Commento su Terumot 10:13

בטל שנתנו לתוך עדשים – [of unconsecrated produce] and the same law applies [regarding] an onion of heave-offering that was placed within lentils [there is an error of the copier here, and as one needs to say: ‘onion that was placed in the midst of lentils,” with an onion of heave-offering that was placed within lentils [[of unconsecrated produce]], and the same law applies to onion of unconsecrated produce that was placed into lentils of unconsecrated produce, and we are speaking as for example, that he placed it in the lentils after it became ripe and its water had gone out from it, for then, the onion when it is whole discharges on the lentils but does not absorb from them. But if the onion had been ripened with the lentils, it is obvious, that it gives and absorbs taste, even when it is whole.

Introduction This chapter deals with terumah that has been placed together in a dish with hullin after it has been cooked, and with whether the whole mixture has to be treated like terumah.

בנותן טעם – that the Kohen tastes them, that it is permitted in unconsecrated produce and in Terumah/heave offering, if it has the taste of heave-offering, everything is prohibited to foreigners (i.e., non-Kohanim), and if not, it is all unconsecrated produce as it was.

An onion [of terumah] was placed into lentils:
If the onion was whole, it is permissible; In this mishnah one of the two characters, the onion or the lentils, is terumah and the other is hullin. If the onion is whole it won’t impart its taste to the lentils, nor will the lentils impart their taste to the onion. Lentils don’t have a lot of taste nor do they easily take on the taste of things cooked with them. Since one cannot taste the other both retain their former status and whichever one was hullin is still permitted to the non-priest.

ושאר כל תבשיל – as, for example, garlic and purret (i.e., leek with a head), in a similar manner.

But if [the onion] had been cut up, [it is forbidden if it] imparts a flavor. If the onion had been cut up then it will impart its taste to the lentils if there is sufficient quantity of onion, and if there is sufficient quantity of lentils, they will impart their taste to the cut-up onion. Therefore, if the terumah food imparts its taste to the non-terumah food, the non-terumah food must be treated like terumah and it can be eaten only by a priest. The priest should taste the non-terumah food and if it has the taste of the terumah food, then only the priest can keep eating it.

מתיר בצחנה – if he placed onion of heave offering in a small fish preserved in brine, which are small fish that are pickled in brine, he takes the onion and the small fish preserved in brine it is permitted, as long as the onion will be whole and it is not dissolved and is not combined with the small fish preserved in brine, for the onion that is placed in side it rather than to transfer the froth of the fish and not in order to give it a taste. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.

In the case of other dishes, whether the onion is whole or cut up [it is forbidden] if it imparts a flavor. The previous was true with regard to lentils which don’t have a strong taste and are not so susceptible to the taste of the onion. When it comes to other dishes, it doesn’t matter whether the onion was cut up or not, the dish is prohibited if the onion can be tasted.

Rabbi Judah permits it in the case of mashed fish, because it is used only to remove the unpleasant flavor. Rabbi Judah says that if a terumah onion was put into a mixture of mashed up fish, a mixture which has a bad smell, the fish remain permitted to a non-priest because they were put there not to give taste but to get rid of the bad smell.

תפוח – of heave-offering was chopped and placed when it is chopped and pounded into the started dough and it becomes leavened for since unconsecrated produce because of the heave-offering, that the dough was leavened is forbidden to foreigners (i.e., non-Kohanim).

If an apple [of terumah] was chopped and placed into dough [of hullin] so that it leavened it, [the dough] is forbidden. If someone chops up an apple and puts it into dough to use the sugars in the apple as a leavening agent, the dough must be treated like terumah because the apple caused the leavening.

אע"פ שהבאישו – because of the barley of heave-offering, its waters are permitted.

If barley [of terumah] fell into a cistern of water, though [the barley] stinks up the water, the water is permissible. In this case terumah barley falls into a cistern and rots, thereby causing the water to stink up. The water is permitted to non-priests even though it has the taste of terumah because the taste that it imparts is not a desirable taste. Something that leaves a bad taste does not cause the other food to become prohibited.

