Kiddushin, Daf Lammed Tet, Part 1

 

Introduction

The Talmud picks up from where we left off last week, with the topic of the status of orlah (fruit from the first three years of growth of a tree) outside the land.

 

אמר ליה לוי לשמואל אריוך ספק לי ואנא איכול

רב אויא ורבה בר רב חנן מספקו ספוקי להדדי

אמרי חריפי דפומבדיתא אין ערלה בחוצה לארץ

 

Levi said to Shmuel: Aryoch (Shmuel s nickname): Give me some of it and I will eat it.

R. Avia and Rabbah son of R. Hanan gave each other [orlah outside the Land].

The sharp scholars of Pumbedita said. There is no orlah outside of the Land..

 

In the first two cases rabbis will eat orlah outside of Israel, but they will not pick it themselves. It seems that in this way, they can pretend that they re not sure that this is orlah, and doubtful orlah is not prohibited outside of Israel.

The rabbis of Pumbedita go a step further and say that the prohibition of orlah does not apply at all outside the land of Israel.

 

שלחה רב יהודה לקמיה דרבי יוחנן שלח ליה סתום ספיקא ואבד ודאה והכרז על פירותיהן שטעונים גניזה וכל האומר אין ערלה בח"ל לא יהא לו נין ונכד (מיכה ב, ה) משליך חבל בגורל בקהל ה’

 

When Rav Judah sent [this ruling] to R. Yohanan, he sent back: Conceal [the law of] doubtful [orlah], destroy certain [orlah], and proclaim that these fruits must be hidden, and whoever says that there is no [prohibition] of orlah outside the Land will have no offspring who shall cast the line by lot in the congregation of the Lord (Michah 2:5).

 

R. Yohanan vehemently disagrees with the scholars of Pumbedita. He instructs R. Yehudah, the founder of the school of Pumbedita, to hide the law that doubtful orlah is permitted outside of Israel, he tells him to destroy certain orlah and that doubtful orlah must be hidden. He concludes with a strong exhortation, condemning those who say that there is no prohibition of orlah outside of Israel. The line from the book of Michah about casting a line by lot refers to receiving an inheritance. Those who say that there is no law of orlah outside of Israel will not take part in any future inheritance of the land.

 

ואינהו כמאן סברוה כי הא דתניא רבי אלעזר בר’ יוסי אומר משום ר’ יוסי בן דורמסקה שאמר משום רבי יוסי הגלילי שאמר משום רבי יוחנן בן נורי שאמר משום ר’ אליעזר הגדול אין ערלה בח"ל

 

And they (the sharp scholars of Pumbedita), according to whom do they hold? With that which was taught: R. Elazar son of R. Yose who said in the name of R. Yose b. Durmaskah, who said in the name of R. Yose the Galilean, who said in the name of R. Yohanan b. Nuri, who said in the name of R. Elazar the Great: There is no orlah outside of the Land.

 

The opinion held by the scholars of Pumbedita has a strong pedigree too.

 

ולא והאנן תנן רבי אליעזר אומר אף החדש תני חדש

 

Is there not? But we learned: R. Elazar said, also new produce?

Teach: New produce.

 

In the mishnah R. Elazar said that also new produce is observed outside the Land. This seems to mean that he agrees that kilayim and orlah are also observed outside the Land. That s why he said also. Assuming that R. Elazar is the same sage as R. Elazar the Great, then how can he say above that there is no prohibition of orlah outside the Land?

To resolve the problem the Talmud now erases the word also. To R. Elazar only the prohibition of new produce is observed outside the land not kilayim and orlah.