the way. If the majority [of the local populace] bring the produce to their homes, he is not required to tithe it, for the obligation to tithe has not yet taken effect. 2:10)]. It must be noted that the Radbaz and many other commentaries offer different interpretations of this law. Indeed, the Rambam in Chapter 3, Halachah 22, appears to operate according to another perspective. If, however, the majority bring it to sell in the marketplace, it is considered as demai. (ibid.). Nevertheless, the possibility also exists that the tithes have been separated and hence it is considered as demai. If the ratio is half and half, it is considered as demai., a situation where the doubt is compounded, i.e., perhaps it came from those who bring it home. Even if it came from those who bring it to the marketplace, perhaps these individuals tithed it. Nevertheless, extra stringency is shown with regard to the prohibition against demai than is shown with regard to other prohibitions (Kessef Mishneh to Halachah 13).

נְטָלָן לְאָכְלָן וְנִמְלַךְ לְהַצְנִיעַ לֹא יַשְׁהֶא אוֹתָן עַד שֶׁיְּעַשֵּׂר כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה תַּקָּלָה לַאֲחֵרִים. וְאִם נְטָלָם מִתְּחִלָּה שֶׁלֹּא יֹאבְדוּ הֲרֵי זֶה מֻתָּר לַשְׁהוֹתָן אֶצְלוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּרְצֶה לְאָכְלָן אוֹ לְשָׁלְחָן אוֹ לְמָכְרָן וִיעַשֵּׂר אוֹתָן דְּמַאי:

If a person took [the produce] with the intent of partaking of it and changed his mind [and decided to] store it, he should not keep it until he tithes it, so that it will not present a stumbling block to others. If he took it originally only so that it would not perish, 3:3)]. he can store it until he desires to partake of it, send it [as a present], or sell it. At that point, he should tithe it as demai.

קְנִיבַת יָרָק הַנִּמְצֵאת בַּגִּנָּה הֲרֵי זוֹ פְּטוּרָה מִן הַדְּמַאי. וְשֶׁל בַּעַל הַבַּיִת הַנִּמְצֵאת בַּבַּיִת חַיֶּבֶת. שֶׁעַל גַּבֵּי הָאַשְׁפָּה בְּכָל מָקוֹם מֻתֶּרֶת:

The extremities of vegetables that are found in a garden 3:3). Compare to Hilchot Terumah 11:10. are exempt from [the laws of] demai. Those that belong to a homeowner and found in his home are obligated [to be tithed]. Those on a dung heap - wherever it is found - are permitted.

הַנּוֹתֵן לְפֻנְדָּקִית לְבַשֵּׁל לוֹ וְלֶאֱפוֹת לוֹ מְעַשֵּׂר אֶת שֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן לָהּ כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה תַּקָּלָה לַאֲחֵרִים. וּמְעַשֵּׂר אֶת שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֵל מִמֶּנָּה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא חֲשׁוּדָה לְהַחֲלִיף שֶׁל זֶה [בָּזֶה]. אֲבָל הַנּוֹתֵן לַחֲמוֹתוֹ בֵּין שֶׁנָּשָׂא בִּתָּהּ בֵּין שֶׁאֵרְסָהּ אוֹ לִשְׁכֶנְתּוֹ פַּת לֶאֱפוֹת וְתַבְשִׁיל לְבַשֵּׁל אֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁשׁ לֹא מִשּׁוּם מַעֲשֵׂר וְלֹא מִשּׁוּם שְׁבִיעִית מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינָהּ חֲשׁוּדָה לְהַחֲלִיף. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בִּזְמַן שֶׁנָּתַן לָהּ שְׂאוֹר לְעִיסָה וְתַבְלִין לִקְדֵרָה. אֲבָל אִם לֹא נָתַן חוֹשֵׁשׁ מִשּׁוּם מַעַשְׂרוֹת וְחוֹשֵׁשׁ מִשּׁוּם שְׁבִיעִית. וּלְפִיכָךְ אִם הָיְתָה שְׁנַת שְׁמִטָּה אָסוּר שֶׁמָּא הַשְּׂאוֹר מִסְּפִיחֵי שְׁבִיעִית הוּא:

When a person gives [produce] to a female inn-keeper to cook or bake for him, 3:5), the Rambam explains that guests would give the mistress of an inn flour and meat and she would prepare meals for them. As the Rambam states, this woman is suspect to exchange the food given for other food of the same type, but of lesser quality. She rationalizes that since she cooks for her guests for little or no payment, she is entitled to make this exchange (Chullin 6b). he must tithe what he gives her - lest it present a stumbling block to others - and what he receives from her, for she is suspect to exchange produce belonging to one person for that belonging to another. He may, by contrast, give produce to his mother-in-law - whether her daughter is his arusah or his wife, "consecration," and nisuin, "marriage." After erusin, the marriage bond has been established and the woman cannot marry another man without a divorce. Nevertheless, the couple do not begin living together as man and wife until the second stage, nisuin. The Rambam is clarifying that even if the couple have not begun living together, he still trusts his mother-in-law. - or to his neighbor to cook or bake for him and he need not show concern, neither for tithes, nor for produce of the Sabbatical year, because [these individuals] are not suspect to exchange produce. 3:6). The Radbaz explains that the Rambam's ruling here is based on the Jerusalem Talmud.When does the above apply? When he [also] gave her yeast for a dough and spices for a cooked dish. If he did not, we must show concern because of the tithes and because of [produce of] the Sabbatical year. Therefore in the Sabbatical year, [the bread] is forbidden, for perhaps the yeast came from produce that grew in the Sabbatical year.

