משנה: אֵין מְבִיאִין בִּיכּוּרִים חוּץ מִשִּׁבְעַת הַמִּינִים. לֹא מִתְּמָרִים שֶׁבֶּהָרִים וְלֹא מִפֵּירוֹת שֶׁבָּעֲמָקִים וְלֹא מִזֵּיתֵי שֶׁמֶן שֶׁאֵינָן מִן הַמּוּבְחָר. אֵין מְבִיאִין בִּיכּוּרִים קוֹדֶם לָעֲצֶרֶת. אַנְשֵׁי הַר צְבוֹעִים הֵבִיאוּ בִּיכּוּרֵיהֶן קוֹדֶם לָעֲצֶרֶת וְלֹא קִיבְּלוּ מֵהֶן מִפְּנֵי הַכָּתוּב שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה וְחַג הַקָּצִיר בִּיכּוּרֵי מַעֲשֶׂיךָ אֲשֶׁר תִּזְרַע בַּשָּׂדֶה. MISHNAH: One does not bring First Fruits except from the Seven Kinds38The fruits enumerated in Deut. 8:8; cf. Berakhot 6, Notes 15, 151., nor from mountain dates, nor from valley fruits39Grapes, figs, pomegranates and olives. These grow better in the hills; dates grow best in the Jordan valley. The requirement of “best quality” applies to all First Fruits., nor from oil olives which are not best quality. One may not bring First Fruits before Pentecost. 40The remainder of the Mishnah is also Mishnah Ḥallah 4:11; Notes 172,173. The people from Hyena Mountain brought their First Fruits before Pentecost but they did not accept from them because of the verse in the Torah: (Ex. 23:16) “The pilgrimage holiday of harvest, the First Fruits of your work from sowing the field.”
הלכה: אֵין מְבִיאִין בִּיכּוּרִים כול׳. אִלּוּ כְּתִיב וְלָקַחְתָּ רֵאשִׁית כָּל־פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה הָייִתִי אוֹמֵר כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים יְהוּ חַייָבִין בְּבִיכּוּרִין. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר מֵרֵאשִׁית וְלֹא כָל־רֵאשִׁית. אִם מֵרֵאשִׁית וְלֹא כָל־רֵאשִׁית אֵין לָךְ אֶלָּא חִטִּים וּשְׂעוֹרִים בִּלְבַד. תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר פְּרִי אַדְמָֽתְךָ רִיבָה. וְרִיבָה אֶת הַכֹּל. נֶאֱמַר כָּאן אַרְצְךָ וְנֶאֱמַר כָּאן אֶרֶץ חִיטָּה וּשְׂעוֹרָה. מָה אֶרֶץ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְהַלָּן בְּשִׁבְעַת הַמִּינִין הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר אַף אֶרֶץ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כָּאן בְּשִׁבְעַת הַמִּינִין הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר. HALAKHAH: 41A similar text in Sifra Deut. 197(2), a third version in Babli Menaḥot 84b.“One does not bring First Fruits”, etc. If it were written (Deut. 26:2): “You shall take the First Fruits of your land”, I would have said that all kinds should be obligated for First Fruits. The verse says,“from42As always, prefix מ is read as partitive. the First Fruits”, not all firsts. If “from the first” and not all first, then you have only wheat and barley. The verse says “fruits of your land”; this is inclusive. Does it include everything? Here43Deut. 26:2. “your land” has been said; at another place44Deut. 8:8. “the Land of wheat and barley” has been said. Since “land” mentioned there deals with the Seven Kinds, so also “land” mentioned in this verse must deal with the Seven Kinds.
זֵית שֶׁמֶן זֶה אָגוֹרי. רִבִּי אִמִּי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן זֶה אַװְרוֹסִי. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ אָגוֹרִי. שֶׁהוּא אוֹגֵר שַׁמְנוֹ לְתוֹכוֹ וְכָל־הַזֵּיתִים מְאַבְּדִין שַׁמְנָן. אָמַר רִבִּי חֲנִינָה כָּל־הַזֵּתִים הַגְּשָׁמִים יוֹרְדִין עֲלֵיהֶן וְהֵן פּוֹלְטִין אֶת שַׁמְנָן וְזֶה הַגְּשָׁמִים יוֹרְדִין עָלָיו וְהוּא אוֹגֵר שַׁמְנוֹ לְתוֹכוֹ. 45This paragraph and the following explain expressions used in Deut. 8:8.“Oil olives” that is agory46In the Gaonic commentary to Kelim 17:8, the reading is איגורי. The kind of olive, the main example of a mid-sized olive, is called after a place Egor as the suffix -y shows. The etymology, in the name of R. Abbahu, is also in Babli Berakhot 39a.. Rebbi Ammi in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan, that is the Avaritic47Apparently after an Egyptian city Avaris, mentioned by Manetho. In Babli Berakhot, the readings are אברוסי, אברוסי, סמרוסי, סברוסי, סמדוסי Cf. I. Löw in Krauss Lehnwörter p. 7; S. Liebermann, Tosefta ki-Fshutah p. 332.. Why is it called agory? Because it stores its oil inside. Do all other olives lose their oil? Rebbi Ḥanina said, all other olives will leach their oil if rains fall on them but this one stores its oil inside.
