מעשרות ב׳:ז׳ - ב׳:ח׳

לקצות בתאנים – to make a fig-harvest (by cutting and packing figs). There are those who interpret to spread them out to dry and there are those interpret to cut them with a tool to cut fig-cakes (i.e., a knife or a saw) for they regularly cut the figs.

ואמר לו ע"מ שאוכל תאנים – but there was no need for this condition for without that , he eats according to the law of the Torah, as it is written (Deuteronomy 23:25): “When you enter another man’s vineyard, you may eat as many grapes [as you want, until you are full, but you must not put any in your vessel].” But the Biblical verse speaks about the worker, therefore, it is not like a purchase and it doesn’t establish [for requiring] tithing.

ע"מ שאוכל אני ובני – the eating of my children is a purchase and establishes [requiring] tithing.

ולאחר הקציעה – for his work was already complete, he does not eat according to the law of the Torah, but he comes to eat on the strength of the condition and it is like a purchase.

האוכל מן התורה פטור – And in the chapter (Chapter 7 of Tractate Bava Metzia, Mishnah 2), “He who hires workers” [87a-b], it explains: Which are those who eat from the law of the Torah? He who works on that which is attached to the ground at the time when the work is completed and [that which is] detached [from the ground] until the work has not yet been completed.

בלבסים – a kind from the species of bad figs (Lesbians/early figs).

בבנות שבע – a kind of white and good fig.

לא איכל בבנות שבע – as it is written (Deuteronomy 23:25): “When you enter another man’s vineyard and you eat as many grapes,” what does the inference teach us, “you eat grapes,” for don’t we know that there isn’t anything in a vineyard other than grapes? From here, if he was working with figs, he should not eat grapes.

אבל מונע את עצמו – a worker is permitted to prevent himself that he should not eat a the time that he is working with the bad ones until he reaches to good ones, and he eats from the good ones that which he could have eaten from the bad ones.

זה לאכול וזה לאכול – you should eat from my figs and I will eat from yours.

זה לאכול וזה לקצות – you eat from my fig-harvest that are spread out to dry or the cut pieces with the tool for cutting fig-cakes (i.e., the knife or saw) and I eat from your fig-harvest; in each of these there is a purchase and it establishes [the obligation] for tithing.

המחליף לאכול חייב, לקצות פטור – for a purchase does not establish the thing where the work had not been completed. Therefore, these fig-harvests where their work was not completed, the purchase does not establish them [as liable for tithing] and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.