Mishneh Torah — Tithes (Ma'aserot) הלכות מעשרות, Chapter 7

מִי שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ מֵאָה לוֹג שֶׁל יַיִן טָבוּל מִן הַתּוֹרָה וְאָמַר שְׁנֵי לוֹגִין שֶׁאֲנִי עָתִיד לְהַפְרִישׁ מֵהֶן הֲרֵי הֵן תְּרוּמָה וַעֲשָׂרָה מַעֲשֵׂר רִאשׁוֹן וְתִשְׁעָה מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי. לֹא יַתְחִיל וְיִשְׁתֶּה עַד שֶׁיַּנִּיחַ בְּסוֹף שִׁעוּר תְּרוּמָה וּמַעַשְׂרוֹת. אֶלָּא יַפְרִישׁ וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִשְׁתֶּה. וְאֵין אוֹמְרִין זֶה שֶׁהִנִּיחַ בַּסּוֹף כְּאִלּוּ נִבְרַר תְּחִלָּה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁחִיּוּב תְּרוּמָה וּמַעַשְׂרוֹת מִן הַתּוֹרָה וְאֵין אוֹמְרִין בְּשֶׁל תּוֹרָה נַחְשֹׁב כְּאִלּוּ נִבְרַר עַד שֶׁיִּבְרֹר:

[The following laws apply when a person has a 100 log of wine that are tevel according to Scriptural Law. 1:26 and notes, from the time of the exile of the tribes of Reuven and Gad towards the end of the First Temple period, the mitzvah to separate tithes was no longer required by Scriptural Law. On the other hand, since the source of the mitzvot are Scriptural, even though their observance now is Rabbinic, we follow stringencies as if the Scriptural mitzvah still applies. If he says: "The two lugim that I will separate are terumah; (ibid. 3:2). the ten are the first tithe, and the nine are the second tithe," he should not begin drinking and leave over the quantity designated as terumah and the tithes at the end. Instead, he should make the separations and then drink. We do not say that the wine he left over at the end is retroactively considered as if it was set aside in the beginning. [The rationale for this stringency is that] the obligation [to separate] terumah and the tithes is Scriptural in origin, and with regard to [matters of] Scriptural Law, we do not say that we will consider it as if a separation has been made unless it actually has been made. should be applied or not (see Beitzah 37b). Because the matter is not resolved, with regard to questions of Scriptural Law, we are stringent, but with regard to matters of Rabbinic Law, we rule leniently.

הַקּוֹבֵעַ מַעַשְׂרוֹתָיו בְּפִי הֶחָבִית לֹא יִשְׁתֶּה מִשּׁוּלֶיהָ. בְּשׁוּלֶיהָ לֹא יִשְׁתֶּה מִפִּיהָ. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַמַּשְׁקִין מְעֹרָבִין. אֲבָל הַקּוֹבֵעַ בְּפִי הַמְּגוּרָה אוֹכֵל מִשּׁוּלֶיהָ. קָבַע בְּשׁוּלֶיהָ אוֹכֵל מִפִּיהָ:

When a person specifies that his tithes were located at the opening of a jug [of wine], he should not drink from the bottom of the barrel. If he specifies that they are at the bottom, he should not drink from the top. [The rationale is that] the liquids intermingle. If, by contrast, one specified [that the tithes for produce] were at the opening of a storage container, one may eat from the bottom. and the tithes. He had merely stated that he would. In this instance, he has made a separation even though he did not physically remove it. If one specified that they were located at the bottom, one may eat from the top.

וְיֵשׁ לָאָדָם לִקְבֹּעַ מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי וּפוֹדֵהוּ וְעוֹשֵׂהוּ מַעֲשֵׂר רִאשׁוֹן עַל אוֹתָן הַפֵּרוֹת אוֹ תְּרוּמַת מַעֲשֵׂר לְמָקוֹם אַחֵר:

A person can designate certain produce as the second tithe and then redeem it., ch. 4, which describes how the second tithe can be redeemed for silver coinage. [Afterwards,] he may designate that same produce as the first tithe 3:23. for this batch of produce or terumat ma'aser for other produce. for this batch of produce, for it is not proper to separate terumat ma'aser before one separates the tithes themselves. See Chapter 9, Halachah 5.The Ra'avad states that one may use it as terumat ma'aser for other produce, but not as ordinary terumah.