הרודה – removal of the bread/pita from the oven is called רדייה /detaching/taking bread out of the oven.

One who removes warm bread from an oven and places it over an open barrel of terumah wine:
Rabbi Meir says: it is forbidden. Rabbi Meir says that the warm bread absorbs enough taste from the wine such that the bread must be treated as terumah.

ונתנה ע"פ חבית של יין של תרומה – that now, the bead/pita absorbs and imbibes from the scent/smell of the wine.

Rabbi Judah permits it. Rabbi Judah holds that the bread does not absorb the taste of the wine and therefore it retains its status as hullin.

ר"מ אוסר – that he holds that the scent/smell is a thing/affair.

Rabbi Yose permits the bread of wheat but not of barley, because barley absorbs. Rabbi Yose distinguishes between barley bread, which is absorbent, and wheat bread which is not. I highly encourage people to perform this taste test at home, perhaps with some guests. Just don’t use terumah wine!

ורבי יהודה מתיר – for he holds that the scent/smell is not a thing/matter.

מפני שהשעורים שובות – draw from the moistness of the wine of heave-offering, and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yosi.

אלא ריח כמון – that exactly the smell of (spices) [cumin] enters into the pita/bread, and the scent/smell is not a matter, whether with heave-offering/Terumah or with all of the prohibitions tht are in the Torah. And if it is because the oven was heated with heae-offering, its prohibition is ot a prohibition of deriving benefit.

Introduction Our mishnah teaches that hullin that absorbs the smell of something that was terumah is still permitted to non-priests.

If an oven was heated with cumin of terumah and bread was baked in it, the bread is permitted, for there is no taste of cumin, just the smell of cumin. If someone uses sticks of terumah cumin as kindling for his oven the bread cooked in the oven does not take on the status of terumah because the cumin gives off a smell but not a taste. The fact that the bread smells like terumah does not make it prohibited to non-priests because non-priests can smell terumah, they just can’t eat it.

תלתן – In Arabic, CHOLBA, and in the foreign language, FENGREEG”U

Introduction Both the seeds and the stalk of fenugreek can impart flavor to something they are mixed in with. This mishnah deels with fenugreek which falls into a vat of wine.

אבל לא בעץ – even though that the taste of its stalk/tree and its fruit are equivalent, the tree does not combine with the fruit to prohibit the wine of unconsecrated produce, because the tree/stalk is not holy in heave-offering. But, [regarding] the Seventh Year and diverse seeds and that which is dedicated to the Temple, even the tree/stalk is prohibitd, for the stalk of fenugreek in wine provides a flavor to improve it.

Fenugreek which fell into a vat of wine:
If it was terumah or second tithe and there is in the seed alone without the stalk sufficient to impart a flavor [it is forbidden]. If the fenugreek which falls into the wine is of terumah or second tithe, then there needs to be enough fenugreek seed to impart flavor to the wine to make it prohibited. In this case we ignore the stalk. This is because the stalk of the fenugreek is not considered to be “kadosh” as far as terumah and second tithe are concerned only the seed is considered to be kadosh. Therefore, the stalk can’t cause the wine to be prohibited.

But if it was seventh year produce or mixed seeds in vineyards, or dedicated produce, [it is forbidden] if in both seed and stalk there is sufficient to impart a flavor. However, when it comes to fenugreek that grew in the seventh year, or grew in a vineyard, or was dedicated to the Temple, in all of these cases the laws apply to the stalks the same way that they apply to the seeds. Therefore, if the stalks and seeds together impart a taste, then the wine takes on the laws of the fenugreek. If the fenugreek was seventh year produce, then the wine must be treated as seventh year wine and it can be drunk only while grapes are found in the field. If the fenugreek is from mixed seeds, then the wine is prohibited. If it was dedicated to the Temple, then the wine too must be given to the Temple.

