Yerushalmi Maaser Sheni 4:1 ירושלמי מעשר שני ד׳:א׳

MISHNAH: If somebody transports Second Tithe produce from a place of high prices to one of low prices¹. For some reason, Maimonides translates “from a clean to a dirty place”, implying that dirty places have cheap prices, clean places high prices. or vice versa, he redeems at the level of his place²At the place where the redemption is actually taking place, outside Jerusalem.. If he brings produce from the threshing floor to town or from the wine-press to town, the excess value³The difference between produce, etc., in town and out in the fields is added to Second Tithe money but the cost of transportation from the field to town is on him and cannot be deducted from tithe money. belongs to the Second but the expense is on him.
One redeems Second Tithe following the low rate at which the grocer buys³⁹At wholesale., not at which he sells; the one at which the banker gives small coins, not at which he assembles large coins⁴⁰The banker engaged in exchange operations makes money on the spread between buying and selling rates. For redeeming tithe one values bronze coins as if one were a banker selling copper coins against silver.. One does not redeem Second Tithe en bloc⁴¹Cf. Demay Chapter 2, Note 198.; if the price is known it is redeemed by the information of one person, if the price is not known by the information of three, as e. g., wine getting sour, fruit rotting, or coins rusting.

HALAKHAH: “If somebody transports Second Tithe produce,” etc. Rebbi Mana said, they said only “if somebody transports”; therefore originally it is forbidden⁴. If people were encouraged to transport heave from place to place (except on the way to Jerusalem), the Mishnah would have been formulated: מוליכין פירות “One transports produce”. The formulation: If somebody does it, then … is only used for actions which are disapproved of but which are not actually forbidden.. This is about Second Tithe produce, but for produce which is ṭevel for Second Tithe⁵Produce for which heave and First Tithe had already been given. it is originally permitted, following this: Rebbi had produce here and in Batanaia⁶Cf. Ma‘serot 4, Note 82.; he fixed the tithes of here there and redeemed them according to the going price there.

It was stated: Whether it was expensive and became cheap or cheap and became more expensive⁷It seems that the baraita permits redeeming at the lowest rate between the time Second Tithe was given and the time it was redeemed.. We understand “expensive and became cheap⁸Since in this case, the price of redemption is the actual price at the time of redemption.”. “Cheap and became more expensive”? There is a difference because he could use a trick and free it from the fifth⁹As explained in Mishnah 4, if a third party redeems the tithe, he does not have to add a fifth..

It was stated¹¹In the Tosephta, 3:1, R. Joshua ben Qorḥa states the opposite rule: Demay follows the rules of the Mishnah, but certain produce always is redeemed by the higher tariff.: “Abba Ḥilfai the small-town man¹²In the Babli, Baba Batra 123a, there appears a אבא חליפא קרויא, Abba Ḥalifa Small-Towner, who, however, was a student of R. Ḥiyya bar Abba and cannot be identical with the person mentioned here. said, when has this been said? For certain [produce], but for demay whether it was expensive and became cheap or was cheap and became expensive, he may sell it cheaply.” Why? Is it because it always may be sold cheaply or because it may not be returned to its place¹³So that it always could be redeemed at the cheaper place.? What is the difference? If later it rose in price again at its place¹⁴At the moment of redemption there is no cheap place.. If you say, because it may not be returned to its place, did it not increase in value? If you say, because it always may be sold cheaply also in this case it can be sold cheaply. Like this: Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba was in Rome and he saw them redeem there Nicolaos dates¹⁵Cf. Berakhot 6, Note 162; Demay 2, Notes 15,16. from here at the price here¹⁶At the much lower rate of the Land of Israel.. He said, who taught them? Ḥilfai the small-town man taught them.

It was stated: A person¹⁸A money changer or money dealer. This paragraph should belong to Baba Meẓi‘a. may earn up to a šeqel¹⁹2 (silver) denars per gold denar? or aureus? The rate of 2000 denars to one aureus points to the early fourth Century., a person may earn up to a quarter²⁰A quarter of a tetradrachma, one denar. Probably the larger amount is for retail transactions, the smaller for wholesale.. How is this done²¹Without transgressing the interest prohibitions.? A denar here is worth 2000, but in Arbel 2000 and a laqan²²A word of uncertain origin and meaning. Following M. Zuckermann, Talmudische Münzen und Gewichte, Breslau 1862, most Talmudic Dictionaries derive this word from Greek λευκόν “a white [thing]”, supposed to mean “a small silver coin”. (Jastrow, deriving the word from the root לקי “to hit, smite”, takes it as translation of Greek λεπτόν, “a small copper coin.”)
However, there never was a Greek coin λευκόν (whose transliteration moreover would have to be לבקן or לוקן)- The efforts of H. J. Sheftel (ערך מלין לשעורי תורה Berdičev 1907, p. 39b/c) and D. Sperber (cf. Note 24) to determine the monetary value of the supposed coin are inconclusive.
The apparent meaning of לקן here and in Baba Meẓi‘a 4:1, fol. 9c, “a small indeterminate amount of money” rather suggests a connection with Arabic لَقَن “small dish, cup” which is used in the composite عِوَض لقن “small thing given in exchange”, or “trifle given as agio”.
{Perhaps cf. Greek λεκάνη, ἡ and λέκος, -εως, τό, “dish, pot, pan” from which a late diminutive λεκίσκιον, τό, “small measure or weight” (E. G.)}.. He wants to give 50 myriads²³500’000 denar = 250 aurei. and brings it up, here by 2000 and in Arbel by 2[000] and laqan²⁴Cf. also D. Sperber, Roman Palestine 200–400, Money and Prices, Ramat-Gan 1974, Chap. 14..

