יוסף יצחק וועב'ס משניות

Yosef Yitzchak Webb

(1) How does one designate the Bikkurim [first-fruits that must be brought to the Temple in Jerusalem and given to the Kohen]? A person goes to one's field and sees a date that is bearing fruit, a bunch [of grapes] that is bearing fruit, or a pomegranate that is bearing fruit, and ties it with a string and says, "Behold these are Bikkurim." Rabbi Shimon says, even so, he reiterates and declares them Bikkurim once they have been picked from the ground.

(2) How do they bring the Bikkurim up [to Jerusalem]? All the cities of a Ma'amad [one of 24 regions, each of which sent in turn a delegation to the Temple to be present and represent the entire people at the public sacrifices] would go into [central] city of the Ma'amad and sleep in the streets of that city without going into the houses. When they arose, the supervisor would say, "Arise! Let us go up to Zion, to the house of the Lord our God!"

(3) Those who were close would bring figs and grapes and the far ones would bring dried figs and raisins. A bull would go before them and its horns would be plated with gold and it would have a olive wreath around its head. The flute would play before them until they got close to Jerusalem. Once they got close to Jerusalem, they would send ahead of them [a messenger] and adorned their Bikkurim. The overseers and the officers and the treasurers would go out to greet them; in accordance with the stature of those coming in would they go out. All the artisans of Jerusalem would stand before them and greet them, "Our brothers from so-and-so, come in peace!"

(4) The flute would continue playing before them until they arrived at the Temple Mount. Once they arrived at the Temple Mount, even Agripas the King would carry his basket on his shoulder and enter until he reached the courtyard. Once they got to the courtyard, the Levites would speak in song (Psalms 30:2), "I will extol you, O Lord, because you have raised me and not allowed my enemies to rejoice over me."

(5) The young birds on the baskets would be Olot [offerings burnt entirely upon the altar] and what was in their hands, they gave to the Kohanim.

(6) With the basket still on one's shoulder, one would recite from "I declare today to the Lord my God" (Deuteronomy 26:3-10) until finishing the entire passage. Rabbi Judah says, until "My father was a wandering Aramean" (Deut. 26:5). Once one gets to "My father was a wandering Aramean", one takes the basket off one's shoulder and holds it by one's lip. The priest places his hand under it and waves it. He then recites from "My father was a wandering Aramean" until finishing the entire passage and rests [the basket] beside the altar and prostrates and leaves.

(7) In the beginning, anyone who knew how to read would read and anyone else would have it read for him. [Then,] people were reticent to bring and they declared that it would be read for those who know how to read and those who do not know.

(8) Wealthy people would bring their Bikkurim in baskets of silver and of gold. Poor people would bring theirs in reed baskets of woven willow stems. Both the baskets and the Bikkurim were given to the priests.

(9) Rabbi Shimon ben Nanas said, one may adorn the Bikkurim [basket with species] outside of the seven species. Rabbi Akiva said, the Bikkurim may be adorned only with the seven species.

(10) Rabbi Shimon says, there are three categories in Bikkurim: the Bikkurim themselves, the addition to the Bikkurim, and the adornment of the Bikkurim. The addition to the Bikkurim are from the same species. The adornment of the Bikkurim is from a different species. The addition to the Bikkurim are eaten in ritual purity, and are exempted from Demai [produce from which it is uncertain whether tithes were already taken]. The adornment of the Bikkurim are obligated in Demai [requiring the Kohen to tithe them].

(11) In what case do we say that the addition to the Bikkurim is like the Bikkurim? When it comes from the Land [of Israel]. If it doesn't come from the Land [of Israel], it's not like the Bikkurim.

(12) Why do we say that the Bikkurim are like the property of a Kohen? Because he can buy with them slaves, land, or an impure animal, and a creditor takes them to pay a debt, and a women takes them to pay her marriage contract, [as the Bikkurim may be used] like a Torah scroll. And Rabbi Yehudah says, they are only given to a Chaver [one who scrupulously observes tithes and purity laws], [and only] as a gift. And the Sages say they are given to those [priests] of the watch, and they divide them among themselves, as sanctified Temple items.

(1) An Androginus (a hermaphrodite, who has both male and female reproductive organs) is similar to men in some ways and to women in other ways, in some ways to both and in some ways to neither.

(2) In what ways is s/he similar to men? Like a man, s/he is considered unclean through semen; is required to perform yibbum (levirate marriage) like a man; dresses and cuts hair like a man; marries others and is not married off, like a man; and is obliged to perform all the commandments in the Torah, like a man.

(3) In what ways is he like women? He causes impurity with red discharge like women; and he must not be secluded with men, like women; and he doesn't make his brother's wife liable for yibbum (levirate marriage), like women; and he does not share [in the inheritance] with the sons, like women; and he cannot eat most holy sacrifices, like women. At his birth his mother counts the blood of her impurity like [they do when they give birth to a] girl; and he is disqualified from being a witness, like women. If he had illicit intercourse, he is disqualified from eating terumah, like women.

(4) In what ways is he like both men and women? One who strikes him or curses him is liable, as in the case of men and women; one who unwittingly kills him must go into exile, and if on purpose, then [the slayer] receives the death penalty, as is the case of men and women. His mother must [at his birth] bring an offering, as in the case of men and women. He may eat holy things that are eaten outside of the Temple; and he many inherit any inheritance, as in the case of men and women. And if he said, "I will be a nazirite if he is a man and a woman", he is a nazirite.

(5) And in what is he different from both men and women? One does not burn terumah if it came into contact with his discharge. Neither is he liable for entering the temple while impure, unlike men or women. He must not be sold as a Hebrew slave, unlike men or women. He cannot be evaluated, unlike men or women. If one says: "I will be a nazirite, if he is neither a man nor a woman," then he becomes a nazirite. Rabbi Meir says: the hermaphrodite is a unique creature, and the sages could not decide about him. But this is not so with a tumtum (one of doubtful sex), for sometimes he is a man and sometimes he is a woman.