ידלקו – for even the tree/stalk is forbidden, and the mixed seats/diverse kinds of the vineyard require burning as it is written (Deuteronomy 22:9): “else the crop-from the seed [you have sown]- and the yield of the vineyard,” lest it become burned with fire (i.e., lest it become sacred -forbidden property – lest a fire must be lighted – (for burning it – Jerusalem Talmud, Pesahim 28c).

Introduction The mishnah continues to deal with laws concerning fenugreek.

ומחשב כמה זרע יש בהן – for heave-offering/Terumah is taken with thought/care, and with estimating the quantity.

If one had bunches of fenugreek of mixed seeds of the vineyard, they must be burned. Seeds that grew in a vineyard must be burned. Since this rule applies to the stalks as well as the seeds, all of the fenugreek must be burned.

וא"צ להפריש את העץ – and even though the taste of the stalk/tree and its fruit are equivalent

If he had bunches of fenugreek of untithed produce, he must beat them and calculate the amount of seed within them and set aside [terumah] from the seed, but he need not separate terumah from the stalks. The stalks of the fenugreek are not obligated in tithes or in terumah. So if he has bunches of fenugreek what he should do is beat them and thereby separate the seeds and then estimate how much he has to give to terumah from the seeds. He need not take the stalks into account.

ואם הפריש – prior to crushing, he is not able to crush and to separate them from the seed, and that the stalk/tree would remain to himself, for since he designated upon it the title of “Terumah/heave-offering,” he must give it to the Kohen.

But if he did set aside [the terumah from the stalks before he beat the bunches] he must not say: “I will beat out [the seed] and take the stalks and give only the seed” but he must give the stalks together with the seed. If he declared the terumah before he beat out the seed, he can’t go back and say that only the seeds will count for terumah. Once he has declared that there is terumah in the stalks as well as the seeds, he will need to separate terumah from the stalks together with the seed.

שכבשן עם זיתי תרומה – it is the manner for olives to pickle them in water and in salt, and when the unconsecrated olives are crushed, that is, squeezed open, or chopped, they absorb from the unconsecrated olives, even if the heave-offering of olives are pure, for even if he pickled them in water, olives of heave-offering/Terumah are forbidden.

Introduction This mishnah discusses hullin olives that were pickled together with terumah olives.

אבל שלימי חולין – when unconsecrated olives ae full, even if they are pickled with olives [of heave-offering] that are crushed, hey do not absorb from them.

Olives of hullin which were pickled together with olives of terumah, whether it was a case where crushed [olives] of hullin [which were pickled together] with crushed [olives] of terumah, or crushed [olives] of hullin with whole [olives] of terumah, or with juice of terumah, they are forbidden. If the hullin olives were crushed and then put in a mixture where there was any form of terumah olives, be they crushed or whole, or even if it is just juice that came from already pickled terumah olives, they must be treated like terumah and would be prohibited to non-priests. Since the hullin olives were crushed, they are susceptible to the taste of that which they are pickled with.

But if whole [olives] of hullin were pickled with crushed [olives] of terumah, they are permitted. However, if the hullin olives are whole, then they are not susceptible to the taste and they are permitted, even if they were pickled with crushed terumah olives. In other words, whole olives may give off taste (see previous section), but whole olives are not susceptible to taste, at least according to our mishnah.

גרב – arched, pouched vessel/wine jug.

Introduction This mishnah deals with brine that comes from a barrel in which unclean fish were mixed with clean fish.

כל גרב שהוא מחזיק סאתים – if impure fish was pickled with many pure fish inside the jug/vessel, and the vessel holds two Seah, and there is from the brine of the impure fish at a weigh of ten Zuzim of Judea, which are five Selaim of the Galilee, and all the rest is the brine of pure fish, that is found the brine of impure fish one in nine hundred and sixty [parts] of pure fish, it is prohibited. But, if the brine of the impure fish was less than this, it is permitted.

