מסכת בכוריס
"ראשית בכורי אדמתך תביא בית ה' אלהיך לא תבשל גדי בחלב אמו" (שמות, כג:יט)
פרק א
| משנה א | |
| יש מביאין ביכורים | There are those who bring bikurim |
| וקורין | and recite [the pesukim that are to be said when bikurim are brought], |
| מביאין ולא קורין |
those who bring but do not recite, |
| ויש שאינן מביאין | and there are those who do not bring. |
| אלו שאינן מביאין | These do not bring: |
| הנוטע לתוך שלו | one who plants in his own property |
| והבריך | and bends [a branch or vine back into the ground] |
| לתוך של יחיד | in another individual's property |
| או של רבים | or in public property; |
| וכן המבריך | similarly, one who bends [a branch or vine into the ground] |
| מתוך של יחיד | from within another individual's [property] |
| או מתוך של רבים | or from public property |
| לתוך שלו | into his own property. |
| הנוטע לתוך שלו | One who plants in his own property |
| והבריך לתוך שלו | and he bends [a branch or vine in the ground] in his own property |
| ודרך היחיד | and [someone else's] individual pathway |
| ודרך הרבים באמצע | or a public pathway is in the middle |
| הרי זה אינו מביא | such a person does not bring bikurim |
| רבי יהודה אומר | Rebbi Yehuda says |
| כזה מביא | such a person (who runs a branch under public property) does bring bikurim. |
|
משנה ב |
|
| ומאיזה טעם | And for what reason |
| אינו מביא | does he [in the cases of the previous mishna] not bring [bikurim]? |
| משום שנאמר | As it says: |
| ראשית ביכורי |
"The initial first fruits |
| אדמתך תביא | of your land you should bring," |
| (שמות כג:יט) | |
| עד שיהו כל הגידולין |
until all of the growth |
| מאדמתך | is from your land. |
| האריסין | Sharecroppers |
| והחכורות | tenants |
| והסיקריקון | those who obtain land by threats of violence |
| והגזלן | and the thief |
| אין מביאין | do not bring bikurim |
| מאותו הטעם | For that same reason: |
| משום שנאמר | because is says |
| ראשית ביכורי | "The initial first fruits |
| אדמתך | of your land." |
NOTES
משנה א
וקורין - When one brings bikurim, he recites certain passages from the beginning of פרשת כי תבוא, as detailed in פרק ג משנה ו. Although normally translated as "to read", in this context the word קרא would more accurately be said to refer to a 'recital', as it may be done by heart. ואלו שאינן מביאין וכו׳ - The basis for this exclusion is given in the next mishna, but it arises from the fact that by growing a tree or vine in this manner, it derives nourishment from property that is not his, and so the fruit of the original plant and the extension cannot be bikurim. The exclusion applies both to fruits of the original tree, as well as any fruits of the branch that was bent into the ground, as both derived nourishment from land that was not his. ודרך היחיד ודרך הרבים באמצע - The branch passes underground outside of his property, and so gain nourishment from land that is not his. רבי יהודה אומר כזה מביא - His opinion is that as one may tunnel under public property, so long as it does not cause actual damage to the surface, it is considered his property for these purposes, though he does concede that one does not recite the usual pesukim in such a case.
משנה ב
האריסין - Sharecroppers pay a share of their crop to the landlord, as opposed to החכורות, tenant famers who pay a set rent regardless of crop yields. והסיקריקון - from the phrase "שא קרקע והנחני," or "take the property and leave me be", uttered by a landowner when threatened. Various explanation are given as to how this differs from the גזלן, such as that the former pays something for the land, or that the latter stole the plant, though not the land.
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