Study Sukkah folio 40A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
שבשעת לקיטתו עישורו, דברי רבן גמליאל. רבי אליעזר אומר: אתרוג שוה לאילן לכל דבר.
It is like a vegetable in that at the time of its picking it is tithed; this is the statement of Rabban Gamliel. If it was picked in the 3rd year of the Sabbatical cycle, poor man’s tithe is separated although it ripened in the 2nd year, when the obligation is to separate second tithe and not poor man’s tithe. R' Eliezer says: The halakhic status of the fruit of an etrog tree is like that of a typical fruit tree in every matter. In any case, with regard to ascribing the status of Sabbatical-Year produce to the fruits, it is apparent from the Mishnah that the status of an etrog of the 6th year that was picked in the 7th year is that of 6th-year produce.
הוא דאמר כי האי תנא דתניא: אמר רבי יוסי: אבטולמוס העיד משום חמשה זקנים: אתרוג אחר לקיטה למעשר, ורבותינו נמנו באושא ואמרו בין למעשר בין לשביעית.
The Talmud answers: It was the tanna of the Mishnah that distinguishes between the lulav and the etrog who stated his opinion in accordance with the statement of that tanna, as it is taught in a baraita that R' Yosei said that Avtolemos, one of the rabbis, testified in the name of 5 Elders: The status of an etrog is determined by the time of its picking with regard to the halakhot of tithes. And our rabbis were counted in Usha, reached a decision, and said: The status of an etrog is determined by the time of its picking both with regard to the halakhot of tithes and with regard to the halakhot of the Sabbatical Year.
שביעית מאן דכר שמיה? חסורי מיחסרא והכי קתני: אתרוג אחר לקיטה למעשר, ואחר חנטה לשביעית. ורבותינו נמנו באושא ואמרו: אתרוג בתר לקיטה, בין למעשר בין לשביעית.
The Talmud questions the formulation of the baraita: With regard to the Sabbatical Year, who mentioned it? As no previous mention was made of the Sabbatical Year, the discussion of the status of an etrog during the Sabbatical Year is a non sequitur. The Talmud answers: The baraita is incomplete, and this is what it is teaching: The status of an etrog is determined by the time of its picking with regard to the halakhot of tithes and determined by the time of its ripening with regard to the Sabbatical Year. And our rabbis were counted in Usha and said: The status of an etrog is determined by the time of its picking both with regard to the halakhot of tithes and with regard to the halakhot of the Sabbatical Year.