Unclean fish which was pickled with clean fish:
If the jug contains two seahs and the unclean fish weighs ten zuz in Judean measure, which is five selas in Galilean measure, the brine is forbidden. We have to pay careful attention to the measurements being mentioned here. The jug contains two seahs, which is equivalent to 48 logs. There are ten zuz of unclean fish in Judean measure which is equivalent to five selas in Galilean measure, which equals twenty zuz Judean zuz are twice the size of Galilean zuz. In two seahs there are 9,600 Judean zuz (each log has 200 zuz). So if 1/960 of the mixture’s volume is unclean fish, the brine is prohibited.

רבי יהודה אומר רביעית לסאתים – when there would be one-quarter of a LOG of impure brine within the two Seah of pure brine, everything is forbidden; less than this, it is permitted. And this measure is close to two-hundred, and even though that Rabbi Yehuda holds that it is must be something of the same species but it doesn’t voided/neutralized, for brine is different, for it is mere moisture, and its prohibition is none other than Rabbinic, therefore, Rabi Yehuda states that it is annulled in near to two-hundred.

Rabbi Judah says: it needs be a quarter [of a log] in two seahs. One quarter of a log is equivalent to 50 zuz. So if there are 50/9600 (=1/192) parts unclean fish, Rabbi Judah holds that all of the brine is forbidden.

ורבי יוסי אומר – that it is annulled in sixteen. And the law is that brine is annulled in more than one-thousand, and if there is more than one-thousand from a pure fish and one from an impure fish, it is all permissible,and if not, everything is forbidden.

Rabbi Yose says: one-sixteenth of it. Rabbi Yose says that the unclean fish must be 1/16 of the whole jug before the brine becomes forbidden. This means that unless there are three logs of unclean fish (600 zuz), the brine is still permitted. His is by far the most lenient opinion. The first opinion forbade at ten zuz, and Rabbi Judah at fifty zuz.

לא פסלו את צירן – that they were lenient with the brine of impure locusts that it does not prohibit, because they lack blood and it not anything other than mere moistness.

Introduction Leviticus 11:22 states that some locusts can be eaten, but according to the rabbis there are other types of locusts that may not be eaten. In the time of the Mishnah they knew how to tell the difference between the kosher and the non-kosher locusts, but most Jews today do not eat locusts. Perhaps this is cultural bias, but I don’t really feel like I’m missing out.

שהוא טהור – needless to say that it does not prohibit the mixture, but it itself is ritually pure. And the But the Halakha is according to the testimony of Rabbi Tzadok.

If unclean locusts were pickled together with clean ones, they do not make the brine forbidden. The locusts will not pick up the taste of the other locusts that they are pickled with. Therefore, the clean ones remain permitted. Furthermore, the brine itself is permitted because it does not pick up the taste of the unclean locusts.

Rabbi Zadok testified that the brine of unclean locusts is clean. According to Rabbi Zadok even the brine is permitted.

כל הנכבשים זה עם זה – unconsecrated vegetables that were pickled with vegetables of heave-offering, the heave-offering does not prohibit the unconsecrated produce.

Introduction This mishnah deals with vegetables that are pickled together.

חוץ מן החסית – garlic and LOF/a plant similar to colocasia with edible leaves and root and bearing beans, and onion and leeks are called חסית/leek plants, for along with their sharpness, they give a taste in everything that are pickled with them. And when they are of heave-offering, they forbid, whether it is unconsecrated vegetable, whether leek , and the rest of the vegetables of heave-offering do not prohibit when they are pickled, but if they are cooked or boiled, they prohibit.

[Vegetables] pickled together are permitted, except [when pickled] with allium (onions, garlic,. When vegetables of terumah are pickled together with vegetables of hullin the hullin vegetables do not take on the taste of the terumah vegetables and they remain permitted to non-priests. The exception to this rule is allium vegetables, which includes onions, garlic and leeks. These do impart their taste to other vegetables

Allim of hullin [pickled] with allium of terumah, or other vegetables of hullin with leeks of terumah are forbidden. Since terumah onions, garlic or leeks will impart their taste to whatever they are pickled with, the other vegetables must be treated like terumah.