וּדְבַשׁ. אֵילּוּ הַתְּמָרִים. יָכוֹל דְּבַשׁ מַמָּשׁ. רִבִּי תַנְחוּמָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יִצְחָק בְּרִבִּי לָעְזָר. כְּתִיב וְכִפְרֹץ הַדָּבָר הִרְבּוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רֵאשִׁית דָּגָן תִירוֹשׁ וְיִצְהָר וּדְבַשּׁ. וּדְבַשׁ חַייָב בְּמַעְשְׂרוֹת. אֵלָּא אֵילּוּ הַתְּמָרִים שֶׁהֵן חַייָבִין בְּמַעְשְׂרוֹת. “And honey”. This refers to dates. Rebbi Tanḥuma in the name of Rebbi Isaac ben Rebbi Eleazar: It is written (2Chr. 31:5) “When the thing expanded, the Children of Israel did increase the first gifts48Heave and tithes. of grain, cider, oil, and honey.” Is honey subject to tithes? But this refers to dates which are subject to tithes49Date syrup. This argument would extend the biblical duty of tithes from grain, wine, and oil to all Seven Kinds..
רִבִּי בְּרֶכְיָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן וְלָמָּה כְּתִיב אֶרֶץ אֶרֶץ שְׁנֵי פְעָמִים. לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ שֶׁאֵין הַבַּיִת עוֹמֵד אֵלָּא עַל שְׁנֵי דְּבָרִים הַלָּלוּ. וְלָמָּה נִכְלְלוּ. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּרִבִּי וְרִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן. חַד אָמַר לִבְרָכָה. וְחָרָנָה אָמַר לְשִׁיעוּרִין. מָאן דָּמַר לִבְרָכָה נִיחָא. מָאן דָּמַר לְשִׁיעוּרִין וְהָתַנִּינָן בַּהֶרֶת כִּגְרִיס לֵית הִיא מֵימָן. כַּעֲדַשָּׁה מִן הַשֶּׁרֶץ. לֵית הִיא מֵימָן. Rebbi Berekhiah in the name of Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman: Why is “Land, Land” written twice50Deut. 8:8: A Land of wheat and barley, and vine, and fig tree, and pomegranate, a Land of the oil-olive and honey.? To tell you that a house stands only on these two things51The necessities of life are wheat and olive oil.. Why are [the others] included? Rebbi Jehuda ben Rebbi and Rebbi Samuel ben Naḥman, one says for benedictions52Explained Berakhot 6:4, Notes 150–151, where this opinion is labelled “Babylonian”., the other says for measures53In the Babli, Eruvin 4a/b, Sukkah 5b, this is reported in the name of the Babylonian Rav Ḥanin. The seven measures are: I. A person entering a leprous house is severely impure only if he remains long enough that he could have eaten a slice of wheat bread (Lev. 14:47). 2. A fragment of a human bone the size of a barley corn imparts impurity. 3. A quarter log of wine drunk by a nazir makes him subject to punishment. As a derivative, a quarter log of wine is the minimum for legal obligations. 4. Somebody carrying food in the volume of a dried fig from private to public domain on the Sabbath is guilty of desecrating the Sabbath. 5. A vessel having a pomegranate-sized hole is unusable and freed from the impurity of vessels. 6. The volume of an olive is the standard for most rules involving solid food. 7. Eating food in the volume of a dried date on the Day of Atonement is a desecration of the day.. He who says for benedictions is understandable. He who says for measures, did we not state: “A shiny mark the size of half a bean54Lev. 13:1–8, Mishnah Nega‘im 6:1.. A smaller lesion does not make impure.”? That is not reliable55The size of the lesion does not mean anything in itself. Even if the lesion is larger, if it does not grow after being seen by the Cohen it does not make impure. If it is smaller but seen by the Cohen and then spreads, there is impurity. (Explanation of Pene Moshe). Another interpretation would be that this and the next measure are not standardized.. “The size of a lentil from a crawling thing”56Mishnah Kelim 17:6. A fragment of a dead crawling animal (Lev. 11:29–31) in the size of a lentil makes impure.? That is not reliable57An integral limb makes impure even if it is smaller than a lentil..
