In Gemara Brachos on folio 39b, the Tosafot commentary, in the heading beginning with the words "Everywhere there is a priest," explores a fundamental principle regarding priorities. The discussion clarifies that the dispute between the Tanna Kamma and Rabbi Yehuda does not concern whether a significant item is preferable to a large one when a priest is present to receive a gift. Everyone agrees that if a priest is available at the time one is separating the priestly tithe, the most significant and substantial item should be given to him. Instead, their disagreement is confined to a situation where no priest is currently present to receive the tithe. In that case, the Tanna Kamma rules that one should take the tithe from an item that will not perish, whereas Rabbi Yehuda maintains that one must still prioritize the choice, high-quality item regardless of its durability.
This clarification prompts Tosafot to address an apparent contradiction with a ruling previously cited in the name of Rabbi Yochanan. That earlier teaching established that when one has large broken pieces of bread and small whole loaves, the blessing should be recited over the whole loaves. This seems to conflict with the rule regarding the priestly tithe. If it is universally accepted that a priest should be given the larger, more significant item, why did Rabbi Yochanan rule that for a blessing, one should choose the smaller, whole loaf over the larger, broken piece?
The resolution lies in a critical distinction between the nature of a blessing and the nature of a gift. Regarding the recitation of a blessing, there is no inherent advantage to choosing a larger piece of bread. When an individual eats, the size of the original piece does not change the immediate experience; the person derives the same level of pleasure from the specific portion they are consuming at that moment, regardless of whether it was broken off from a larger or smaller mass. Therefore, there is no practical difference in the benefit gained from the size itself. However, the wholeness of the loaf represents a higher quality and purity. Since the pleasure of eating is the same per bite, the superior quality of the whole loaf makes it the more appropriate choice for the blessing.
In contrast, the logic for giving the priestly tithe focuses on the recipient's perspective. When providing a gift to a priest, the primary concern is the value of what is being received. A recipient naturally finds a larger item more significant and desirable than a smaller one. Because the priest derives greater satisfaction from a more substantial gift, the larger item is considered more important in that context. Thus, while the whole loaf is preferable for a personal blessing because size does not enhance the immediate pleasure of eating, the larger portion is prioritized for the priestly tithe because it constitutes a more significant and honorable gift.