Menachot 85b — the Talmud in English

But whereas

the beraita teaches

“and in the second [year] he plows and

plows again”!?

That is to say, it is necessarily the case that our Mishna does not accord with the opinion of the beraita, because an additional plowing beyond the ordinary plowing that they do in a field certainly has no source in our Mishna, whereas in the beraita two plowings in the second year are mentioned; and necessarily these are two methods, and one cannot learn from what is stated in the beraita to explain the Mishna.

And we answer:

This is not difficult: here

—our Mishna—concerns

a

field

that is worked

, which was plowed in the first year, and therefore when he makes a fallow-plowing in the second year, we have two plowings.

Here

—the beraita, in which we learned “he plows and plows again”—

concerns

a

field

that is not worked—

That is to say, if indeed he plowed it in the first year, then in the second he performs one plowing and sows; and if he did not plow it in the first year, then he performs two plowings in the second year; and therefore there is no contradiction from the beraita; but in any event, resolve from it that in the second year he performs a second plowing.

But this resolution was not obvious to the Gemara, and therefore the Gemara asks:

What has become of it

—the uncertainty concerning the interpretation of our Mishna?

And the Gemara resolves:

Come and hear

that he does not plow a second time, from this

as it was taught

:

He plows

the entire field in

half

of the year,

and sows

in the other half of the year

half

of the field—

And again, in the following year,

he plows

the entire field in

half

of the year,

and sows

in the second half of the year

half

the other half of the field [the one that he left fallow in the preceding year]; and so he acts alternately in the following years, and it is proven that after he made it fallow he does not return and plow again.

Rabbi Yohanan said: They bring the omer only from the south-facing fields in the Land of Israel,

in which the sun rises and from which the sun sets; he plows half and sows half, he plows half and sows half.

Abba Shaul says: The omer came from the valley of Beit Mekaleh

, and that valley

was of the size of three se’a

.

And it was a south-facing field, in which the sun rises and from which the sun sets; he plows half and sows half, he plows half and sows half.

Rav Helkiah bar Tovi had a corner plot of land, and it produced double, and he sold it for wheat for fine flour—

Rav Helkiah bar Tovi had a plot of land at a corner

, and it produced twice as much grain as an ordinary field, and the grain was very choice, and he sold it to make fine flour for the meal-offerings.

We learned in the Mishna:

“And if it became worm-eaten, it is unfit”: The Sages taught:

Fine flour of which most became worm-eaten

, it is

unfit.

And

likewise

wheat of which most became worm-eaten

is

unfit

to grind it and offer its fine flour.

Rav Jeremiah inquired

: Rav Jeremiah was uncertain concerning the meaning of what we learned in the beraita: “wheat of which most became worm-eaten”:

Whether

in the majority of a grain

, that is: every grain whose majority became worm-eaten is unfit—

or

even

in the majority of a se’a

, that is: a se’a of wheat of which the majority became worm-eaten, the entire se’a is unfit for meal-offerings, even those that did not become worm-eaten at all.

And we conclude:

Teyku!

Anyone who consecrates an animal that has a blemish—which is unfit—for the altar transgresses a negative commandment and receives lashes for its consecration, as it is stated [Leviticus 22:20], “Whatever has a blemish, you shall not offer,” and by oral tradition they learned that this is a warning to one who consecrates blemished animals.

Rava inquired:

If he consecrated

worm-eaten wheat,

what is the rule concerning receiving lashes for them because of

one who consecrates a

blemished animal

for the altar?

And the sides of the uncertainty are: shall we say:

since it is unfit [A0132]since they are unfit,

—since it is unfit—

it is comparable to a blemished animal

, and he receives lashes for consecrating them, according to the law of one who consecrates a blemished animal for the altar—

or perhaps: there is a blemished animal only with regard to an animal

, whereas these, although they are unfit, are not blemished animals, and he does not receive lashes for consecrating them?

And we conclude:

Teyku!

We learned there

in tractate Middot 2:5:

Every piece of wood in which a worm is found

is

unfit with regard to the altar

to place it on the arrangement of the altar:

Samuel said: They taught this only with regard to

wood that is

moist

and became worm-eaten, since he cannot scrape out from it what became worm-eaten,

but

wood that is

dry wood, he

wood can have the infested part

scrapes it out

—what became worm-eaten—and the wood is

fit.

wood is fit.

Rava inquired:

If he consecrated it

—wood that became worm-eaten—

what is the rule concerning receiving lashes for it

because of

one who consecrates a

blemished animal

for the altar?

And the sides of the uncertainty are:

Shall we say:

since it is unfit

—the wood—

it is comparable to a blemished animal

, and he receives lashes for consecrating it, according to the law of one who consecrates a blemished animal for the altar—

or perhaps: there is a blemished animal only with regard to an animal

, and wood that became worm-eaten, although it is unfit, is not a blemished animal, and he does not receive lashes for consecrating it.

And we conclude:

Teyku!

Mishna:

After it was explained in the preceding mishnayot which produce is more choice for making fine flour from it, our Mishna here explains in which places the oil is most choice.

Tekoa is first [A0191]“first” in the Greek language

—“first” in Greek—

for oil. The oil that comes from Tekoa is the most choice for the Menora and for meal-offerings, and they bring it from there, because it is stated: “the choicest of your vows.”

. Oil that comes from Tekoa is the finest for the Menora and meal-offerings, and it is brought from there, as it is stated: “the choicest of your vows.”

Abba Shaul says: Second to it

[to Tekoa], the city of

Rogev

that is

in Transjordan.

All lands were fit

to bring oil from them,

except

that

from here [A0204]from here, from the places mentioned,

—from the places mentioned—

they would bring.