הַמַּנִּיחַ פֵּרוֹת לִהְיוֹת מַפְרִישׁ עֲלֵיהֶן מַעַשְׂרוֹת מַפְרִישׁ עֲלֵיהֶן בְּחֶזְקַת שֶׁהֵן קַיָּמִין וְאוֹכֵל וְשׁוֹתֶה עַד שֶׁיֵּעָשׂוּ כָּל אוֹתָן הַפֵּרוֹת שֶׁהִנִּיחַ מַעֲשֵׂר וְנוֹתֵן לַלֵּוִי. מְצָאָן שֶׁאָבְדוּ הֲרֵי זֶה חוֹשֵׁשׁ לְכָל שֶׁהִפְרִישׁ וְאֵינוֹ מְעַשֵּׂר וַדַּאי:

When a person sets aside produce to use them for the separation of tithes, 5:26). he may continue to separate tithes relying on this produce on the assumption that it is intact, eating and drinking [from the produce from which he intended to separate tithes] until the entire quantity that was set aside has become tithes. He then gives that to a Levite. [If later] he discovers that the produce that he set aside [for tithes] has been lost, he must show concern for all the tithes that he set aside. 3:8) mentions the opinion of Rabbi Elazar who maintains that one shows concern only for the separations made within the last 24 hours. Other Sages differ, however, and maintain that one must show concern for all produce separated (Kessef Mishneh; see Rav Kapach's edition of the Rambam's Commentary to the Mishnah).Tosafot Yom Tov (Gittin, loc. cit.) states that the Rambam's wording implies that one should separate tithes for one's produce even if that produce has already been eaten. Other authorities, however, do not accept this deduction. He should not, however, tithe [the second time] with certainty.

הַמַּלְוֶה מָעוֹת אֶת הַכֹּהֵן וְאֶת הַלֵּוִי וְאֶת הֶעָנִי לִהְיוֹת מַפְרִישׁ עַל אוֹתָן הַמָּעוֹת מֵחֶלְקוֹ מַפְרִישׁ עֲלֵיהֶן בְּחֶזְקַת שֶׁהֵן קַיָּמִין וְאֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁשׁ שֶׁמָּא מֵתוּ הַכֹּהֵן אוֹ הַלֵּוִי אוֹ הֶעֱשִׁיר הֶעָנִי:

When a person lends money to a priest, and the tithes. a Levite, or a poor person, so that he can separate [produce] for the money [they owe] from the portions due them,, but did not require him to pay it. Instead, he said that he would continually deduct the money in exchange for the produce he would set aside as tithes until the debt was paid, as described in the following halachah. he may continue to separate tithes on their behalf on the assumption that they are alive. He need not show concern that the priest or Levite died or the poor man became wealthy.

כֵּיצַד מַפְרִישׁ עֲלֵיהֶן. מַפְרִישׁ תְּרוּמָה אוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר רִאשׁוֹן אוֹ מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי מִפֵּרוֹתָיו וּמְזַכֶּה בָּהֶן עַל יְדֵי אַחֵר לְאוֹתוֹ כֹּהֵן אוֹ הַלֵּוִי אוֹ הֶעָנִי שֶׁהִלְווּם. וְאִם הָיוּ רְגִילִין לִטּל מִמֶּנּוּ וְהוּא רָגִיל שֶׁלֹּא יִתֵּן אֶלָּא לָהֶן אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְזַכּוֹת עַל יְדֵי אַחֵר. וְאַחַר שֶּׁמַּפְרִישׁ מְחַשֵּׁב כַּמָּה שָׁוֶה זֶה שֶׁהִפְרִישׁ וּמְנַכֶּה מִן הַמִּלְוֶה עַד שֶׁיִּפְרַע כָּל חוֹבוֹ וּמוֹכֵר הַתְּרוּמָה לְכָל כֹּהֵן שֶׁיִּרְצֶה וְאוֹכֵל הַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת:

How should he make these separations on their behalf? He should separate terumah, the first tithe, or the tithe for the poor. and give it to another person for the sake of the priest, Levite, or poor person to whom he lent money.. If [the debtors] would frequently take these separations from him or if he was accustomed to give these separations to them alone, he need not give them to another person on their behalf. 30a).After [the lender] makes these separations, he calculates the worth of the produce he separated and deducts it from the loan. [He continues doing this] until he repays the entire debt. He may sell the terumah to any priest of his choice and may partake of the tithes [himself].

