Bartenura on Mishnah Challah

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1.1.1
חמשה דברים חייבים בחלה – We draw a conclusion by analogy of [the word] חלה from [the word] "פסח"/Passover. It is stated concerning “Passover” the commandment of the bread of affliction (Deuteronomy 16:3): “[You shall not eat anything leavened with it;] for seven days thereafter, you shall eat unleavened bread, bread of distress – [for you departed from the land of Egypt hastily – so that you may remember the day of your departure from the land of Egypt as long as you live].” And it is stated [the word] "לחם" /”bread,” with regard to Hallah (Numbers 15:19): “And you eat of the bread of the land…” Just as “bread” that is stated on Passover, a matter that comes to be leavened/soured, so too “bread” that is mentioned with Hallah- something that comes to be leavened/soured and you have nothing that comes to be leavened/soured other than only these five species.
1.1.2
ומצטרפין זה עם זה – to complete the definite quantity of started dough required [to separate] Hallah, bit they all do not combine together, for a species with something that is not of the same species does combine together, as is taught in the Mishnah further ahead at the beginning of Chapter Four (Mishnah 2), but rather wheat combines with spelt alone because they are its species (see Talmud Pesahim 35a). And barley combines with everything except for wheat, and even though spelt is a species of wheat, it is not specifically a species of wheat, but it is a species of barley and even a kind of wheat that combines with wheat and barley. But the Jerusalem Talmud implies that if they (i.e., the five species) were kneaded together, they would combine even for a species with something that is not of the same species. But if they were not kneaded together but rather that afterwards, the doughs came in contact with/touched each other, one species with something of its own kind combine; but with something of a different species, they do not combine [to make definite quantity of started dough required to separate Hallah].
1.1.3
ואסורים בחדש – As it is written (Leviticus 23:14): “[Until that very day, until you have brought the offering of your God,] you shall eat no bread or parched grain or fresh ears (i.e., of the new crop);…” and we draw a conclusion by analogy of the words "לחם", "לחם" /”bread,” “bread” from Passover.
1.1.4
מלקצור מלפני הפסח – since it is forbidden to reap from one of the five species prior to the reaping of the Omer, as it is written with [regard to] the Omer (Leviticus 23:10): “…[you shall bring] the first sheaf of your harvest [to the priest],” that it will be the first of all that is reaped. And you bring [the analogy] of: ראשית, ראשית" / “first,” “first” from Hallah. It is written there (Numbers 15:20): “as the first yield of your baking, [you shall set aside a loaf as a gift]…” and it is written here (Leviticus 23:10): “[you shall bring] the first sheaf of your harvest [to the priest].” Just as there it must be from the five species, so too here from the five species.
1.1.5
ואם השרישו – one from these five species, prior to he reaping of the Omer.
1.1.6
העומר מתירן – and you are permitted to reap after the reaping of he Omer, as it is written (Exodus 23:16): “[And the Feast of the Harvest, of the first fruits of your work,] of what you sew in the field;…],” from the time that it is sewn and takes root in the field.
1.1.7
ואם לאו – if they did not take root other than after the reaping of the Omer.
1.1.8
אסורים עד שיבא עומר הבא – of the next year.
1.2.1
יצא ידי חובתו – As it is written (Deuteronomy 16:3): “You shall not eat anything leavened with it; for seven days thereafter you shall eat unleavened bread….,” things that come to be leavened, a person fulfills through them his religious obligation of [eating] Matzah/unleavened bread; things that do not come to be leavened, a person does not fulfill through them the religious obligation of [eating] Matzah.
1.2.2
נתערב אחד מהן בכל המינים – one of these species was mixed up with the rest of the mixture, such as Babylonian preserve consisting of soul milk, bread-crusts and salt and Median [date] beer (into which they put a concoction of barley – see Talmud Pesahim 42b).
1.2.3
ה"ז עובר בפסח – on “lest it be seen” (Exodus 13:7) and “lest it be found”(Exodus 12:19), and if he placed it in his domain.
1.2.4
הנודר מן הדגן אסור בכל המינים – for "דגן" /grain implies everything which is piled up (see Talmud Nedarim 55a) for pulse/beans/peas and seeds are things which are piled up.
1.2.5
אינו אסור אלא בהן – for grain/piles/bread and grain are the same, and the Halakha is according to the Sages.
