Talking Talmud

2 mishnayot! 1 - Someone who buys an untithed animal or is given one as a gift does not need to include that animal in his own tithing. Plus, the case of one who bought animals in utero -- they would be tithed. But isn't that a contradiction?! Consider the implications for the animal not being fit for tithing at the time of purchase. 2 - When brothers are partners and inherit from their father, they need to add a premium to their census tax, but not for the animal tithe. Note the term "kalbon," as the premium census fee. Now, if these brothers inherited adult animals and baby animals -- say, goats -- then they question is how would they need to divide them, and how would the tithe apply?

If the animals are grazing on different sides of the Jordan River, they cannot be combined for the purpose of tithing. Which leads the Gemara to a long detour of reflection on the Jordan River, including its role as a border (or not) for the land of Canaan. Also, the source of the Jordan - in the Cave of Pamyas, where an oath about the water at the source may well have impact on the permissibility about the entire rest of the river. Plus, the supposition that the source of blood is the liver (it's marrow, but it's true that the liver is home to more blood than other organs). And the source of water is the Euphrates.

More on not combining most species for tithing -- with the explicit exception of sheep and goats. The biblical source for this brings us back to terumah (and ma'aser) on different species. Plus, the implications of actual "kilayim," mixtures of the different species -- and when that prohibition would be violated. Also, a new mishnah! On the distance that the flocks could be apart from each other and still join together for the count of the tithing: 16 "mil" [What's What: A "mil"].

Chapter 9! On tithing animals... and the verses from the Torah that prescribe this fairly broad mitzvah, throughout the world and regardless of whether the Temple stands. Sacrificial animals, however, are not part of the tithe. "Herds" (cattle and so on) cannot be tithed in a group that includes various species, however, when it comes to "flocks," even sheep and goat, can combine for tithing purposes. And not "new" and "old" together... Plus, diving deeper into combining species and into the old/new restriction, using a fortiori logic. Also, can the tithing of animals be compared to the tithing of grain and learn from the comparison? Maybe sheep and goats shouldn't be able to be tithed together either? But the term "flocks" is inclusive.

2 mishnayot: 1 - A first-born son receives a double-inheritance from his father's property, though not his mother's property. (Note: The potential modern will complications (which are largely avoidable, but still) would be in Israel, not elsewhere). But improvements to the property after the father's death and other kinds of property would not be counted as a double portion. Nor a woman receiving her ketubah, nor daughters receiving mezonot, nor a yavam. 2 - During a jubilee year (yovel), the land reverts, but there are exceptions -- including the double-portion of the first-born. Note the Gemara's interpretation of this mishnah -- a husband's inheritance of the wife's property may not revert either, or if it does, perhaps he wouldn't be compensated for it. But this inheritance, according to the Gemara, becomes her family's ancestral plot for burial, and not some other land.