Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day - Daily Torah Study

1When a person possesses ten lambs and he separates one as the tithes1 or he possesses 100 and he separates ten as the tithes, these are not tithes. What, instead, should he do? He should gather all of the lambs or all of the calves2 born that year in a corral. He then makes a small entrance so that two cannot emerge at the same time.3 He positions their mothers outside the corral and they bleat so that the lambs will hear their voices and leave the corral to meet them.4 This is necessary, as implied by Leviticus 27:32 which states: “all that passes beneath the staff,” i.e., they must pass on their own initiative; one should not remove them by hand.אמִי שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ עֲשָׂרָה טְלָאִים וְהִפְרִישׁ אֶחָד מֵעֲשָׂרָה, הָיוּ לוֹ מֵאָה וְהִפְרִישׁ עֲשָׂרָה לְמַעֲשֵׂר - אֵין אֵלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂר. אֶלָא כֵּיצַד עוֹשֶׂה? כּוֹנֵס כָּל הַטְּלָאִים אוֹ כָּל הָעֲגָלִים לַדִּיר, וְעוֹשֶׂה לוֹ פֶּתַח קָטָן כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֵצְאוּ שְׁנַיִם כְּאֶחָד. וְאִמּוֹתֵיהֶן מַעֲמִיד מִבַּחוּץ, וְהֵן גּוֹעוֹת, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּשְׁמְעוּ הַטְּלָאִים קוֹלָן, וְיֵצְאוּ מִן הַדִּיר לִקְרָאתָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "כֹּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹר תַּחַת הַשָּׁבֶט" (ויקרא כז, לב) - שֶׁיַּעֲבֹר מֵעַצְמוֹ, וְלֹא שֶׁיּוֹצִיאוֹ בְּיָדוֹ.

As they leave the corral one by one, the owner begins to count them with a staff: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. The tenth animal that departs, whether male or female,5 whether unblemished or blemished,6 should be painted with red paint,7 and the owner should say: “This is the tithe.”8 If he did not paint the animals designated as the tithes with red paint, did not count them with a staff, or counted them while they are lying down or standing, the tithing takes effect.9 Since he counted them ten by ten and consecrated the tenth, it is considered a tithe.וּכְשֶׁיֵּצְאוּ מִן הַדִּיר זֶה אַחַר זֶה, מַתְחִיל וּמוֹנָם בַּשֵּׁבֶט: אֶחָד, שְׁנַיִם, שְׁלוֹשָׁה, אַרְבָּעָה, חֲמִשָּׁה, שִׁשָּׁה, שִׁבְעָה, שְׁמוֹנָה, תִּשְׁעָה; וְהַיוֹצֵא עֲשִׂירִי - בֵּין זָכָר בֵּין נְקֵבָה, בֵּין תָּמִים בֵּין בַּעַל מוּם - סוֹקְרוֹ בְּסִקְרָא, וְאוֹמֵר 'הֲרֵי זֶה מַעֲשֵׂר'. לֹא סְקָרוֹ בְּסִקְרָא וְלֹא מְנָאָן בַּשֵּׁבֶט, אוֹ שֶׁמְּנָאָן רְבוּצִים אוֹ עוֹמְדִים - הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂר; הוֹאִיל וּמְנָאָם עֲשָׂרָה עֲשָׂרָה, וְקִדֵּשׁ עֲשִׂירִי - הֲרֵי זֶה מַעֲשֵׂר.

2It is not necessary to collect every animal born in a person’s domain into one corral. Instead, the reckoning is made for every herd alone. If a person owned five lambs in Jerusalem and five in Acre, they are not combined into a single herd. Instead, they are all exempt from the tithes.10 What is the distance required to be between two herds for them to be combined? Sixteen mil.11באֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְצָרֵף כָּל בְּהֵמָה שֶׁנֹּלְּדָה בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ לְדִיר אֶחָד, אֶלָא מְצָרֵף כָּל עֵדֶר וְעֵדֶר לְבַדּוֹ. הָיוּ לוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה טְלָאִים בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם, וַחֲמִשָּׁה טְלָאִים בְּעַכּוֹ - אֵין מִצְטָרְפִין, וְכֻלָּן פְּטוּרִין מִן הַמַּעֲשֵׂר. וְכַמָּה יִהְיֶה בֵּין אֵלּוּ לְאֵלּוּ וְיִצְטָרְפוּ? שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר מִיל.

