(Mishnah): If they were walking on the road, and [the Mudar] has nothing to eat, [the Madir] may give a gift of food to others, and [the Mudar] takes [from them] and eats, and it is permitted;

If no one else is around, he leaves the food on a rock or on the fence and says 'it is Hefker (ownerless) for whoever wants.' [The Mudar] takes and eats;

R. Yosi forbids.

(Gemara - Beraisa - R. Meir): Once a person is Mafkir, the matter leaves his Reshus;

R. Yosi says, Hefker leaves the owner's Reshus only through [another's] acquisition.

(R. Yirmeyah and R. Ba bar Chiyah, citing R. Yochanan citing R. Yanai): R. Yosi [forbids making it Hefker in front of the Mudar, for he] considers this like giving a gift to 10 people, and [the Mudar] is one of them.

If one was Mafkir his field - some teach that one can retract, and some teach that one cannot retract.

(R. Chizkiyah citing R. Avahu citing Reish Lakish): The one who says that he can retract, he holds like R. Yosi. The one who says that he cannot retract, he holds like R. Meir.

Inference: Hefker according to R. Yosi (if he retracted, and afterwards authorized someone else to take it), it is obligated in Ma'aser, for what [did the Torah] say [is exempt from Ma'aser]? Hefker, and not a gift! (This left his Reshus only through the gift!)

[Also] R. Yakov bar Acha came and said in the name of Reish Lakish, Hefker according to R. Yosi is obligated in Ma'aser.

There (in Bavel) they say that Hefker according to R. Yosi is not obligated in Ma'aser.

Source (R. Yochanan citing R. Yanai): "u'Va ha'Levi Ki Ein Lo..." (a Levi receives Ma'aser, for he did not receive a portion in Eretz Yisrael) - from what you have, and he does not have, you must give to him (Ma'aser). This excludes Hefker, which your hand (rights to it) and his hand are equal in it.

The same applies to Leket, the same applies to Shichechah, and the same applies to Pe'ah - they are like Hefker.

Question: [Perhaps R. Yosi said] only for one who was Mafkir for a long time. Is it even if he was Mafkir for a short time? (Perhaps it leaves his Reshus for the time he specified!)

Answer: We learn from the following [Beraisa]. If one was Mafkir his field, for three days, he can retract.

(R. Ze'ira): This was said only for three days, but after three days, he cannot retract (because the Hefker was publicized).

(R. Shimon Dayana, in front of R. Ze'ira): Even after three days, he can retract.

Question (R. Ze'ira): Since you say after three days, he can retract - after three days is the same as after many days! (Why did the Beraisa mention three days?)

Support (for R. Ze'ira - Seifa of the above Beraisa): When is this? It is when he was Mafkir Stam, but if he said 'my field is Hefker for one day, for one week, for one month, for one year, for one Shavu'a (seven years) - until someone acquired, whether him or someone else, he can retract. After someone acquired, whether him or someone else, he cannot retract. (The Reisha (Hefker Stam) mentioned only three days. The Seifa (Hefker for a limited time) distinguishes between whether or not someone acquired. This shows that in the Reisha, he can retract only for three days.)

Inference #1: [Hefker for] a long time is the same as for a short time.

Inference #2: We are not concerned for scheming. (It teaches that also he can acquire them again, i.e. without retracting his Hefker, and what grew is exempt from Ma'aser.)

Inference #3: One can be Mafkir and return to acquire it. (It would have been better to list this second, for it is included in Inference #2, but Inference #2 is not included in this.)

Summation of Answer: This resolves R. Ze'ira's question [like he said]. R. Ze'ira said, there is no difference between a short time and a long time! (We explained this like MEICHAL HA'MAYIM.)