כְּשֶׁהוּא מְחַשֵּׁב מַה שָּׁוִים הַפֵּרוֹת שֶׁהִפְרִישׁ יֵשׁ לוֹ לְחַשֵּׁב כַּשַּׁעַר הַזּוֹל וְאֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁשׁ מִשּׁוּם רִבִּית. וְאֵין הַשְּׁבִיעִית מְשַׁמֶּטֶת חוֹב זֶה. וְאִם בָּא בַּעַל הַבַּיִת לַחֲזֹר אֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר. אֲבָל אִם רָצוּ אֵלּוּ שֶׁלָּקְחוּ הַמָּעוֹת לַחֲזֹר חוֹזְרִין. נִתְיָאֲשׁוּ מֵהֶן הַבְּעָלִים אֵין מַפְרִישִׁין עֲלֵיהֶן שֶׁאֵין מַפְרִישִׁין עַל הָאָבוּד. מֵת הַכֹּהֵן אוֹ הַלֵּוִי אוֹ הֶעָנִי שֶׁהִלְווּם אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהַפְרִישׁ עֲלֵיהֶן מֵחֶלְקָן כַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזּוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּטּל רְשׁוּת מִן הַיּוֹרְשִׁין. וְהוּא שֶׁיַּנִּיחַ לָהֶן קַרְקַע אֲפִלּוּ מְלֹא מַחַט. אֲבָל אִם הִנִּיחַ כְּסָפִים אֵין רְשׁוּת הַיּוֹרֵשׁ מוֹעֶלֶת. וְאִם הִלְוָם בְּבֵית דִּין עַל מְנָת שֶׁיַּפְרִישׁ עַל מָעוֹת אֵלּוּ מֵחֶלְקָם אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לִטּל רְשׁוּת מִן הַיּוֹרְשִׁין. הֶעֱשִׁיר הֶעָנִי אֵין מַפְרִישִׁין עָלָיו אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִלְווּהוּ בְּבֵית דִּין זוֹכֶה הַלָּה בְּמַה שֶּׁבְּיָדוֹ:

When he calculates the worth of the produce that he set aside, he has the right to consider their value according to the lower market price. This is not considered as interest. The Sabbatical year does not remit such a debt., ch. 9), it remits only those debts for which a person must demand payment. In this instance, it is as if the payment has already been arranged (Meiri, Gittin 30a).If the lender desires to nullify this arrangement, he may not.). But if [the borrowers] seek to do so, they may. If the owner despaired of receiving payment from them, he can no longer make these separations on their behalf. For we may not make separations because of [a debt that] was lost.) explains that we are speaking about a situation where the lender stipulated that he would receive payment for the loan from the terumah or tithes from a particular year. That year was a year of drought and his harvest appeared lost entirely. He made a public statement of despair, acknowledging that he no longer expected to be able to collect the debt, because his fields would not grow enough crops. If, despite this condition, his fields produced crops, he is not entitled to keep the terumah and/or tithes for himself. The rationale is that he has already given up hope of their recovery.If the priest, Levite, or poor person who borrowed money dies, he cannot continue to separate on their behalf unless he receives permission from the heirs. [Moreover, even if permission is granted,] it is effective only when [the deceased] left the heirs [a tract of] land at least the size of a needle. If, however, he left them only money, permission from the heir is not effective. or tithes separated for the sake of paying the debt. If he made the loan in court on the condition that he will make the separations on their behalf for this money, it is not necessary for him to receive permission from the heirs.If the poor person became wealthy, he may no longer separate [the tithe for the poor] on his behalf. Even though he made the loan in court, [the recipient] may retain the funds in his possession.

יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאָמַר לְבֶן לֵוִי כּוֹר מַעֲשֵׂר יֵשׁ לְךָ בְּיָדִי רַשַּׁאי בֶּן לֵוִי לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ תְּרוּמַת מַעֲשֵׂר עַל מָקוֹם אַחֵר אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא מָשַׁךְ. וְאִם נְתָנוֹ הַיִּשְׂרָאֵל לְלֵוִי אַחֵר אֵין לוֹ עָלָיו אֶלָּא תַּרְעֹמֶת:

When an Israelite tells a Levite: "I am in possession of a kor of tithes for you," the Levite has the right to designate that produce as terumat ma'aser for other produce even if he did not draw it into his possession. 49a). If the Israelite gives it to another Levite, the first individual has nothing more than complaints against him. was not separated - does not create a financial liability.

מִי שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ פֵּרוֹת בִּמְגוּרָה וְנָתַן סְאָה לְלֵוִי וּסְאָה לְעָנִי לֹא יַפְרִישׁ שְׁמֹנֶה סְאִין מִן הַמְּגוּרָה וְיֹאכְלֵם. אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁשְּׁתֵּי סְאִין שֶׁל מַעַשְׂרוֹת קַיָּמִין. אֲבָל אִם אָכְלוּ מֵהֶן הַלֵּוִי וְהֶעָנִי אֵינוֹ מַפְרִישׁ עֲלֵיהֶן אֶלָּא לְפִי חֶשְׁבּוֹן הַנִּשְׁאָר מִשְּׁתֵּי הַסְּאִין:

When a person has produce in a silo and gives a se'ah to a Leviteand a se'ah to a poor person, 4:2), he does not have to separate a full se'ah as the tithes for the poor, for once the first tithe has been separated, all that is necessary is to separate a tenth from the new total and this will be slightly less than a se'ah. he should not set aside eight se'ah from the silo and partake of it. unless he knows with certainty that the two se'ah of the tithes are still intact. If, however, the Levite and/or the poor person partook of them, he may set aside only an amount of grain proportionate to what remains from the two se'ah.