3If there are three herds and there are sixteen mil between each one, the three are combined. What is implied? There were nine on one side, nine on the other side, and one in the center,12 all three herds are brought into the corral together to be tithed.גהָיוּ שְׁלוֹשָׁה עֲדָרִים, בֵּין כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר מִיל - הֲרֵי שְׁלָשְׁתָּן מִצְטָרְפִין. כֵּיצַד? הָיוּ תִּשְׁעָה מִכָּאן וְתִשְׁעָה מִכָּאן, וְאֶחָד בָּאֶמְצַע - הֲרֵי שְׁלָשְׁתָּן נִכְנָסִין לַדִּיר לְהִתְעַשֵּׂר.

4Tithes are not taken from sheep for cattle, nor from cattle for sheep.13 One must, however, tithe sheep for goats and goats for sheep. This is derived from Leviticus 27:32: “All the tithes of your cattle and tzon.” Implied is that all light, domesticated animals are included as one category, for they are both referred to with the term seh14 and they are like one species.דאֵין מְעַשְּׂרִין מִן הַבָּקָר עַל הַצֹּאן וְלֹא מִן הַצֹּאן עַל הַבָּקָר. אֲבָל מְעַשְּׂרִין מִן הַכְּבָשִׂים עַל הָעִזִּים, וּמִן הָעִזִּים עַל הַכְּבָשִׂים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְכָל מַעְשַׂר בָּקָר וָצֹאן" (ויקרא כז, לב) - "כָּל" מַשְׁמַע צֹאן אֶחָד, שֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶם נִקְרָאִים 'שֶׂה' וַהֲרֵי הֵם כְּמִין אֶחָד.

5We do not tithe animals born in one year with animals born in another year just as we do not tithe the crops from the new year for the crops from the past year nor the crops from the past year for the crops of the new year,15 as Deuteronomy 14:22: “Which are produced by the field year for year.” It appears to me that if one tithed animals from one year for animals of another year, the tithing is binding because of the severity of consecrated animals. For the Torah did not explicitly emphasize that the tithing of animals must be from the same year.16האֵין מְעַשְּׂרִין מִן הַנּוֹלָדִים בְּשָׁנָה זוֹ עַל הַנּוֹלָדִים בְּשָׁנָה אַחֶרֶת, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵין מְעַשְּׂרִין בְּזֶרַע הָאָרֶץ מִן הֶחָדָשׁ עַל הַיָּשָׁן וְלֹא מִן הַיָּשָׁן עַל הֶחָדָשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "הַיֹּצֵא הַשָּׂדֶה שָׁנָה שָׁנָה" (דברים יד, כב). וְיֵרָאֶה לִי שֶׁאִם עִשֵּׂר בְּהֵמָה מִשָּׁנָה עַל שָׁנָה - הֲרֵי זֶה מַעֲשֵׂר, מִפְּנֵי חֻמְרַת הַקֳּדָשִׁים, שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא הִקְפִּידָה תּוֹרָה עַל מַעְשַׂר בְּהֵמָה בְּפֵרוּשׁ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שָׁנָה שָׁנָה.

6All of the offspring born from the first of Tishrei until the twenty-ninth of Elul are combined and are tithed for each other.17 If five lambs are born on the twenty-ninth of Elul18 and five on the first of Tishrei of the following year, they are not combined.19 If an animal gave birth to offspring in its first year of life, it and its daughter should be brought into the corral together to be tithed.וכָּל הַנּוֹלָדִים מֵאֶחָד בְּתִשְׁרֵי עַד עֶשְׂרִים וְתִשְׁעָה בֶּאֱלוּל - מִצְטָרְפִין, וּמְעַשְּׂרִין מֵאֵלּוּ עַל אֵלּוּ. נּוֹלְּדוּ חֲמִשָּׁה טְלָאִים בְּתִשְׁעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים בֶּאֱלוּל, וַחֲמִשָּׁה בְּאֶחָד בְּתִשְׁרִי - אֵין מִצְטָרְפִין. יָלְדוּ הַוְּלָדוֹת בְּתוֹךְ שְׁנָתָן, הֲרֵי הִיא וּבִתָּהּ נִכְנָסוֹת לַדִּיר לְהִתְעַשֵּׂר.