1.2.6
וחייבים בחלה ובמעשרות – since it was necessary to teach “ which are [those things] that are liable for Hallah and exempt from tithes, and which are [those things] that are liable for tithing and exempt from Hallah, the Tanna [of our Mishnah] taught here, “and are liable for Hallah and tithes.
1.3.1
הלקט והשכחה והפאה וההפקר – are exempt from the tithes, as it is written (Deuteronomy 14:29): “Then the Levite, who has no hereditary portion as you have…,” from what you have and what he lacks, you are obligated to give to him, excluding those who have what you have with you.
1.3.2
ומותר העומר – for the Omer would come from three Seahs, and we remove from it a tenth of fine flour winnowed with thirteen sieves and the remainder is redeemed and eaten by all people, and he is liable for Hallah but exempt from tithes, because at the time of the smoothing of the pile, it was dedicated to the Temple.
1.3.3
ותבואה שלא הביאה שליש – is liable for Hallah, and even it comes to be leavened, and every thing that comes to be leavened, is called “bread,” and is liable for Hallah, but is exempt from tithing, for regarding tithes, it is written (Deuteronomy 14:22): “[You shall set aside every year a tenth part of all] the yield of your sowing [that is brought from the field];” a thing that we plant it and it grows, and that which if we don’t sow, it does not grow.
1.3.4
תבואה שלא הביאה שליש פטורה מן החלה – as it is written (Numbers 15:20): “…you shall set it aside as a gift like the gift from the threshing floor;” just as priest’s due does not come from grain that did not bring forth [at least] a third [of its growth], so also Hallah does not come from grain that did not bring forth [at least] a third [of its growth]. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Eliezer.
1.4.1
ופרגין – we call it KASHKASH in Arabic and in foreign language, POPORRO.
1.4.2
ופחות מחמשת רבעים בתבואה – grain that makes less than five quarts of flour is obligated in tithes. And the dough that is kneaded from this flour is exempt from the Hallah, since the measure of the dough be liable for Hallah is five-forths flour and more, that is, a bit more than five quarts.
1.4.3
הסופגנים – bread whose mixture is soft and is made like a sponge. Another explanation: thin wafers; its Aramaic translation of wafers of unleavened bread, sponge-cake and spongy-bread.
1.4.4
הדובשנים – fried in honey. Alternatively, kneaded in honey.
1.4.5
האסקריטין – the Aramaic translation of a tenacious batter dripped on a hot griddle (a sort of waffle), a kind of paste, and their mixture is very soft.
1.4.6
וחלת המשרת – Challah that is like a paste prepared in a pan by stirring (i.e., a dumpling). The Aramaic translation of a pan is a camp/resting place.
1.4.7
המדומע – a SEAH of priest’s due that fell in less than one-hundred SEAH of non-sacred dough, and they were made altogether into something, otherwise usually exempt, but now subject to the law of priest’s due, and it is forbidden to foreigner (i.e., non-Kohanim), and is exempt from Hallah, as it is written (Numbers 15:20): “…you shall it aside as a gift…,” and not something that had already been set aside.
1.5.1
עסה שתחלתה סופגנים – such as dough whose mixture is soft.
1.5.2
וסופה סופגנים – when they are fried in oil and honey or cooked in water.
1.5.3
תחילתה עיסה וסופה סופגנים – when its mixture is thick and afterwards we fry it in oil and honey or cook it in water.
1.5.4
תחלתה סופגנין וסופה עיסה – its mixture is soft and we bake it in an oven.
1.5.5
קנובקאות – bread that we restore it to its sifted fine flour, and make of it food for babies.
1.6.1
המעיסה – flour on top of boilin water.
1.6.2
החליטה – boiling water on top of four, and it explains in the Gemara that these are two Tannaim, and he who taught this did not teach that, for one Tannah taught concerning a paste made of flour on which boiling water is poured and the same law applies for a paste made of flour stirring in boiling water, and he holds that whether dealing with a paste made of flour on which boiling water is poured or a paste made of flour stirring in boiling water, the School of Shammai exempts and the School of Hillel obligates [the giving of Hallah]. And the other Tanna taught: a paste made of flour stirring in boiling water and the same law applies for a paste made of flour on which boiling water is poured, and he holds that whether one speaks of a paste made of flour on which boiling water is poured or paste made of flour stirring in boiling water, the School of Shammai obligates [the giving of Hallah] whereas the School of Hillel exempts. But in regard to a legal decision, whether one is dealing with a paste made of flour on which boiling water is poured or a paste made of flour stirring in boiling water, if it is baked in an oven, they are obligated in giving Hallah. And if it is in a deep and covered pan or in a pan [without a lid] (see Mishnah Menahot, Chapter 5, Mishnah 8) or with all things that the fire passes underneath, are exempt from Hallah.
