12th Cycle Dedication

ERCHIN 10 (28 Teves) - Dedicated by Morris and Caroline Massel in loving memory of Morris' grandparents, Ezekiel and Sadie Massel z'l and Moses and Aziza Montefiore, all of whose Yahrzeits are in this season.

1)

MORE ON GIVING MAASER TO KOHANIM (Yerushalmi Maaser Sheni Perek 5 Halachah 3 Daf 31a)

øáé àáäå àîø àéúôìâåï øáé éäåùò áï çððéä åøáé ìòæø áï òæøéä. øáé éäåùò áï çððéä àîø àéï ðåúðéï îòùø ìëäåðä åøáé ìòæø áï òæøéä àîø ðåúðéï îòùø ìëäåðä.

(a)

(R. Abahu): R. Yehoshua ben Chananya and R. Elazar ben Azaria disagreed. R. Yehoshua ben Chananya said that one should not give Maaser to Kohanim. R. Elazar ben Azaria allows it.

îúéá øáé éäåùò áï çððéä ìøáé ìòæø áï òæøéä åäà ëúéá (ùí) åàëìúí àåúå áëì î÷åí áà åàåëìå òîå á÷áø.

(b)

Question (R. Yehoshua ben Chananya to R. Elazar ben Azaria): Doesn't the pasuk state (Bamidbar 18:31), "And you shall eat it in any place..." - even in a graveyard. (But how could a Kohen do that?!)

àîø ìéä îäå áëì î÷åí áòæøä.

(c)

Rebuttal (R. Elazar ben Azaria): It means any place in the Temple Courtyard.

àîø ìéä åäà ëúéá (ùí) àúí åáéúëí åàùä ðëðñú ìòæøä.

(d)

Question (R. Yehoshua ben Chananya): Doesn't that pasuk say "you and your household" - but can a woman enter the Courtyard?

øáé áà äåä îùúòé ääï òåáãà øáé ìòæø áï òæøéä äåä éìéó îéñá îòùøà ãçãà âéðä åäéä ìàåúä âéðä ùðé ôúçéí àçã ìî÷åí èåîàä åàçã ôúåç ìî÷åí èäøä.

(e)

R. Ba related the following story. R. Elazar ben Azaria (who was a Kohen) would regularly take Maaser from a certain garden. The garden had two entrances, one to a place of Tumah and one to a place of Taharah.

ðô÷ øáé ò÷éáä ìâáéä àîø ìéä [ãó ìà òîåã á] ôúç ääï åñúåí ääï. àéï àúà àîåø ìé' áà áãøê äæä

(f)

R. Akiva went out to the owner and said to him, "Open the door (that opens to Tumah) and close the one (that opens to Taharah)". (He said this in order to prevent R. Elazar from entering.) If R. Elazar comes, I will tell him to enter through the other doorway (which he certainly will not do).

àîø ìéä àéï ùìç úìîéãéä

(g)

Question (Owner to R. Akiva): What if he sends a student here (who is a Yisrael) on his behalf?

àîåø ìéä (áîãáø éç) àúí ëúéá.

(h)

Answer (R. Akiva to the owner): The pasuk says (ibid.) 'you (and your household)" - meaning that the person himself needs to be able to go there.

ùîò øáé ìòæø áï òæøéä àîø îøöòä ãò÷éáä áï éåñó áà ìëàï.

(i)

When R. Elazar ben Azaria heard what the owner did (closing the door to Taharah) he said, "The tactic of Akiva ben Yosef came here".

áàåúä ùòä äçæéø ø' ìòæø áï òæøéä ëì äîòùøåú ùðèì.

(j)

As a result of this, R. Elazar ben Azaria returned all of the Maaseros that he had previously taken.

àîø øáé éöç÷ áø ìòæø áùøåúà áòéà îåìéé [ãó ðã òîåã á (òåæ åäãø)] ñáà ã÷éñä îéðéä åáéä

(k)

(R. Yitzchak bar Elazar): If a pot needs to be heated up, a lot of wood is needed. But if it's already hot only a small amount of wood is needed to keep it hot. (R. Akiva used a gentle approach to have R. Elazar return all of the Maaseros.)

ëì âåîøä ãìà ëåéä áùòúä ìà ëåéä:

(l)

Parable #2: Any coal that doesn't burn at the beginning will not burn later (as it will only cool off).

äëì îåãéï áôú åùîï ùäåà öøéê ìáòø áééï åáúáìéï ùäåà ëîáåòø îä ôìéâéï áúáùéì áéú ùîàé àåîøéí öøéê ìáòø åáéú äìì àåîøéí àéðå öøéê ìáòø.

(m)

(The Mishnah taught (Erchin 8(g)) concerning a soup (made of Shemittah or Maaser Sheni produce) - Beis Shammai say that it requires Biur; Beis Hillel say that it is considered already destroyed). All agree that bread and oil still require Biur. All agree that wine and spices are considered already destroyed. They disagree over a dish (of dissolved Maaser Sheni that is no longer recognizable) - Beis Shammai say that it requires Biur and Beis Hillel says that it does not.

îä èòîà ãáéú ùîàé åöøú äëñó áìáã áéãê.

(n)

(The Mishnah taught (Erchin 8(h)) One who has produce nowadays and the time of Biur arrived - Beis Shammai say that it must be redeemed onto coins; Beis Hillel say that it is the same whether it is redeemed onto coins or it remains produce.) What is Beis Shammai's source? (Devarim 14:25), "And bind up the money in your hand". (Only money may be used for redemption.)

îä èòîà ãáéú äìì àôéìå îçììå îäå îåòéì:

(o)

What is Beis Hillel's source? The purpose of redemption is to be able to take the money and buy food in Yerushalayim. Here, the money will remain with him outside Yerushalayim, so what does it help to redeem it?