But allium of hullin with vegetables of terumah are permitted. Garlic, onions and leeks impart their flavor to other vegetables, but they do not take on the flavor of other vegetables. Therefore, if they are hullin and the other vegetables are terumah, they remain hullin.

רבי יוסי אומר כל שנשלקים עם התרדים אסורים – Rabbi Yosi disputes with the first Tanna/teacher and holds that all the rest of the vegetables do not prohibit even when they are boiled , except from the phohibited beats such as of heave-offering and mixed seeds of a vineyard that give taste in their boiling.

Rabbi Yose says: Anything stewed with [terumah] beets becomes forbidden, because they impart a flavor. Stewing refers to cooking vegetables or meat until they are very soft. Rabbi Yose says that hullin vegetables stewed together with terumah vegetables remain permitted, with the exception of terumah beets which do impart a flavor to that which they are stewed with.

כרוב של קשי – that grows in a dry land that it is necessary to water it. If [they boiled] with the cabbage of heave-offering that grows in a moist land, and there is not need to water it, it is prohibited, and all irrigated fields on account of its dryness it abosorbs.

Rabbi Shimon says: cabbage from a field artificially irrigated [that is stewed] with [terumah] cabbage from a field watered by rain, is forbidden because it absorbs. According to Rabbi Shimon, cabbage that grows in a field that is artificially irrigated is more susceptible to outside flavor than cabbage grown in a field watered by rain. Hence, if the latter is terumah cabbage and it is stewed with the former, all of the cabbage must be treated like terumah.

ר"ע אומר – all that is prohibited and permited that are cooked one with the other, and they are of one species, are permitted, for they don’t give a taste to each other, except for the prohibited meat and the permitted that are cooked together that is prohibited. And the Halkaha is not like of these Tanaaim, other than the first Tanna/teacher alone who stated that that arll that is pickled are permitted except from the leek plants but if they are cooked or boiled, all of them forbid.

Rabbi Akiba says: all things cooked together are permitted, except those with meat. Rabbi Akiba says that anything cooked (not stewed) together is permitted, except for forbidden meat. If, for instance, pork was placed in a pot of beef, the beef would absorb the taste of the pork and it would become prohibited.

הכבד אוסרת – liver of non-kosher meat that was cooked with permitted [meat] prohibits all that is cooked with it.

Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri says: liver renders other things forbidden, but does not become forbidden, because it gives off [flavor] but does not absorb. Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri says that liver gives off flavor and therefore if it is cooked with other meat it renders it prohibited, but it itself does not absorb flavor. Hence if the liver is permitted and the other meat is prohibited, the liver remains permitted. This is because the taste of liver is very strong (never developed a taste for it myself).

ואינה נאסרת – if it was cooked with a prohibited substance, because it is anxious to emit regularly the much blood that is in it, it does not absorb it. And the Halakha is that liver that was cooked, even if it is something permissible is prohibited to eat, and prohibits all that is cooked with it, because it is filled with blood. And it discharges and returns and absorbs from the blood that discharged, but this is not an ordinance of cooking, unless he first singed it well with fire, and so have the people practiced.

בתבלים אסורים – as, for example, spices of heave-offering or of Orlah (the fruit of trees of the first three years which are forbidden) and mixed seeds of the vineyard.

If an egg is boiled with forbidden spices even its yolk is forbidden, because it absorbs. Even the yoke of an egg will take on the taste of the terumah spices with which it is cooked. The whole egg becomes prohibited to non-priests.

אפילו חלמון (yolk) – the red/fleshy substance of the egg which is from the inside, and all the more so, the yolk which is from the outside.

The water in which terumah has been stewed or pickled is forbidden to non-priests. The water in which terumah is stewed or pickled takes on the taste of the terumah vegetables and it too becomes prohibited to non-priests.

מי כבשים ומי שלקות – in which heave-offering were pickled or boiled are forbidden to foreigners (i.e., non-Kohanim).