1.6.3
עשאן לעצמו – for the needs of his thanksgiving offering or his Naziriteship.
1.6.4
פטור – since he rolled them to sanctify them as it is written (Numbers 15:21): “[You shall make a gift to the LORD from the first yield] of your baking [throughout the ages],” but not sanctified dough.
1.6.5
למכור בשוק – to people who require for loaves for thanksgiving and wafers of the Nazirite.
1.6.6
חייב – for all that is for the marketplace he would counsel/advise; if you sell it, sell it, and if not, I personally will eat them.
1.7.1
נחתום שעשה שאור לחלק – and there is within it enough for the obligation [to separate] Hallah, but if it is intention to sell it to people to divide it into a few [pieces of] dough, and each part does not have the [requisite] measure.
1.7.2
חייב בחלה – for it is his intention that if he does not find purchasers that he would make it into dough and bake it all as one.
1.8.1
עיסת כלבים – it is made from flour and much coarse bran is mixed into it.
1.8.2
בזמן שהרועים אוכלים ממנה – that the coarse bran was not mixed into it so much.
1.8.3
חייבת בחלה – for since it is fit for shepherds, they call it bread.
1.8.4
ומערבין בה – for buildings with a common court [they make an Eruv], to take out [food] from one’s home to the courtyard.
1.8.5
ומשתתפין בה – the formation of a fictitious partnership in an alley, to remove [food] from the courtyard to the alley.
1.8.6
ומברכין עליה – The Blessings on Bread (i.e., HaMotzi)
1.8.7
ומזמנין עליה – three [people] who ate from it are obligated to recite Birkat HaMazon (see Mishnah Berakhot, Chapter 7, Mishnah 1).
1.8.8
ונאפית ביום טוב – because of the portion of the shepherds.
1.8.9
ואדם יוצא בה ידי חובתו בפסח – The first night [of Passover] when a person is obligated to eat an olive’s bulk of Matzah.
1.8.10
אינה חייבת בחלה – as it is written (Numbers 15:20): “As the first yield of your baking….”; what is yours is liable, and not that of a beast.
1.8.11
מטמאה טומאת אוכלין – since on account of an emergency, it is eaten by humans; he defiles it until it is invalid to feed to a dog.
1.9.1
חייבין עליהן מיתה – A foreigner (i.e. non-Kohen) who eats them (i.e., Hallah) willfully is liable for death by the hand of heaven, for Hallah is called “Terumah”/heave-offering, as with Terumah, it is written (Leviticus 22:9): “….and die for it, having committed profanation…”
1.9.2
וחומש – he who eats them (i.e., Hallah) inadvertently, pays the principal to the owners and a fifth to any Kohen that he desires.
1.9.3
ואסורים לזרים – This is taught unnecessarily, since non-priests are liable to death and the additional fifth [when eating terumah/hallah], it is obvious that they are forbidden to non-priests. And according to Rabbi Yochanan who said that [consuming] a half-measure is [prohibited] by Torah law, we can say that it teaches "forbidden to non-priests" regarding a half-measure, for which there is neither death penalty nor the additional fifth, but there is nonetheless a Torah prohibition.
1.9.4
והן נכסי כהן – that he is able to sell them and purchase with them slaves and land and impure cattle.
1.9.5
ועולין באחד ומאה – if they were combined with one hundred [parts] of non-sacred [food].
1.9.6
וטעונים רחיצת ידים – He who comes in contact with them must wash his hands first, for mere hands invalidate the Terumah, for even the Hallah is called Terumah.
1.9.7
והערב שמש – an impure [Kohen] who immersed [in a ritual bath] does not eat Terumah until sunset (see Mishnah Berakhot, Chapter 1, Mishnah 1 and the Bartenura there), as it is written (Leviticus 22:7): “As soon as the sun sets, he shall be clean; and afterward he may eat of the sacred donations, [for they are his food],” and the same law applies to Hallah.
