לְמָה אָמְרוּ הַבִּכּוּרִים כְּנִכְסֵי כֹהֵן, שֶׁהוּא קוֹנֶה מֵהֶם עֲבָדִים וְקַרְקָעוֹת וּבְהֵמָה טְמֵאָה, וּבַעַל חוֹב נוֹטְלָן בְּחוֹבוֹ, וְהָאִשָּׁה בִכְתֻבָּתָהּ, כְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה. וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אֵין נוֹתְנִים אוֹתָם אֶלָּא לְחָבֵר בְּטוֹבָה. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, נוֹתְנִין אוֹתָם לְאַנְשֵׁי מִשְׁמָר, וְהֵם מְחַלְּקִין בֵּינֵיהֶם, כְּקָדְשֵׁי הַמִּקְדָּשׁ:
Why do we say that the <i>Bikkurim</i> are like the property of a <i>Kohen</i>? Because he can buy with them slaves, land, or an impure animal, and a creditor takes them to pay a debt, and a women takes them to pay her marriage contract, [as the <i>Bikkurim</i> may be used] like a Torah scroll. And Rabbi Yehudah says, they are only given to a <i>Chaver</i> [one who scrupulously observes tithes and purity laws], [and only] as a gift. And the Sages say they are given to those [priests] of the watch, and they divide them among themselves, as sanctified Temple items.
Tosefta Peah
[There is] a stringency with holy things in the Temple (i.e., sacrifices offered in the Temple) that does not exist with holy things in the outlying areas (i.e., Terumah, the gift of the shankbone, cheek and maw, first of the fleece, redemption of the first born, etc., see Ketubot 24b:15 and Minchat Yitzchak here), *and [a stringency] with holy things in the outlying areas that does not exist with holy things in the Temple. [*Note: The clause "and ... the Temple" is absent from the Erfurt manuscript.] [In regards to] holy things in the outlying areas, minors [are permitted in the] distribution of them and impure persons [are permitted in the] distribution them, and they distribute them in a state of impurity (contra. Tos. Terumot 10:18). And they weigh one against another (i.e., they may substitute an equivalent amount of unconsecrated produce for Terumah, see Lieberman). [In regards to holy things] in the Temple, [the Kohen himself] is responsible for them and must take care of them, and take them to the Chosen House (i.e., the Temple). [In regards to] holy things in the outlying area, [Kohanim] may only give them to a chaver (see Tos. Demai 2:2), [while in regards to] holy things in the Temple, they [may additionally] give them to priests of the guard (=לאנשי משמר, see Bikkurim 3:12; this translation follows the GR"A).
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