It was stated: One does not redeem Second Tithe as Second Tithe but as profane²⁵Unless the person who redeems states that the produce shall be profane and the holiness of tithe transferred to the coins, there is no transfer.. Rebbi Saul asked: Think of it, if everybody knew that it was Second²⁶What else could he do with it? Even so, there is no transfer without declaration.? Even so. It was stated: One redeems Second Tithe only from its own kind²⁷Tithes do not have to be given from earmarked produce; the farmer may give tithe from one part of his harvest for all other produce of the same harvest but at other places.. Otherwise, what would we say? One might redeem wheat for barley, barley for wheat; even fine wheat for coarse wheat²⁸Cf. Peah 2, Notes 85,86., coarse wheat for fine wheat.

Rebbi Ḥanania said: Rebbi took early ripe green melons³⁰Cf. Kilaim 1:2, Note 38. for the government³¹To invite (Augustus or Caesar) Antoninus, cf. Kilaim 9:4, Note 79. and fixed their Second Tithe in each peduncle³²He then redeemed them together.. He considered them as if cut³³The peduncle with some fruit flesh cut off from the melon.. Rebbi Joḥanan asked, they were whole and you say cut? Rebbi Jonah said, that is correct! If two people were partners in a green melon, one having one part and the other two, can he say, take your part and I shall take mine? But for the two together it is sold more dearly; here also together it is sold³⁴I. e., redeemed. more dearly. Like this: Rebbi Simeon ben Rebbi commanded those Southerners who were disregarding it³⁵They disregarded Second Tithe (which without a Temple cannot be used for anything) and which, at least for produce other than grain, wine, and olive oil, was rabbinic even in the Times of the Temple.. Bar Qappara lifted them and before him cut them into little pieces. He said to him, is that worth anything³⁶If it has no monetary value, it is not subject to tithes.? So far, some things are cut into little pieces and they are no good, other things are cut into little pieces and are good³⁷The argument of Rebbi against Bar Qappara..

Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, one redeems Second Tithe only up to thirty six times [the coin’s] worth. And Rebbi Ḥizqiah said, one who exchanges should not exchange for half a peruṭah so he should not be like one who exchanges for a blank³⁸The peruṭa was an Hasmonean copper coin; in Talmudic times it was purely a unit of computation. According to Yerushalmi Qiddušin 1:1 (fol. 58d), one as(obolus) was counted as 6 peruṭot. The statement then means that for redemption purposes, a denar can be represented by a peruṭah.
Half a peruṭah never was an official coin; for blanks cf. Chapter 1, Note 45.; it must be worth a peruṭah.

Rebbi Immi said, Kama came before Rebbi Joḥanan and Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish. They said to him, go and pay according to those Tannaїm: “One redeems Second Tithe when it is cheap, not when it is expensive; at the rate at which the grocer buys, not at which he sells; the one at which the banker gives small coins, not at which he assembles large coins.” So far for large quantities, what about small ones? Even so, at the rate at which the grocer buys, not at which he sells; the one at which the banker gives small coins, not at which he assembles large coins.

Rebbi Naḥman bar Jacob⁴³The only known Naḥman bar Jacob is Rav Naḥman bar Jacob, Chief Judge in Babylonia and son-in-law of the Resh Galuta. Since carpenters do not make baskets from leaves, they were certainly incompetent to testify to their volume or value. The story therefore notes that in Babylonia, where tithes are rabbinic practice only, any estimate is good. showed a basket of palm leaves to a carpenter and redeemed following his opinion. Rebbi Yannai showed a quarter [qab] wheat to a wheat dealer⁴⁴In the Rome ms. סיטונאי “grain wholesaler”. While the Mishnah takes as standard the selling price of the wholesaler, he asked his buying price. and redeemed following his opinion. Rebbi Simon showed produce to Rebbi Ḥilqiah who asked him, by their true value? He answered, yes. Rebbi Ḥilqiah said in the name of Rebbi Simon, one does not redeem Second Tithe following the opinion of imbeciles. Rebbi Phineas showed produce to a grits-maker who asked him, by their true value? He said to him, so said Rebbi Ḥilqiah in the name of Rebbi Simon, one does not redeem following the opinion of imbeciles. Rebbi Shammai said, how much a person wants [to pay] on a clear noontime at the summer solstice when the bath master⁴⁵He runs a thermal bath which will not have many customers in the summer heat; he will sell his supplies cheaply. takes up his bunches, he brings coins and redeems. Rebbi Jeremiah said, as much as a person wants Friday afternoon from women braiders⁴⁶They are fully occupied and will react only if they get an extraordinarily cheap buy. R. Jeremiah seems to have no compunctions to go to a women’s hairdresser shop! when he passes by, he brings coins and redeems. Rebbi Yudan bar Gadya⁴⁷He seems to be R. Yudan bar Guria. said, Rebbi Jacob bar Abun left it lying until it got moldy and redeemed it immediately after the Sabbath.

Rebbi Mana had oil which he brought down to Acco⁴⁸Where olive oil is more expensive than at the place of production in Galilee.. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Ada said to him, if your oil there at the parapet⁴⁹Second Tithe money oil at your house in Galilee. is still there, it is your time that you should redeem it for [there] it is not worth six minas⁵⁰Instead of שיתא מני the Rome ms. has מינך “from you”; a corruption..

Rebbi Joḥanan said, one redeems Second Tithe by the offers of three buyers, even if one of them is a Gentile, even if one of them is an owner. Rebbi Jonah asked: Not two Gentiles, not two owners; also not one Gentile and one owner? No, it was said separately⁵¹Only one Gentile, only one owner, but one Gentile and one owner is acceptable. This is also accepted in the Babli, Sanhedrin 12b, where the owner and his wife are accepted, in Rashi’s interpretation on condition that the wife have her own business and not be dependent on her husband for her upkeep..