7The lambs which are born are not like tevel from which one may not eat20 until one tithes as explained in its place.21 Instead, one may sell or slaughter all the offspring one desires until one tithes. The animal designated as the tithe offering will be consecrated and must be eaten according to law, as explained above.22זאֵין הַטְּלָאִים הַנּוֹלָדִים כְּמוֹ הַטֶּבֶל שֶׁאָסוּר לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ עַד שֶׁיְּעַשֵּׂר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ בִּמְקוֹמוֹ. אֶלָא מֻתָּר לִמְכֹּר וְלִשְׁחֹט כָּל מַה שֶׁיִּרְצֶה עַד שֶׁיְּעַשֵּׂר, וְיִהְיֶה הַמַּעֲשֵּׂר קֹדֶשׁ וְיֵאָכֵל כְּהִלְכָתוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ.

8Our Sages established three fixed times for the tithing of one’s animals.23 When one of these dates arrives, it is forbidden for a person to sell or slaughter the offspring of his animals until he tithes. If he slaughters, the meat is permitted.24 These are the three dates: the fifteenth day before the Paschal sacrifice,25 the fifteenth day before Shavuot, and the fifteenth day before Sukkot. Each of these times is called a “threshing floor” for the tithing of animals.26 Thus the “threshing floor” for the tithing of animals is on the last day of the month of Adar, on the thirty-fifth day of the Counting of the Omer,27 and on the last day of the month of Elul. Why were the “threshing floors” established on these dates? So that the animals would be available to the festive pilgrims. For even though it is permitted to sell animal offspring before they were tithed, as we explained,28 the people would refrain from selling them until they would tithe them and perform the mitzvah.חקָבְעוּ חֲכָמִים שְׁלוֹשָׁה זְמַנִּים בַּשָּׁנָה לְמַעְשַׂר בְּהֵמָה, וּמִשֶּׁיַּגִּיעַ זְמַן מֵהֶן, אָסוּר לוֹ לִמְכֹּר אוֹ לִשְׁחֹט עַד שֶׁיְּעַשֵּׂר. וְאִם שָׁחַט, הֲרֵי זֶה מֻתָּר. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן הַשְּׁלוֹשָׁה זְמַנִּים: בְּיוֹם חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם קֹדֶם הַפֶּסַח, וּבְיוֹם חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר קֹדֶם עֲצֶרֶת, וּבְיוֹם חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר קֹדֶם הֶחָג. וְכָל זְמַן מֵאֵלּוּ נִקְרָא 'גֹּרֶן מַעְשַׂר בְּהֵמָה'. נִמְצֵאתָ אוֹמֵר, שֶׁהַגְּרָנוֹת שֶׁל מַעְשַׂר בְּהֵמָה בְּיוֹם אַחֲרוֹן מֵחֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר, וּבְיוֹם חֲמִשָּׁה וּשְׁלוֹשִׁים מִסְּפִירַת הָעֹמֶר, וּבְיוֹם אַחֲרוֹן מֵחֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל. וְלָמָּה קָבְעוּ הַגְּרָנוֹת בְּיָמִים אֵלּוּ? כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּהְיֶה הַבְּהֵמוֹת מְצוּיוֹת לְעוֹלֵי רְגָלִים. שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמֻּתָּר לִמְכֹּר קֹדֶם שֶׁיְּעַשֵּׂר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ, הָיוּ נִמְנָעִים לִמְכֹּר, עַד שֶׁיְּעַשְּׂרוּ וְיַעֲשׂוּ הַמִּצְוָה.

9When a person brought all his sheep or cattle into a corral and began to sanctify the tenth animal that departs until there remained less than ten in the corral, those should be left for the next “threshing floor” and they are joined together with those born and tithed and all are collected in one “threshing floor.” Even though one knows that some will remain in the corral, he is obligated to bring them all into the corral and the remainder will be left over.29טהִכְנִיס כָּל הַצֹּאן אוֹ הַבָּקָר לַדִּיר, וְהִתְחִיל לִמְנוֹת וּלְקַדֵּשׁ עֲשִׂירִי, עַד שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרוּ בְּתוֹךְ הַדִּיר פָּחוֹת מֵעֲשָׂרָה - הֲרֵי זֶה מַנִּיחָן לְגֹרֶן אַחֵר; וְהֵן מִצְטָרְפִין לְאֵלּוּ שֶׁיִּוָּלְדוּ, וְיִתְעַשְּׂרוּ הַכֹּל בְּגֹרֶן אֶחָד. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאֵלּוּ יִשָּׁאֲרוּ בַּמִּנְיָן, חַיָּב לְהַכְנִיס הַכֹּל לַדִּיר, וְהַנִּשְׁאָר יִשָּׁאֵר.

