Demai 1:1 - 1:2

הקלין שבדמאי – that the Sages were lenient with regard to these produce which are mentioned in our Mishnah to not tithe what is doubtfully tithed, because their presumption is that they come from that which is ownerless because they are not important and they have two aspects of doubtfulness: there is a doubt that they come from that which is ownerless and they are exempt from the tithes. And even if you can say that they come from what is guarded and are liable for tithes perhaps they were tithed. Butדמאי /doubtfully tithed produce are the grain and the fruit that are taken from those who are not observing certain religious customs regarding tithes for they are suspect on tithing. But a חבר/member of the order for the observance of Levitical laws in daily intercourse who purchases produce from those who are not observing certain religious customs regarding tithes/עמי הארץ must separate from them only the heave-offering of the tithe and the Second Tithe if it is the year of the Second Tithe (i.e., years 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the seven-year cycle), but [regarding] תרומה גדולה/the Great Tithe (i.e., two percent) those who are not observing certain religious customs regarding tithes are not suspected [of violating] because it [is punishable] by death, and there is no limit/definite quantity or size that one piece of wheat can exempt all of the pile and everyone is careful concerning it. But First Tithe and the Tithe of the Poor there is no need to remove from that which is doubtfully tithed even though those who do not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes are suspected of [not observing] them, because the owner of the produce can say to the Levite or to the poor person who come to take the tithes: “bring proof that this produce is tithed and take it,” for we hold in every place (see Tractate Bava Kamma, Chapter 3, Mishnah 11): “He who wants to exact [compensation] from his fellow bears the burden of proof.” But [regarding] the heave-offering of the tithe, one doesn’t say this, for a person who eats produce that is forbidden pending the separation of sacred gifts that were not separated from it is liable for death and because of the prohibition, we separate out for the heave-offering of the tithe, and also Second Tithe in order that they will not consume it in a state of ritual impurity, or that they should not eat it outside of Jerusalem.

השיתין – desert/wild figs.

הרימין (lote) – it is explained in the Arukh as POLTZARA”KI in the foreign language.

והעוזרדין (sorb-apply/crab-apple) – In Arabic ZA’A’RUD, and in the foreign language SORBISH.

ובנות שוח – white figs that grow every three years , and grow in the forests.

ובנות שקמה (young sycamore trees) – a fig that is grafted with a platanus.

ונובלות תמרה – dates which do not ripen on the tree and they detach them and place them one upon the other until they ripen. But there are those who say that the inferior quality of dates are dates that the wind blew them down prior to their ripening.

גופנים (late grapes) – grapes that they place them in the vine at the end of the harvesting season and they ripen with difficulty.

הנצפה – caper-bush that they call in the foreign language KAIPRI.

האוג (red berry of the Venus summachtree) – a red fruit that we call in the foreign language KORNIOLI. But Maimonides says that it is a tree that makes a kind very red clusters of grapes, and we call them in the foreign language SUMMACH. But this fruit was not important in Judea.

והחומץ – at first, the wine that was in Judea would not ferment because they would bring from it libations and all the vinegar that was in Judea was not in it but rather from the husks and stalks of (pressed) grapes, seeped in water,, used ass an inferior wine; therefore the vinegar in Judea is exempt [from tithing]. But after the libations were abolished and the vinegar came from the wine, the vinegar was liable for being doubtfully tithed even in Judea like in the rest of the places.

והכוסבר (coriander) – like (Exodus 16:31): “[The house of Israel named it manna;] it was like coriander seed, [white and it tasted like wafers in honey];” the Jerusalem Targum calls כוסבר – KOLIANDARO in the foreign language.

דיופרא (a species of figs) – bearing its fruit twice a year. דיו in the Greek language is “two.”

שקמונה – name of a place.

המוסטפוס (fruit burst open – naturally or through scarification) – that ripened on the tree until it burst open from on its own. For all of these are important and their presumption is that they don’t come from something ownerless. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.

דמאי אין לו חומש – a person who redeems Second Tithe of doubtfully tithed produce does not give the extra one-fifth (i.e., if he is only bringing the monetary value of his produce and not the actual produce to Jerusalem) because since most of those who are not observing certain religious custom regarding tithes/עמי הארץ – do tithe. Therefore, the principal that is indispensable (i.e., does not invalidate an act by omission) according to the laws of the Torah is brought according to the Rabbis, but the [added] one-fifth is not indispensable according to the Torah can be consumed.

ואין לו ביעור – at the end of three years, a person is obligated to remove/destroy all of his tithes, as it is written (Deuteronomy 26:13): “[you shall declare before the LORD your God:] ‘I have cleared out the consecrated portion from the house [- and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless and the widow, that they may eat their fill in your settlements’],” but the Rabbis did not institute this with doubtfully tithed produce.

ונאכל לאונן – for certainly [tithed] Second Tithe is prohibited to a mourner before the burial of a kinsman/אונן as it is written (Deuteronomy 26:14): “I have not eaten of it while in mourning,” but Second Tithe of doubtfully tithed produce, they (i.e., the Rabbis) did not make a decree concerning this.

ונכנס לירושלים ויוצא – it is redeemed and consumed outside of Jerusalem, which is not the case concerning definitely [tithed produce] which the walls [of Jerusalem] retain/protect and people are unable to redeem it and to remove outside the wall [of Jerusalem] after he has entered, but with doubtfully tithed produce, it is not decreed.

ומאבדים מעוטו בדרך (and they lose/abandon a small portion of it on the roads) – if it was doubtfully tithed Second Tithe on the roads in a place where there are hords of wild beasts or robbers, even if there was a small amount and he could bring it without trouble or without loss , it does not concern/worry him and he leaves it to be abandoned on the road in the place where he is. And Maimonides explained that if at the time that he is bringing Second Tithe of doubtfully tithed produce in Jerusalem and a small amount was lost to him on the way, it should not concern him, what is not the case with certainly tithed produce that he must bring all of it up or its monetary value [plus the added one-fifth] and not lose any of it on the way.

ונותנים אותו לעם הארץ – to eat in Jerusalem, and even though he is suspected of consuming it while in a state of ritual impurity, which is not the case with certainly tithed [produce] that we don’t hand over to a person who does not observe certain religious practices related to tithes (i.e., an עם הארץ ) because he is not careful to consume it in a state of ritual purity.

ויאכל כנגדו (and he consumes its equivalent) – corresponding to what he gave to a person who does not observe religious practices related to tithes , he takes from his possessions and consumes with the ritual purity of the Second Tithe in Jerusalem.

ומחללים אותו כסף על כסף (and they redeem it [exchange its redemption money] silver for silver) – if he has silver coins of Second Tithe of doubtfully tithed produce and he needs it, he is able to redeem it for unconsecrated silver coins, what is not the case with certainly tithed [Second Tithe] that he doesn’t redeem silver for silver but rather Selas of the two kings that he can redeem one for the other if the second is current coinage but that of [only] one king, he cannot for this is not the manner of redemption, but for doubtfully tithed produce, it is permitted.

כסף על נחשת (silver for copper) – even it is not an emergency, but of certainly [tithed produce] in an emergency one can [make this exchange], but not in a time which is not an emergency.

ויחזור ויפדה את הפירות – we have this reading, and we don’t have the reading of"ובלבד שיחזור ויפדה" /provided that he again redeem the produce [for money].” And this is what he said: And he can return and redeem the produce if he wants, the words of Rabbi Meir, but the Sages say: He cannot return and redeem them but rather, he brings up the produce to Jerusalem [and consumes it there]. And the Halakha is according to the Sages.