Yoma 56a
יומא נ״ו ע״א
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Topic
The ברייתא about buying wine from כותים on ערב שבת, and רבי מאיר's ruling that one may designate future tithes now and drink right away. This relies on the principle of ברירה (retroactive clarification).
Overview
This amud finishes a ברייתא that the גמרא quotes in its discussion of ברירה. A person bought wine from כותים, who cannot be trusted to have tithed it, and has no time to separate the gifts before שבת. He declares in words that portions he will separate later are already the gifts. Ten לוג will be מעשר ראשון and nine לוג will be מעשר שני. He redeems the מעשר שני on coins and may drink right away. This is רבי מאיר's ruling. It works because he holds יש ברירה: the later separation shows retroactively which wine was the gifts all along.
Opening lines
עֲשָׂרָה מַעֲשֵׂר רִאשׁוֹן,
ten [לוג that I will separate] are first tithe,
תִּשְׁעָה מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי,
nine are second tithe,
וּמֵיחֵל וְשׁוֹתֶה מִיָּד.
and he redeems [the second tithe on money] and drinks immediately.
דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר.
These are the words of רבי מאיר.
The steps (1)
- Proofרבי מאיר allows designating future tithes now and drinking immediately