הַמּוֹלִיךְ חִטָּיו לְטוֹחֵן עַם הָאָרֶץ הֲרֵי הֵן בְּחֶזְקָתָן שֶׁאֵינוֹ חָשׁוּד לְהַחֲלִיף. הוֹלִיכָן לְטוֹחֵן עַכּוּ"ם הֲרֵי הֵם דְּמַאי שֶׁמָּא הֶחֱלִיפָן בְּחִטִּים שֶׁל עַם הָאָרֶץ. וְכֵן הַמַּפְקִיד אֵצֶל עַם הָאָרֶץ הֲרֵי הֵן בְּחֶזְקָתָן שֶׁאֵינוֹ חָשׁוּד לְהַחֲלִיף הַפִּקָּדוֹן:

When a person brings wheat to a miller who is a common person, he may assume that their status is unchanged. He is not suspect to exchange it [for other wheat]. 61b). If he brought them to a gentile miller, they are demai; [we suspect] that he exchanged it for the wheat of a common person. 3:6)]. We do not know whether he tithed them. Therefore, they are considered as demai.The Ra'avad questions the Rambam's ruling: Seemingly, the situation is one of compounded doubt (sefek-sefeikah). Perhaps the gentile did not exchange the grain. Even if he exchanged it, perhaps he exchanged it with grain from a common person which need be tithed only because of a doubt. (The Ra'avad himself accepts the Rambam's ruling, but uses it as support for his thesis that there is an obligation for a Jew to tithe produce belonging to a gentile if it comes into his possession, for he maintains that the possibility is that the gentile exchanged it with his own produce.)The Kessef Mishneh does not accept that thesis and instead offers a resolution, explaining that extra stringency is shown with regard to the prohibition against demai than is shown with regard to other prohibitions. He supports that contention based on Shabbat 23a which states that the majority of the common people separate tithes and yet our Sages imposed stringencies. Similarly, if one entrusts [produce] to a common person for safe-keeping, it is permitted. He is not suspect to exchange the produce entrusted to him.

עַם הָאָרֶץ שֶׁהָיָה מִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בַּחֲנוּתוֹ שֶׁל חָבֵר אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֶחָבֵר יוֹצֵא וְנִכְנָס הֲרֵי זֶה מֻתָּר וְאֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁשׁ שֶׁמָּא הֶחֱלִיף:

When a common person is managing a store belonging to a chavair, it is permitted [to partake of the produce]. We do not suspect that he exchanged it. [This applies] even if the chavair [only] goes in and out [of the store from time to time].

הַמַּפְקִיד פֵּרוֹתָיו אֵצֶל הָעַכּוּ"ם הֲרֵי הֵן כְּפֵרוֹתָיו שֶׁל עַכּוּ"ם שֶׁחֶזְקָתוֹ לְהַחֲלִיף הַפִּקָּדוֹן. וְהֵיאַךְ דִּינָם. אִם הָיוּ פֵּרוֹת שֶׁעֲדַיִן לֹא נִגְמְרָה מְלַאכְתָּן וְנִגְמְרוּ בְּיַד יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחַר שֶׁלָּקַח הַפִּקָּדוֹן מַפְרִישׁ מַעַשְׂרוֹתָיו כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ. וְאִם הָיוּ פֵּרוֹת שֶׁהִפְקִיד טְבָלִים וְנִגְמְרָה מְלַאכְתָּן חַיָּב לְהַפְרִישׁ שֶׁמָּא לֹא הֶחֱלִיף הָעַכּוּ"ם. וּלְפִיכָךְ יֵרָאֶה לִי שֶׁהַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת שֶׁיַּפְרִישׁ סָפֵק. אֲבָל אִם הִפְקִיד חֻלִּין מְתֻקָּנִין אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְהַפְרִישׁ כְּלוּם שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ הֶחֱלִיף הָעַכּוּ"ם פְּטוּרִין כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ בְּהִלְכוֹת תְּרוּמוֹת (דברים יח ד) "דְּגָנְךָ" וְלֹא דְּגַן עַכּוּ"ם:

When produce was entrusted to a gentile for safekeeping, [the produce one receives is] considered as the gentile's produce, for we assume that he exchanged it for his own produce.What are laws that govern it? If the tasks necessary to prepare the produce were not completed as of yet and they were completed by the Jew after he took back the produce he entrusted, he must separate the tithes as we explained. 1:11. If the produce that he entrusted was tevel and the tasks necessary for its preparation were completed, he is obligated to separate the tithes, for perhaps the gentile did not exchange it. For this reason, it appears to me, that the status of the tithes he separates is doubtful.If he entrusted ordinary produce from which the required separations were made, he is not obligated to separate anything, for even if the gentile exchanged [it for his own], it is exempt. As we explained in Hilchot Terumot,. [the obligation to tithe] is on "your grain," and not the grain of a gentile. in resolution of the Ra'avad's objections).