1.9.8
ואינן ניטלים מן הטהור על הטמא – this is a decree, lest he dedicate as sacred- property that which is not from that which is brought near, because they doubt lest the impure comes in contact with the pure and defile it, and we require that a person who dedicates [to the Sanctuary] will dedicate from what is near, as is taught shortly.
1.9.9
ואין ניטלין אלא מן המוקף – We have the reading, and the explanation of [the word] "מוקף" is near and next to.
1.9.10
מן הדבר הגמור – that their work has been completed and [in this regard] Hallah once the dough is rolled.
1.9.11
עד שישייר מקצת – that [both for] Hallah and Terumah, it is written, "ראשית" (see Numbers 15:20 – “As the first ("ראשית") yield [of your baking]….”); and we require that their remnants are recognized.
2.1.1
פירות חוצה לארץ שנכנסו לארץ חייבין בחלה – as it is written (Numbers 15:18): “…the land to which I am taking you.” "שמה" /there – you are liable whether with the produce of the land or the produce of outside the Land [for Hallah].
2.1.2
מכאן לשם – from the land of Israel to outside the Land of Israel.
2.1.3
ר"א מחייב – As it is written (Numbers 15:19): “And you eat of the bread of the land…,” whether you eat it in the Land [of Israel] whether you eat it outside the Land [of Israel], for since it is the bread of the Land [of Israel], it is liable for Hallah [to be separated].
2.1.4
ור"ע פוטר – that [the word] "שמה" /”there” implies a limitation. “There” you are obligated, but you are not obligated outside the Land., even though you eat from the bread of the Land. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Akiva.
2.2.1
עפר חו"ל הבא מספינה לארץ – we are speaking about a perforated ship, and clods of earth close up the perforation so that water cannot enter in it.
2.2.2
חייבת במעשרות – if he sowed and grew seeds in the dust/mud that is in the ship, and even though that is dust/mud from outside of the Land of Israel, for since it is perforated, the seed absorbs from the moistness of the dust/mud of the Land of Israel.
2.2.3
אימתי בזמן שהספינה גוששת – it comes in contact with clumps of dust/mud, that is to say, that it is cleaves to the earth.
2.2.4
עיסה שנילושה במי פירות חייבת בחלה – In the Jerusalem Talmud it proves a bit that the Halakha is not like the anonymous Mishnah. Dough that was kneaded in fruit juice is exempt from Hallah. Therefore, we should not knead dough that has in it the measurement for Hallah in the juice of eggs or in fruit juice alone without a combination of water, since the Halakah is not made clear if it is liable for Hallah or exempt.
2.2.5
ונאכלת בידים מסואבות – for food does not become susceptible to becoming ritually impure until water comes upon it, or one of the seven liquids, and [just as] it does not become susceptible to becoming ritually impure, unclean hands do not defile it.
2.3.1
וקוצה חלתה ערומה – she separates the Hallah and makes the blessing on its separation, while the facing of the bed is downwards fastened to the ground and all of her nakedness is covered. But the contact of her posterior (i.e., buttocks) does not come into the class of indecency regarding the [recitation of the] blessing. But a man cannot recite the blessing while naked, for it is impossible for him to cover his nakedness as the sacks and the membrum virile project.
2.3.2
מי שאינו יכול לעשות עיסתו בטהרה – like the case when he is ritually impure, and there isn’t [water] of forty Seah in which he can immerse [himself].
2.3.3
יעשנה קבין – He should make all of his dough into individual Kabs, in order that they would not become liable for Hallah and then need to separate them while ritually impure.
2.3.4
יעשנה בטומאה – for this is more preferable than from what [he must do] so that he can be exempt his dough from Hallah, and there would be no part to be [designated] by name. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Akiva.
2.4.1
קבים – Kab by Kab on its own
2.4.2
ונגעו זה בזה – their coming into contact does not combine them to be liable for Hallah.
2.4.3
עד שישוכו – that they would stick one to the other so much that if one comes to separate them, they would be detached from this one to [become attached] to that one.
2.4.4
אף הרודה ונותן לסל – He who detaches Hallot from [where they stick on] the oven after they have baked and places them in the basket.
