Menachot 55

In its discussion of meal offerings, yesterday’s daf examined the question of whether we measure items according to their original volume or their current volume. With regard to meal offerings, this question was brought up to determine whether the ratio of the handful taken must be in accordance with the meal offering’s initial state as flour or current state as a dough.

Another example of this dilemma brought by the Gemara was separating figs for terumat ma’aser, the priestly tithe given by the Levites. The Torah dictates that priests get a portion from every crop grown in the land of Israel, called terumah. It also dictates that a tenth of each crop be separated and given to the Levites, who didn’t own their own land — this was called ma’aser. The Levites then had to separate a tenth of the ma’aser given to them as terumah to be given to the priests, terumat ma’aser. Whereas terumah from a normal crop can be given in any measure, terumat ma’aser is given in the specific ratio of one tenth.

How is this one tenth calculated in the case of fresh and dried figs? Fresh figs are of significantly greater volume than dried. While fresh figs are wonderful, they were often dried for the purpose of preserving their shelf life. Given this processing, there is a question about how the terumah is calculated in a case where you have a mixture of fresh and dried: Should one separate according to the number of figs or their volume?

The sages taught in a beraita: One may separate terumahfrom fresh figs for dried figs by number in a place where they are accustomed to make fresh figs into dried figs. But one may not set aside terumahfrom dried figs for fresh figs even in a place where they are accustomed to make fresh figs into dried figs.

The Gemara infers from this beraita:

The Master said: One may separate terumahfrom fresh figs for dried figs in a place where they are accustomed to make fresh figs into dried figs — in a place where they are accustomed to make dried figs, yes, but in a place where they are not accustomed to make dried figs, one may not do so.

Rashi infers from the continuation of our Gemara that the concern in this beraita is not actually about relative volume, as we’ve been discussing, but about shelf stability. If one is tithing for a non-perishable item, such as dried figs, the tithe itself should also be non-perishable. If one tithed fresh figs, they might rot and become inedible long before the dried figs’ expiration date. Therefore, if it’s likely that these fresh figs will be turned into dried figs, we don’t have a problem. But if they’re most likely to only be consumed fresh, it appears they aren’t viable terumah for dried figs.

The Gemara goes on to note that a relevant factor in determining what’s preferable to separate is whether the priest is physically present at the time of separation. If there’s a priest present, then a mishnah in Terumot states that we should give them the best possible quality produce — in this case, fresh figs over dried figs. But if a priest is not present at the time of separation, the mishnah says that one should separate non-perishable food as terumah. 

Though we began this discussion with the question of how we measure items — as they appear before us, or as they originally were — the Gemara used that discussion as a jumping-off point to discuss other relevant considerations when separating terumah from food appearing in different forms. Not only are we concerned with giving the priests the right ratio of produce, but we want to give them whatever will be most useful: either fresh, quality produce directly into their hands, or shelf stable produce that will still be good when delivered.

Read all of Menachot 55 on Sefaria.

This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on March 7, 2026. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.