The Eddie B. Sit Edition presents an audio series of the Talmud Bavli, specifically focusing on Masechet Chullin. This edition has been dedicated by our good friend Mr. Joey Jamal and his wife in honor of their son Jack's engagement to Shirley Sutton. B'ezrat Hashem, may they marry b'sha'ah tovah u'mutzlachat, and through the merit of the study we are about to undertake in Masechet Chullin, may they enjoy much nachat, Shalom Bayit, peace, prosperity, and all blessings, Amen. Today’s daf is Daf Kuf Lamed Aleph. We study today’s daf for the elevation of the soul of Avraham ben Ester and Rabbi Moshe ben Nun, may the spirit of Hashem rest upon them in Gan Eden, Amen. Additionally, we study today’s daf for the success of Simcha bat Leah and Ezra ben Latifa. May their fortune be b'sha'ah tovah u'mutzlachat, and may no harm come to mother or child, Amen.
We begin today’s daf with the phrase Ta Shma. We find ourselves in the sugya discussing a case of someone who causes damage to matanot kehunah. If a person damages matanot kehunah, we established that he does not have to pay. The reason is that it is considered mamon she'ein lo tovei'ach, meaning there is no one to claim it. If the Kohen comes and says, “Where are my matanot? You burned them,” the person can respond, “I do not owe you; I owe the next Kohen.” This cycle continues, as no single individual owns the matanot kehunah, and thus it is classified as mamon she'ein lo tovei'ach.
The Gemara will present various challenges to this principle and will subsequently address them. It begins with Ta Shma: “If the government forcibly took his wheat from his granary…” If the person owed back taxes to the king, he is obligated to pay ma'aser, even though he no longer possesses it, as he owes that ma'aser to the Kohanim and to the Terumot u'Ma'asrot. However, if the government simply seized it without any legal claim, he is exempt from giving ma'aser.
Rashi explains that if he owed a fixed amount of money, he must still give ma'aser from another source to the Kohen because it is akin to selling wheat. When the debt is repaid, it does not exempt him from his obligation to pay ma'aser from what was taken. Conversely, if it was taken by force without any legal basis, he is exempt from ma'aser.
Rashi further clarifies the question: “If he is obligated to give ma'aser in the case of a debt, it implies that there is a claimant.” The Gemara concludes that Terumah is indeed mamon she'yesh lo tovei'ach, and therefore matanot also qualifies as such. The Gemara answers that the case is different since he benefits from it. Rashi elaborates that when the Gemara states that he is obligated, it means that he must give ma'aser because he is benefiting from keeping the excess, which should have been allocated to the Kohanim.
Next, the Gemara continues with another case: A person instructs a butcher to sell him the intestines of an animal. If the intestines contain matanot kehunah, he must give these to the Kohen and cannot demand a discount because he cannot use them. However, if he bought by weight and was unaware that he was receiving matanot kehunah, he must give them to the Kohen and can return to the butcher for a discount.
The Gemara questions why he must give it to the Kohen at all, suggesting it should be treated as if he damaged matanot kehunah, which would exempt him from payment. Rashi clarifies that the buyer knew he was purchasing items that included matanot and thus cannot claim exemption.
As the Gemara progresses, it discusses the nine matanot kehuna that are considered the property of the Kohanim. Among them are Terumah, Terumat Ma'aser, Challah, Reishit Ha'gez, and others. The Gemara highlights that these items are significant as they can be claimed in court, unlike matanot kehunah, which do not belong to a specific Kohen.
In conclusion, the Gemara solidifies the understanding that while Kohanim do not have to give matanot to another Kohen, a Levi must give ma'aser rishon to the Kohen. This distinction is vital for understanding the obligations and rights associated with these halachic rulings.
Baruch Hashem for the insights gained from today’s study, and may we continue to grow in our understanding of the Torah and its teachings. Amen.