Footnotes

I.e., he separated one without counting them ten by ten.

As stated in Halachah 4, the lambs and the calves should not be placed together.

For as the Rambam proceeds to state, the lambs must be counted one by one.

Bechorot 58b asks: Why bring the offsprings’ mothers, bring vegetables, for that would also motivate the young animals to leave the corral? That source answers that bringing the mothers will help in the selection process. As mentioned in Chapter 6, Halachot 10 and 14, animals that were purchased and those whose mothers died on the day of their birth are exempt from the tithes. Thus these animals will not be motivated to go out to the mothers, but they would be motivated by vegetables.
Rav Yosef Corcus explains that this is not an entirely foolproof plan, because animals whose mothers died afterwards would also not be motivated to leave. Nonetheless, it is effective in that it reminds one of these exemptions.

In contrast to the firstborn offerings which are only male.

As stated in Chapter 6, Halachah 14.

As a mark of identification.

It is the initial preference for a verbal statement to be made (Bechorot 58b).

Even though they did not leave the corral.

10.

For each herd is considered individually and each one is too small to require tithing.

11.

A mil is a Talmudic measure equivalent to a kilometer.

12.

I.e., the two herds on the extremities were each sixteen mil from the herd in the center.

13.

Becharat 53a derives this concept from the verse cited by the Rambam as a prooftext, because it mentions sheep and cattle separately with regard to tithing.

14.

We find this statement also in Hilchot Bikkurim 12:8. See Deuteronomy 14:4 which refers to “a sheep seh and a goat seh.”

15.

See Hilchot Terumot 5:11; Hilchot Ma’aser 1:7; Hilchot Ma’aser Sheni 11:15.

16.

From the fact that Deuteronomy 14:22 states asair te’asair, repeating the command to tithe crops a second time, Bechorot 53b derives that there is a connection between this tithing and the tithing of one’s herds. Nevertheless, the commentaries question: If the association between the two tithings is established, why does it apply only as an initial preference, and not after the fact as well? In many other instances, when a concept is derived through exegesis, the association is complete and it also applies after the fact, even though it is not explicitly stated in the Torah.

17.

I.e., the year for the tithing of animals begins on the first of Tishrei. All animals born in that year must be tithed together and should not be tithed with animals from another year. And on the first of Tishrei of the following year, the next year begins.

18.

More specifically, born on the twenty-first of Elul, so that it will be fit to be offered on the twenty-ninth of Elul.

19.

Even though there is only a one day difference between them, they are considered as having been born in separate years.

20.

Nor may they be sold (Hilchot Ma’aser 6:6).

21.

Hilchot Ma'acholot Assurot 10:19-21. That source defines tevel as produce from which the terumot and the tithes have not been separated. See also Hilchot Ma'aser 1:3, 5.

22.

Chapter 6, Halachot 4-5.

23.

I.e., according to Scriptural Law, there is no such obligation. Nevertheless, our Sages required a person to tithe his animals at this time for the reasons stated by the Rambam.

24.

For our Sages did not enforce their decree after the fact.

25.

Fifteen days before the holiday, people have already been studying about the holiday and its needs have taken their place in the forefront of their consciousness (Rav Yosef Corcus).

26.

Just like completing the work necessary to process grain in the threshing floor makes one obligated to separate the tithes from it (Hilchot Ma’aser, ch. 3) so, too, the arrival of these “threshing floor” dates makes one obligated to separate the tithes of the animals.

27.

The Rambam does not mention a calendar date as preparation for the holiday of Shavuot, because the celebration of that holiday is not dependent on a specific date, but on the completion of the Counting of the Omer. See Hilchot Kiddush HaChodesh 3:12.

28.

In the previous halachah.

29.

Rav Yosef Corcus explains that if the person would be able to hold back animals from the corral, one would have the tendency to hold back the valuable animals and allow the weaker animals to be tithed.

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Bechorot - Chapter 7

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