Maaser - Chapter 14

When a person purchases [produce] from a wholesaler and then purchases [produce] from him a second time, he should not separate tithes from one batch for another. [This applies] even if they are of one species, and even from one container, and even if he himself recognized the barrel [from which the produce was taken].1 [The rationale is that] a wholesaler purchases from many different people and sells [it]. Perhaps the produce he first sold was from a common person whose produce is demai2 and the batch he sold later was from a chavair who made the appropriate separations. As we already explained,3 we do not separate tithes from produce that is obligated to be tithed for produce that is exempt or from produce that is exempt for produce that is obligated. If the wholesaler said that [both batches] are from one person, we rely on his word.4

When [a wholesaler] sells hops or vegetables and they are being brought and collected before him, a purchaser should tithe each bunch of hops, each bundle [of vegetables], and each date individually.5

When a person purchases [produce] from a private individual and then purchases [the same species] from him a second time, he may separate the tithes from one batch for the other.6 [This applies] even when he purchases [produce] from two containers, and even from two cities. [The rationale is that] we operate under the presumption that a private person sells only his own produce.

[Different rules apply when] a private person sells vegetables in the market place. When [produce] is brought to him from his gardens, [a purchaser] may tithe from one batch for the entire quantity. If, however, he is also brought [produce] from other gardens, should one purchase a batch from him and then purchase a second batch, he should not tithe from one for the other.7

When a person purchases bread from a baker, he should not tithe from the warm bread for the cool bread, for one might say that the wheat [used for] yesterday's [bread] was from one person and that [used] for today's is from another.8

When a person purchases [bread] from a bakery9 he may tithe from one loaf for all the others even if [the loaves] are from different molds. For a baker who sells to a bakery10 bakes his dough in different molds. If, however, one purchases [bread] from a distributor, one should tithe each mold individually,11 for a distributor purchases from two [or more] bakers.

When nine distributors purchase [bread] from ten bakers, since one of them purchases from two [bakers], anyone who purchases [bread] from one of the nine must tithe each mold individually.12

When a person purchases [bread] from a poor person and similarly, if a poor person was given13 slices of bread or slices of a cake of dried figs, he should tithe each one individually. For dates and dried figs, he should group the entire quantity together and tithe them.

When does the above apply? When he was given a large present.14 If he was given a small present, he should tithe each present individually.15

If a person ground a loaf of bread [into] crumbs or ground dried figs and made them into a cake,16 he should separate tithes for the entire quantity.

When workers or guests were reclining and eating and they left over slices [of bread], one should tithe each one individually.17

Blessed be God who grants assistance.