Talking Talmud

Does produce from Beit She'an need tithing? How is this even a question - Beit She'an is clearly part of the land of Israel. Note the Gemara's initial focus on how a sage isn't going to change his mind -- with various interpretations of the Hebrew term used here to note that he won't be dissuaded. Back to Beit She'an - it all goes to the human consecration (and re-consecration) of the land as essential to the holiness that results in land-based mitzvot, and the decisions made for the sake of the local poor. [Who's Who: Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair] Also, a story of the animals of the righteous. With a story of R. Pinchas ben Yair being able to split the river (for easier passage) - and with allusions to the splitting of the Red Sea -because of his own stance that it should - and God granted the miracle. Which rolls into a story about a stubborn donkey who wouldn't eat non-tithed barley. Plus, the concerns about preventing the suffering of animals and the righteous who take up their cause. Plus, Rabbi Hanina's statement that any injury or suffering in this world was decreed on high - with all the accompanying theological conundrum.

A story involving R. Asi and R. Zeira about eggs that were cooked on wine - did that combination carry a risk of "demai" (possibly untithed produce)? Where even R. Asi wasn't thinking about this concern - and how God prevents error by those who are righteous. Which leads us into the ongoing discussion of mixtures or combinations. Also, what about the concern of the population of those unschooled (am ha-aretz) in the halakhic arena of tithing? What if the person who is ignorant switches out that food, perhaps out of concern that it goes bad, or one's personal status of being impure/pure to be protective. That is, one's intent could be entirely on target, but the action is still problematic for a potentially demai mixture.

On the way Yehoshafat stuck by Achav, even when it came to the reliability of his shechitah, despite Achav being guilty of worshipping idols. Note the relationship between the king of Yehudah and the king of Yisrael, despite the divine among the tribes. Plus, the ravens who brought Eliyahu (Elijah) the Prophet his daily bread and meat... ostensibly from Achav's slaughterhouse (so how can Eliyahu have eaten that shechitah if it weren't acceptable? But he's really in a different reality). Plus, what if these ravens were people, not ravens? Also, a return to the Kutim/Samaritans - how it was determined to reject their shechitah after all. Plus, God protects righteous people from inadvertent sinning - or, in this case, not eating meat that wasn't slaughtered properly.

If one finds a string of birds in the possession of a Kuti, there are various ways of increasing rigor to test whether the Kuti had done the slaughtering properly, each of which concludes with determining whether the Kuti himself would eat from his shechitah. That is, where they accepted the halakhic requirements, they were incredibly careful -- and if they didn't accept the requirement to begin with, then they weren't trustworthy. Also, investigating Rava's view on one who intentionally eats non-kosher food - and yet that person can be relied upon for his assessment of kashrut, and even if that person does idolatry. Plus, the human enticement of food and drink just won't work for the Divine.

More on the contradiction in the first mishnah of the tractate, with attempts to determine what caveat works for the distinction between the ideal circumstances for kosher slaughtering as compared to after the fact. With a spotlight on the case of the "Kutim" (Samaritans) whose shechitah was accepted if overseen by an observant Jew. [Who's Who: Kutim/Samaritans] The question is what degree of supervision is required. And the test for kashrut is whether the Samaritan himself would eat his own shechitah. Plus, rounding up all 6 opinions regarding careful reading of the mishnah to draw that ideal/after the fact (lekhathilah/ bedi'avad) distinction.