1)

(a)The Mishnah now lists four species of fruit of D'mai that must be Ma'asered everywhere - (even north of K'ziv [see also Tos. Yom-Tov & Mishnah Achronah]). And it opens the list with dried figs (see Tos. Yom-Tov), dates and carobs.

(b)What makes these species different than other fruit - is the fact that they only grow in Eretz Yisrael (refer to previous Tos. Yom-Tov).

(c)And the list ends with rice and K'mon - cumin (a spice).

(d)The Tana rules - that rice of Chutz la'Aretz is not subject to D'mai, even in Eretz Yisrael - (because the difference between it and the rice that grows in Eretz Yisrael is marked [see Tos. Yom-Tov]).

2)

(a)Besides whatever he eats (see Tos. Yom-Tov), In order to become trustworthy a person must Ma'aser - whatever he sells and whatever he buys (Ibid).

(b)The ramifications of being 'trustworthy' are - that one's produce is no longer considered D'mai.

(c)According to the Tana Kama - he is also not permitted to eat by an Am-ha'Aretz.

(d)R. Yehudah disagrees - with the latter ruling (permitting him to eat by an Am ha'Aretz).

(e)The Chachamim comment on that - that if he himself is not trustworthy with regard to himself, how can he be trustworthy with regard to others (see also Tos. Yom-Tov)?

3)

(a)The Mishnah now describes how to become a Chaver - who is trusted regarding Taharos, inasmuch as his clothes and his liquids (see also Tos. Yom-Tov) are Tahor.

(b)Even a Talmid-Chacham is required to meet the same criteria.

(c)Before he atytains the title 'Chaver', he must practice the laws of Chavrus - for thirty days.

(d)If he is not a Talmid-Chacham, he needs to do this - in front of three people who are themselves Chaverim.

(e)If he is a Zakein ve'Yoshev bi'Yeshivah (see Tos. Yom-Tov) - then not only does he not require three people, but he can be part of a group of three, in front of whom others become Chaverim.

4)

(a)The first condition mentioned by the Tana is that he sells neither liquids nor solids to an Am-ha'Aretz - since it is forbidden to hand Taharos to an Am-ha'Aretz, so as not to cause Chulin in Eretz Yisrael to become Tamei.

(b)Purchasing solids on the other hand - is permitted, because an Am-ha'Aretz is believed to say that his solids did not have contact with one of the seven liquids, and are therefore not yet subject to Tum'ah.

(c)But if the Am-ha'Aretz claims that his solids did in fact, become wet, but did not have any contact with Tum'ah - he is not believed (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

5)

(a)The potential Chaver is not allowed to be a guest at the house of an Am-ha'Aretz (see Tos. Yom-Tov) - to avoid becoming Tamei and going on to be Metamei Taharos.

(b)He is also forbidden to invite the Am-ha'Aretz to his house - with the clothes that he is wearing.

(c)The simple reason why the Tana is concerned about the Am-ha'Aretz's clothes, but not about himself is - because it is easier to avoid touching ther Am-ha'Aretz than it is to avoid touching his clothes.

(d)The other reason for this distinction is because - whereas contact with the actual Am-ha'Aretz will merely result in becoming a Sheini mi'de'Rabbanan, contact with his clothes (on which, we suspect, his wife sat whilst she was a Nidah, so that they become Tamei Medras), will render him a Rishon d'Oraysa.

6)

(a)R. Yehudah adds that the potential Chaver must also adhere to the prohibition of not rearing a small-type of animal in Eretz Yisrael - (which Chazal forbade because small animals [such as sheep] tend to graze in other people's fields [see also Tos. Yom-Tov]), plus a number of other conditions.

(b)The second condition is that he should not be easy-going regarding either Nedarim - or lightheadedness (since 'lightheadedness' leads to permissiveness'.

(c)R. Yehudah's third condition is that he should not render himself Tamei Meis. The fourth - that he must serve Talmidei-Chachamim in the Beis-ha'Medrash (considered the equivalent to learning Gemara nowadays).

(d)The Chachamim say that - all of these have nothing to do with Taharos, and are therefore not required for 'Chavrus'.

(e)The Halachah - is like the Chachamim.

7)

(a)The two obligations that the Mishnah obligates bakers to fulfill regarding D'mai are - T'rumas Ma'aser and Chalah, but ...

(b)... not Ma'aser Sheini - because the authorities pressurize them (under threat of beatings) to bring their prices down.

(c)They are nevertheless obligated to separate it - if they sell to an Am ha'Aretz ...

(d)... because the obligation to separate it now falls on the purchaser, and an Am-ha'Aretz will probably not fulfill it.

8)

(a)The Tana forbids to sell Ma'aser Sheini to store-keepers however. This might be based on the fact that they sell in small quantities - due to the fact that they make a large profit on their sales.

(b)Alternatively, it might be - because they often tend to sell to small children, who will then eat from what they bought without Ma'asering it (and it is forbidden to feed small children what is Asur).

(c)On the other hand, he permits people who sell in large quantities - (such as wholesalers) to do so.

9)

(a)R. Meir rules that both ...

1. ... bakers who are selling in large quantities, and ...

2. ... wholesalers who are selling in small quantities - go after the measure that they are actually using, and not the one that they generally use (see also Tos. Yom-Tov).

(b)The Tana Kama defines a large measure of solid food as three Kabin - (twelve Lugin, which is equivalent to the volume of seventy-two eggs), and one Dinar's worth of liquid (wine or oil).

(c)The Tana uses the value for liquids (rather than a measure) - because there is no fixed measure for this regard (see also Tos. Yom-Tov).

(d)R. Yossi issues a leniency in this regard - that as long as one sells these items by assessment (rather than by measure or by weight), one is Patur from Ma'asering them.

(e)The Halachah is - like the Tana Kama.