Maaser Sheni 5:15 - Challah 1:1

יוחנן כ"ג – who served in the High Priesthood after Shimon HaTzaddik/the Righteous ( see Mishnah Avot, Chapter 1, Mishnah 2 – who was one of the last of the Men of the Great Assembly).

העביר הודיות המעשר – Since Ezra fined the Levites in that he would not give to them the [First] Tithe, for when he went up [to the Land of Israel] from the Diaspora and the sons of Levi did not go up with him, he commanded that they should give the [First] Tithe to the Kohanim, but Yohanan the Kohen Gadol/High Priest abolished the Confession (see Deuteronomy 26:13-15), since he was unable to say [the words] (Deuteronomy 26:13): “[I have cleared out the consecrated portion from the house;] and I have given it to the Levite, [the stranger, the father, and the widow, just as You commanded me...].

בטל את המעוררים – for the Levites would recite on each day on the platform/Dukhan (Psalms 44:24): “Rouse Yourself; why do You sleep, O LORD? [Awaken, do not reject us forever!].” He said (to them): Is there sleep before God? Therefore, he stood and abolished them.

את הנוקפים – for they would wound the sacrificial calf between its horns in order that blood would fall into its eyes in order that he would not see and it would be easy to invert it and slaughter it. He stood and abolished it (i.e., this practice), for it appeared as a like having a blemish (making it unfit for the altar, for priestly service, etc.) and they established for them rings in the ground to draw the neck of the animal into it (by the use of a rope passing through it, drawing the animal’s head down- See Mishnah Middot, Chapter 3, Mishnah 5). [The word] "נוקפים" – striking – and an example of this: A person does not strike his finger from below (Talmud Hullin 7b).

היה פטיש מכה בירושלים – those who engrave copper and iron would strike it with a hammer to do work that cannot be postponed without irretrievable loss which is permissible during the [Intermediate Days] of the Festival [of Passover and Sukkot]. And he stood and abolished them because the thing grows too loud and there is a despising of the Festival.

ובימיו אין אדם צריך לשאול על הדמאי – for he said to the people of his generation: just as the Great Priest’s Due (2% that went to a Kohen) has the punishment of the death penalty [for non-compliance with this regulation], so too the Terumat Ma’aser/the ten percent that the Levite gave to the Kohen and eatables forbidden pending the separation of sacred gifts carry the death penalty [for non-compliance]. And he ordained that they should take out from that which was doubtfully-tithed only the tithe of the tithe that the Levite owes to the Kohen and Second Tithe, and they should not remove from it First Tithe or the Poor Tithe (in years three and six), for they can say to the Levite or to the poor that he brought proof that it is eatables forbidden pending the separation of sacred gifts and they should take [them]. And from this ordinance onward, he whomever purchases produce from the market would not ask if they were properly prepared or not, but he can immediate separate from them the Priest’s Due, the tithe of the tithe that the Levite gives to the Kohen and Second Tithe and eat the remainder. For all who purchase produce from an ignoramus are considered doubtfully tithed.

חמשה דברים חייבים בחלה – We draw a conclusion by analogy of [the word] חלה from [the word] "פסח"/Passover. It is stated concerning “Passover” the commandment of the bread of affliction (Deuteronomy 16:3): “[You shall not eat anything leavened with it;] for seven days thereafter, you shall eat unleavened bread, bread of distress – [for you departed from the land of Egypt hastily – so that you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt as long as you live].” And it is stated [the word] "לחם" /”bread,” with regard to Hallah (Numbers 15:19): “And you eat of the bread of the land…” Just as “bread” that is stated on Passover, a matter that comes to be leavened/soured, so too “bread” that is mentioned with Hallah- something that comes to be leavened/soured and you have nothing that comes to be leavened/soured other than only these five species.

ומצטרפין זה עם זה – to complete the definite quantity of started dough required [to separate] Hallah, bit they all do not combine together, for a species with something that is not of the same species does combine together, as is taught in the Mishnah further ahead at the beginning of Chapter Four (Mishnah 2), but rather wheat combines with spelt alone because they are its species (see Talmud Pesahim 35a). And barley combines with everything except for wheat, and even though spelt is a species of wheat, it is not specifically a species of wheat, but it is a species of barley and even a kind of wheat that combines with wheat and barley. But the Jerusalem Talmud implies that if they (i.e., the five species) were kneaded together, they would combine even for a species with something that is not of the same species. But if they were not kneaded together but rather that afterwards, the doughs came in contact with/touched each other, one species with something of its own kind combine; but with something of a different species, they do not combine [to make definite quantity of started dough required to separate Hallah].

ואסורים בחדש – As it is written (Leviticus 23:14): “[Until that very day, until you have brought the offering of your God,] you shall eat no bread or parched grain or fresh ears (i.e., of the new crop);…” and we draw a conclusion by analogy of the words "לחם", "לחם" /”bread,” “bread” from Passover.

מלקצור מלפני הפסח – since it is forbidden to reap from one of the five species prior to the reaping of the Omer, as it is written with [regard to] the Omer (Leviticus 23:10): “…[you shall bring] the first sheaf of your harvest [to the priest],” that it will be the first of all that is reaped. And you bring [the analogy] of: ראשית, ראשית" / “first,” “first” from Hallah. It is written there (Numbers 15:20): “as the first yield of your baking, [you shall set aside a loaf as a gift]…” and it is written here (Leviticus 23:10): “[you shall bring] the first sheaf of your harvest [to the priest].” Just as there it must be from the five species, so too here from the five species.

ואם השרישו – one from these five species, prior o he reaping of the Omer.

העומר מתירן – and you are permitted to reap after the reaping of he Omer, as it is written (Exodus 23:16): “[And the Feast of the Harvest, of the first fruits of your work,] of what you sew in the field;…],” from the time that it is sewn and takes root in the field.

ואם לאו – if they did not take root other than after the reaping of the Omer.

אסורים עד שיבא עומר הבא – of the next year.