They do not bring

oil for the Menora and meal-offerings—

from a fertilizer field [A0209]a field that requires fertilizing, because they are repulsive.

—a field that requires fertilizing—because such fields are repulsive.

Nor from an irrigated field [A0213]a field that grows from a spring within it, because its produce is poor.

—a field that grows from a spring within it—because its produce is inferior.

Nor from what was sown among them

, that is, nor oil that comes from olive trees among which grain was sown, because the seeds weaken the olive trees, and the oil that comes from them is not superior.

And

nevertheless,

if he brought

from any one of these, the oil is

fit

.

They do not bring anfaktin

, a type of oil, and it will be explained in the Gemara—

but if he brought

anfaktin, it is [A0226]fit [A0227]unfit, according to Rashi.

fit

[disqualified, according to Rashi].

They do not bring

oil:

from olives [A0234]olive berries

—olive berries—

that were soaked in water

, because the water spoils the oil that comes from them.

Nor from pickled olives [A0238]oil that comes from pickled olives.

—oil produced from olives that were pickled.

Nor from boiled olives [A0240]oil that comes from cooked olives.

—oil produced from olives that were cooked.

But if he brought

from any one of these, the oil is

unfit.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: “Tekoa is first for oil”:

It is written [II Samuel 14:

“And Joab sent to Tekoa [A0248]to Tekoa

to Tekoa]

and took from there a wise woman”—

And we explain:

What is different about Tekoa

, why did he send to bring a wise woman specifically from Tekoa?

He said

—he explained—

Rabbi Yohanan: Because they are accustomed to olive oil, wisdom is common among them

, because olive oil enlightens the heart.

The Sages taught:

It is written concerning Moses’ blessing to the tribes [Deuteronomy 33:24]: “And concerning Asher he said: Blessed among sons is Asher; may he be pleasing to his brothers

and bathe his foot in oil”:

This is Asher’s portion

in the Land of Israel,

which draws oil like a spring.

That is to say, there is an abundance of oil in his portion.

They said: Once the people of Ludekia needed

[a place-name]

oil, they appointed for themselves a polmostos

[an appointed gentile]

one

, and

they said to him: Go and bring us oil worth

the value of

one hundred myriad

manim.

That gentile went

to

Jerusalem

to bring the oil

; the Jews said to him

, the people of Jerusalem:

Go to Tyre

, where you will find so much oil.

That gentile went

to

Tyre, and the people of Tyre said to him

:

Go to Gush Halav

—which was in Asher’s portion—where you will find so much oil.

That gentile went

to

Gush Halav, and the local people said to him

:

Go to so-and-so

, with him you will find oil.

That gentile went

to

his house

of that so-and-so

and did not find him

at his house.

They said to him

, the members of the household:

He is in the field.

That gentile went

and

found

that so-and-so

digging [A0316]digging and hoeing, himself

—digging and hoeing—by himself

beneath his olive trees

, although he was wealthy.

He said

—he asked—

him

, the gentile asked that so-and-so: Do

you have oil worth one hundred myriad

manim

that I need?

He said to him

, the Jew to the gentile:

Yes!

But

wait for me until I finish my work.

The gentile waited

until

he finished

the Jew’s

work; after he finished his work, he slung

that so-and-so

his tools behind him [A0340]he placed his work tools behind his back,

—he placed his work tools behind his back—

and went on clearing stones [A0342]he was clearing stones from the field, and because of this the gentile thought that he was poor.

—he was clearing stones from the field—and as a result he appeared poor to the gentile.

On the way he said to him:

But

do you have oil worth one hundred myriad!?

I imagine that the Jews played a trick on me

, those who sent me to you.

When he reached

the Jew’s

city, his maidservant brought him

of the Jew

a kettle

of hot water, and he washed his hands and feet in it,

and she further

brought him a golden cup full of oil, and he immersed his hands and feet in it.

To fulfill what is said

concerning Asher’s portion: “

And he bathes his foot in oil.”

After they had eaten

both of them

and drunk, he measured out for him

the Jew

oil in the amount of one hundred myriad manehs

—as he had requested.

He said to him [

the Jew asked the gentile]:

Perhaps [

maybe]

you need more

oil?

He said to him

the gentile to the Jew:

Yes! But I have no money

to buy more oil.

He said to him

the Jew to the gentile:

If you want to take

more oil,

take it

for yourself,

and I will come with you and take its payment

for the additional oil.

And indeed

he measured out for him

more

oil in the amount of eighteen myriad

additional manehs.

They said: That man did not leave [

that gentile agent]

a horse, nor a mule, nor a camel, nor a donkey in the Land of Israel that he did not hire

to transport upon them the great quantity of oil that he had purchased.

When he reached

that gentile

his city, the people of his city came out to praise him

for having fulfilled his mission in the best possible manner.

He said to them

the gentile to the people of his city:

Do not praise me, but rather this one

the Jew

who came with me, who measured out for me oil in the amount of one hundred myriad, and behold

he

is my creditor for eighteen myriad

more.

To fulfill what is said [

Proverbs 13] “

There is one who makes himself rich

and has nothing, and one who makes himself poor and has great wealth,”

there is one who presents himself as wealthy, but is himself lacking everything, and there is one who presents himself as poor, while he possesses great wealth; and this Jew, too, behaved as a poor man, for he would clear stones and dig himself beneath his olive trees, but he was exceedingly wealthy.

We learned in the Mishna:

One does not bring [oil] either from the house of refuse...

One does not bring anafkinin, and if he brought it, it is invalid:

And we challenge it:

But was it not taught: One does not bring anafkinin,