עֲנִיִּים שֶׁהֶחְלִיפוּ מַתְּנוֹתֵיהֶן עִם בַּעַל הַבַּיִת כְּגוֹן שֶׁנָּתְנוּ לוֹ סְאָה שֶׁל לֶקֶט אוֹ שִׁכְחָה וּפֵאָה וּמַעֲשֵׂר עָנִי וְנָטְלוּ סְאָה מִן הַגֹּרֶן. זֶה שֶׁנָּטַל מֵהֶם פָּטוּר מִן הַמַּעֲשֵׂר אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בִּרְשׁוּת בַּעַל הַבַּיִת. וְזֶה שֶׁנָּטְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ חַיָּב אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא חֵלֶף מַתְּנוֹתֵיהֶן הַפְּטוּרִין:

[The following laws apply when] poor people exchange the presents given them with the owner of the field, i.e., they gave him a se'ah of leket, shichachah, peah or the tithes for the poor and they took a se'ah of grain from the grain pile. of their presents - which is usually produce of inferior quality - and exchanging it for a se'ah of quality produce from the grain pile. [The grain] he takes from them is exempt from the tithes, 2:9). even though it was prepared in the domain of the owner. [Tithes] must be separated from [the grain] they take from him even though it was given in exchange for their presents that are exempt.

מִי שֶׁהָיוּ לְפָנָיו שְׁתֵּי כַּלְכָּלוֹת שֶׁל טֶבֶל שֶׁנִּטְּלָה תְּרוּמָתָן וְאָמַר מַעַשְׂרוֹת זוֹ בָּזוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה מְעֻשֶּׂרֶת. אָמַר מַעַשְׂרוֹת זוֹ בָּזוֹ וְזוֹ בָּזוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה מְעֵשֶּׂרֶת שֶׁהֲרֵי קָבַע מַעַשְׂרוֹתֶיהָ בַּשְּׁנִיָּה. וְאֵין הַשְּׁנִיָּה מְעֵשֶּׂרֶת שֶׁאֵין מַפְרִישִׁין מַעֲשֵׂר מִן הָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁכְּבָר נִפְטְרָה עַל הַשְּׁנִיָּה שֶׁעֲדַיִן הִיא חַיֶּבֶת בְּמַעֲשַׂר שְׁתֵּיהֶן:

[The following laws apply when] there are two baskets of tevel from which terumah was separated in front of a person and he says: "Let the tithes from this one be in the other one." The tithing of the first basket is effective. If he says, "Let the tithes from this one be in the other one and [the tithes for] the second one be in this one," the tithing of the first basket is effective, for he has established its tithes within the second basket. The tithing of the second basket is not effective because tithes cannot be set aside from the first basket because the obligation to tithe has already been discharged for the second basket from which the tithes from both must be separated.

אָמַר מַעַשְׂרוֹת שְׁתֵּי כַּלְכָּלוֹת אֵלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂר כָּל אַחַת מֵהֶן קָבוּעַ בַּחֲבֶרְתָּהּ קָרָא שֵׁם וּכְבָר קָבַע מַעַשְׂרוֹתֵיהֶן בָּהֶן וּמוֹצִיא הַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶן וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהוֹצִיא עֲלֵיהֶן מַעַשְׂרוֹת מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר:

If one says: "With regard to the tithes for these two baskets. The tithes for each one are established in the other," he has designated the tithes by name and has established the tithes within them. He therefore separates the tithes from them. He may not separate the tithes from another source.

וְכֵיצַד מְעַשְּׂרָן. מוֹצִיא מַעֲשַׂר שְׁתֵּיהֶן מֵאַחַת מֵהֶן אוֹ מְעַשֵּׂר כָּל אַחַת מֵהֶן מִמֶּנָּה אִם הָיוּ שָׁווֹת. וְאִם הָיְתָה אַחַת גְּדוֹלָה מֵחֲבֶרְתָּהּ מַפְרִישׁ מִן הַקְּטַנָּה מַעֲשַׂר הַגְּדוֹלָה וּמִן הַגְּדוֹלָה מַעֲשַׂר הַקְּטַנָּה:

How are the tithes separated [in the above situation]? One may separate the tithes for both of them from one of them or he should separate the tithes from each one of them from itself if they were of equal [size]. (Demai 8:12), it appears that if the piles of produce are equal, it makes no difference to the person from which pile he makes the separations. Thus he can separate them as he desires (Radbaz). If one of them was larger than the other, one should separate the tithes for the larger one from the smaller one and the tithes for the smaller one from the larger one.