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Orlah Chapter 3, Mishnah 1: Dyeing with Peels of Forbidden Fruit

Chavrusa Learning

Orlah, Chapter 3, Mishnah 1. We know that orlah is forbidden to derive any benefit from, and one may not make any use of it whatsoever. On this basis, our Mishnah discusses someone who dyes items with the peels of orlah fruit.

The source for the prohibition of the peels:

Although generally it is the fruit itself that is forbidden, we learn a derivation from the verse "orlatem orlato es piryo" - the word "es" is superfluous, and it comes to include whatever is secondary and subordinate to the fruit, such as the peels, which have the power to dye. It emerges that they too are included in the prohibition.

The law of the garment that was dyed:

The Mishnah teaches: a garment that was dyed with the peels of orlah fruit must be burned, since it is forbidden to derive benefit from the dye and from the color it produced.

A garment that became mixed with others:

The Mishnah continues: if that garment became mixed with other garments that are not orlah, all of them must be burned. A garment from which benefit is forbidden is not nullified in a mixture. What is the dispute?

  • Rabbi Meir: a garment is considered a 'significant item,' and anything of significance is not nullified in a mixture, and therefore the entire mixture becomes forbidden.

  • The Sages: they disagree and hold that the garment is nullified in two hundred and one, which is the standard measure for the nullification of orlah - orlah is nullified in two hundred and one.

In summary: in this Mishnah we learned that the prohibition of deriving benefit from orlah extends even to the peels, which are derived from the superfluous word "es" in the verse "orlatem orlato es piryo," and therefore a garment dyed with them requires burning. Regarding its mixture with permitted garments, Rabbi Meir holds that a garment is not nullified because it is a 'significant item,' while the Sages hold that it is nullified in two hundred and one, the measure for the nullification of orlah.