2.4.5
הסל מצרפן לחלה – and even though they don’t stick together, and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Eliezer. But the fact that the Rabbis require sticking together and Rabbi Eliezer [requires] coming into contact/touching, these words are to combine two pieces of dough together, for each one is not according to the [required] measure [for Hallah]. But regarding the matter of devoting for sacred purposes from that which is near, even contact is not required, but they must be near one to the other. And at the end of the chapter (Mishnah 8) when Rabbi Eliezer that one puts less than an egg’s [bulk] in the middle in order to dedicate sacred gifts from that which is near, so we see, that we require contact for the purpose of being near, pure and impure is different because it is a matter which one is strict with its mixture, but the utensil does not combine.
2.5.1
אינו חלה – for it is written (Numbers 15:20): “as the first yield of our baking…”
2.5.2
וגזל ביד כהן – and he must return it to their owners, for if it remains in his hand, he would think that his dough is exempt.
2.5.3
העיסה עצמה – that which he separated its Hallah as flour, is liable for Hallah.
2.5.4
והקמח – that comes into the hand of the Kohen with the designation of Hallah.
2.5.5
אם יש בו כשיעור – five-fourths of flour which is liable for Hallah.
2.5.6
ואסורה לזרים – all the flour that comes in to the hand of the Kohen, and this is a mere stringency, because they saw that it comes into the land of a Kohen, that they won’t say that we saw a foreigner eating Hallot.
2.5.7
וקפשה זקן זר – an old man who is a foreigner snatched it and ate it.
2.5.8
קלקל לעצמו – that he ate it and was punished.
2.5.9
ותיקן לאחרים – that others eat and leave it in doubt, for they find an opening to permit, since they saw that he ate it.
2.6.1
חמשת רבעים – of Kab are liable for Hallah, as it is written (Numbers 15:20): “As the first yield [of your baking, you shall set aside a loaf as a gift…],” and the flour of the wilderness was the quantity of grain in a sheaf as a capitation tax, and the Omer is one-tenth of an Ephah. The Ephah is three Seah, and the Seah is six Kabim; hence we have eighteen Kabim in an Ephah, and the Kab is four Logs; which are seventy-two Logs. A tenth of seventy is seven Logim and the tenth of two Logim is an egg’s bulk and one-fifth of an egg, for the Log is [equivalent to] six eggs. When they came to Jerusalem and they added one-sixth on the measurements, it was found that six Logim were five, and the seventh Log was five eggs. For every six became five, and an egg and the fifth of an egg became an egg. It was found that the Omer that was in the wilderness was seven Logim and an egg and one-fifth of an egg. But in Jerusalem it became six logim. When they came to Sephhoris, and they added one-sixth on he measurements of Jerusalem, so that the six Logim became five, and that is equal to the five-fourths of flour. And the Logim were called fourths, because the Log was one-fourth of a Kab, for a Kab was four Logim.
2.6.2
הן ושאורן – the leaven that they put into it.
2.6.3
וסובן – which is thin
2.6.4
מורסנן – that is thick – all of which combines with the flour to complete the measurement, for a poor person who eats his bread combined with flour combined with bran flour and coarse flour.
2.6.5
ניטל מורסנן מתוכן חוזר לתוכו הרי אלו פטורין – for it is not the manner of dough to restore the coarse bran into it after he took it from there.
2.7.1
אחד מעשרים וארבעה – for every house owner, his dough was thin, and less than one twenty-fourth, it lacks what can be a gift, and the Torah stated that it should be given, that it should have within it in order to be given.
2.7.2
והעושה למשתה בנו – even though that he makes a great amount of dough, he does not separate with the dough of the owner.
2.7.3
נחתום העושה למכור בשוק – his dough is greater, and with one in forty- eight, there is where with to give as a gift.
2.7.4
וכן האשה העושה למכור – even though her dough is thin, he does not separate with the bread that is made to sell.
2.7.5
נטמאה – since it stands to be burned one out of forty-eight
2.8.1
נטלת מן הטהור על הטמא – and we do not suspect lest they come in contact with each other.
2.8.2
נוטל כדי חלה – the measure of Hallah that one needs to take from the pure and the impure, he takes from that pure dough whose Hallah had not been ritually dedicated.
2.8.3
ונותן פחות מכביצה באמצע – between ritually impure or pure, for less than an egg’s bulk does not defile, and they set aside the Hallah on that which is less than an egg’s bulk which connects between the impure anad the pure, for the Hallah does not receive ritual impurity in this.

Bartenura on Mishnah, trans. by Rabbi Robert Alpert, 2020. Via Sefaria (sefaria.org), Sefaria-Export. Version source: http://sefaria.org/ Licence: CC-BY. Source.