Maaser Sheni, Chapter 2, Mishnah 4. In the previous mishnah we learned that maaser sheni is more stringent than Terumah in the case of tiltan (fenugreek). Our mishnah brings a further example of this stringency - karshinim, a type of legume normally used as animal fodder.
Karshinim of maaser sheni - when may they be eaten:
The mishnah rules that karshinim of maaser sheni "yei'achlu tzimchonim" - they may be eaten only while they are still fresh, young and tender, for then they are fit for human consumption, and maaser sheni must be fit for a person to eat. One may not leave them until they harden and grow old, since from that stage on they are fit only as animal fodder, and it is forbidden to feed maaser sheni to animals. Karshinim of Terumah, by contrast, may be fed to an animal. It emerges, then, that karshinim of maaser sheni are more stringent than karshinim of Terumah.
A leniency in karshinim of maaser sheni - taking them out of Jerusalem:
Alongside this stringency, karshinim also have a leniency - not in comparison to Terumah, but within the laws of maaser sheni themselves: "v'nichnasin liYerushalayim v'yotz'in" - they enter Jerusalem and leave it. Although as a rule maaser sheni that has entered Jerusalem may not be taken out again, and there is an obligation to eat it within the city, in the case of karshinim it is permitted to take them out even after they have entered.
The commentators explain, however, that the permission applies only to taking them out temporarily: for example, when they require stages of preparation to make them fit for eating - to grind them or to bake them in some fashion - and afterwards they are brought back into Jerusalem. But to eat them outside Jerusalem is forbidden even in the case of karshinim.
Karshinim of maaser sheni that became tamei:
What is the law regarding karshinim of maaser sheni that contracted tumah? As a rule, maaser sheni that became tamei may be redeemed even in Jerusalem, unlike pure maaser sheni, which may not be redeemed there. Regarding karshinim, the Tannaim disagree:
Rabbi Tarfon says: "yitchalku l'isos" - they should be divided among batches of dough: one takes from them less than the volume of an egg (k'beitzah) and places it into a batch of dough. Rabbi Tarfon holds that one does not redeem something that has sanctity, such as maaser sheni, in order to feed it to a dog or to another animal; and since karshinim of maaser sheni, once they have hardened, are fit only as animal fodder, one does not redeem them for that purpose. Therefore he divides them among batches of dough, less than a k'beitzah in each batch, so that they will not render the dough into which they were placed tamei, and it will be able to be eaten in purity.
And the Sages say: "yipadu" - they should be redeemed. Even though they are fit only as animal fodder, it is permitted to redeem them and afterwards to feed them to animals.
Karshinim of Terumah:
Regarding karshinim of Terumah, there are differing opinions as to which of the stages requires purity:
According to the first opinion: it is permitted to soak them in water and even to rub them on the skin, as was the practice with them - but only in purity: one must first wash his hands, as with all other Terumah, for otherwise they will become disqualified. Feeding them to an animal, however, is permitted even without washing the hands, since from the moment they are designated to be eaten by an animal there is no concern for their tumah.
According to the second opinion: only the soaking requires purity - for through the water they become susceptible to contracting tumah, and therefore one must first wash his hands so that the hands will not render them tamei; but the rubbing on the body and the feeding to an animal may be done even in a state of tumah.
Shammai himself says that they must be eaten completely dry, and one may not soak them in water at all, so that they will not become tamei - unlike the view of the Sages, who hold that soaking is permitted, provided that the hands are washed before the soaking.
A final opinion disagrees with all of this and holds: since they will ultimately be eaten as animal fodder, it is permitted even to soak them without washing the hands, and everything done with them may be done in a state of tumah.
In summary: in this mishnah we learned that karshinim of maaser sheni are eaten only while still tender and fit for human consumption, and hence their stringency over karshinim of Terumah, which may be fed to an animal; on the other hand they have a leniency - they enter Jerusalem and leave it, provided that the removal is temporary, for the sake of preparing them. If they became tamei, Rabbi Tarfon, who divides them among batches of dough in amounts less than a k'beitzah, disagrees with the Sages, who permit redeeming them and feeding them to an animal. And regarding karshinim of Terumah, the opinions differ as to whether purity is required both for soaking and for rubbing or for soaking alone, while according to Shammai they are eaten dry without soaking at all, and according to the final opinion everything done with them may be done in a state of tumah.