פְּשִׁיטָא הָדָא מִילְתָא. הִפְרִישׁ בִּיכּוּרִין חוּץ מִשִּׁבְעַת הַמִּינִין לֹא קָֽדְשׁוּ. מָה פְלִיגִין. בַּתְּמָרִים שֶׁבְּהָרִים וּבְפֵירוֹת שֶׁבָּעֲמָקִים. רִבִּי זְעִירָא רִבִּי יָסָא בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי לָֽעְזָר לֹא קָֽדְשָׁה. רִבִּי אִילָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי אִמִּי אִיתְפַּלְּגוּן רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר לֹא קָֽדְשׁוּ. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר קָֽדְשׁוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹנָה טַעֲמָא דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. שֶׁכֵּן אִם עָבַר וְתָרַם מִן הָרַע עַל הַיָּפֶה תְּרוּמָתוֹ תְרוּמָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי שְׁמָעִנָן פֵּירוֹת הָרָעִים חַייָבִין בְּמַעְשְׂרוֹת. שְׁמָעִנָן פֵּירוֹת הָרָעִים חַייָבִין בְּבִיכּוּרִים. מַתְנִיתָא מְסַייְעָה לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי. אֵין מְבִיאִין מִן הַצִּיפּוֹרְנִין וְלֹא מִן הַבֵּישָׁנִין וְאִם הֵבִיא לֹא קָֽדְשׁוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי זְעִירָא וְתַנֵּיי תַּמָּן תְּאֵנִים סוֹכוֹת מְנוּקָּבוֹת עֲנָבִים מְאוּנָּקוֹת וּמְעוּשָּׁנוֹת אֵין מְבִיאִין. אֲבָל מְבִיאִין מִן הַתְּאֵנִים בְּנוֹת שֶׁבַע וּמִן הָעֲנָבִים הַלַּבְלוֹנִיּוֹת. מִן הַמּוּבְחָר הֵן. וְתֵימַר אֲבָל אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּמָרִי שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר הוֹאִיל וְהֵן בַּסּוֹף לֹא יָבִיא. The following is obvious: If somebody dedicated First Fruits not from the Seven Kinds it was not sanctified1The thanksgiving declaration Deut. 26:5–10. It is forbidden to bring profane food into the Temple. If there is no obligation to bring First Fruits then there is a prohibition to bring. If there is an obligation, a dedication must sanctify the First Fruits as Temple offerings.. Where is there a disagreement? About mountain dates and valley fruits. Rebbi Zeïra, Rebbi Assi in the name of Rebbi Eleazar: They were not sanctified. Rebbi Hila in the name of Rebbi Immi: Rebbi Joḥanan and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish disagree. Rebbi Joḥanan said they were not sanctified, Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said they were sanctified. Rebbi Jonah said, the reason of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish is that if somebody transgressed and gave heave from bad for good produce, his heave is heave59Mishnah Terumot 2:6.. Rebbi Yose said, we have heard that bad produce is subject to tithes; did we hear that bad produce is subject to First Fruits?60The argument of R. Jonah is disproved. A baraita supports Rebbi Yose: “One does not bring [fruits] from Sepphoris61On a hilltop. and Bet Shean62In a deep valley. It is not specified why fruits from these two places are unacceptable as First Fruits., and if he brought they are not sanctified.” Rebbi Zeïra said, but there it is stated: “Figs pierced on the branch and grapes dusted and smoked63Cf. Mishnah Ševi‘it 2:2. one does not bring. But one brings bat šeba figs64White figs, cf. Demay 1, Note 5. (L. Goldschmidt, in his notes to Levy’s dictionary, explains that in Babli Nedarim27a, bat šeba figs are a kind different from “white figs”. But “white figs” are really green ones, in contrast to “black” or purple ones.) and white grapes.” The latter are highest quality. What can you say? But Rebbi Abba Mari said, one should not say that one should not bring these because they are late65Tosephta 1:5..
תַּנֵּי רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר אֵין מְבִיאִין תְּמָרִים אֶלָּא מִירִיחוֹ וְאֵין קוֹרִין אֶלָּא עַל הַכּוֹתָבוֹת. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר רִימּוֹנֵי עֲמָקִים מְבִיאִין וְקוֹרִין. It was stated65Tosephta 1:5.: Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, one brings dates only from Jericho and one makes the declaration only for dry ones66Arabic قسب.. Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar says, one may bring valley pomegranates and make the declaration67He only excludes valley figs..