Rosh Hashanah for vows also stars on the first of the month of Tishrei. But what does this mean? Imagine that one has taken a vow which prohibits her any benefit from a particular fellow. Then she should observe it for a year, until the same month and the exact date come next year. However, if she vowed "this year," then she should not derive benefit from her friend until the first of Tishrei next year. This is true even if only one day is left before the first of Tishrei. Even those people who say that one day in a year cannot be counted a year - here they will agree to one day. That is because our vower intended to cause herself some suffering, which she has achieved even in one day.
The Talmud now goes back to the discussion of tithes. The natural place for this discussion is in the
Mishnah Maaser. However, the Babylonian Talmud discusses the laws of Israeli produce only incidentally.
Grain and grapes are obligated in tithes once they grow one-third of their total growth. But did the Sages know when this happened? And in general, do we need to be so meticulous? Here the answer is yes. Otherwise, these measures would make little sense. A mikvah must have at least forty se'ah of water; the amount of food to transmit ritual impurity is the size of an egg, and so on.
Art: A Basket of Grapes by Pierre Dupuis
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