(Mishnah in Maseches Bava Metzia): If a worker was working with figs, he may not eat grapes; and vice-versa.

(Baraisa on that Mishnah): If he was working with a certain branch, he may not eat from a different branch.

Question: Our Mishnah (Chulin 138(e)) taught that if a worker was harvesting poor figs, he may not eat from Bnos Sheva (good figs) and vice-versa. (If the Baraisa said that one cannot even eat from a different branch, why would our Mishnah need to teach that one cannot eat from another type of fig?!)

Answer: It's needed when one type was grafted onto the branch of another type.

The pasuk states (Devarim 23:25), "When you enter your neighbor's vineyard...'' I might have thought that the pasuk is permitting anyone to eat from a person's grapes at harvest time. The pasuk states, "but you may not put (any) into your vessel''. However, you may put into your friend's vessel. This refers to a worker.

"And you shall eat grapes''. Don't we know that the only thing that grows in a vineyard is grapes? Rather, it teaches that if he is working with figs, he may not eat grapes; and vice-versa.

"As you desire'' - whatever your inclination desires, you may eat. "As you desire'' - anything that is exempt from Ma'asros - just as you (the owner) may eat and he is exempt, so too the worker may eat and is exempt. "As you desire'' (meaning only what your soul needs to sustain itself) - the worker may not eat more than the value of his wage. From here R. Elazar Chisma would also say that a worker may not eat more than his wage.

Question: And from where do we know that his 'soul' refers to his wage?

Answer (R. Abahu citing R. Yosi ben Chanina): The same phrase 'his soul' is used in the pasuk (Devarim 24:15), "(You shall give him his wage on his day and not let the sun set over it, for he is poor) and he risks his life for it'' - just as over there, 'his soul' refers to his wage, so too here.

(ibid 23:25) "Until you are satiated'' - don't eat so much that you eat and vomit it out. "Until you are satiated'' - don't eat the flesh and discard the skin of the figs or grapes.

Workers may dip their bread in brine so that they will (have an appetite to) eat many grapes.

The employer may give them wine to drink so that they will (have less appetite and) eat less grapes.

A cow owner may leave the cow hungry at night so that it will eat a lot when it is threshing (for those that hire it).

An owner may feed it bundles of sheaves so that it won't eat a lot while threshing.

R. Abahu said - Give Esrogim to animals (so that they don't eat the grains). R. Chananya would feed them dried fig rings. R. Mana would feed them Istafnini parsnips.

(Baraisa) (R. Chiya): A worker may eat the first cluster (even though he hasn't yet put anything into the vessel of the employer).

(Baraisa): He may eat from the last cluster (even though he will no longer put anything into the vessel of the employer).

(R. Shmuel citing R. Hila): Once he has put it in the basket, he may not take from it (since his work with that fruit is complete).

(R. Yosi): It's needed when he was picking grapes and someone else was carrying them, but if he was also carrying them, he may eat at the beginning (when the grapes are in the basket) as one who is guarding fruit, which permits him to eat according to local custom. At the end (when he is carrying the basket), the Torah permits him to eat as a worker.

Workers may eat even when they are going from row to row and when they are returning to the winepress and they may eat from the load on top of the donkey.

(Baraisa): A person may avoid his workers tithing the produce he gives them by having them eat nine fruits and leave one to dry.

Another version teaches - ...by having them leave nine to dry and eating one.

Question: The first version is understandable (as it's permitted even though it appears deceitful), but why would the Baraisa need to teach us the other version? (This doesn't involve any form of deceit at all?!)

Answer (R. Avin): It's needed so that you should not say that when the workers eat the last fig, it's considered to be done after the figs are complete and it should be obligated.

Question: (The Mishnah taught (Chulin 138(f)) that one who exchanges fresh figs or drying figs with his friend or he exchanges his fresh figs for his friend's drying figs, he is obligated to tithe (as it's like a sale).) It's understandable that to exchange fresh figs obligates like a sale (since they are complete), but to exchange drying figs, why is he obligated (since they aren't yet complete)?

(R. Elazar): It's the opinion of R. Meir, that an acquisition can even obligate fruits that are incomplete.

(R. Elazar): R. Meir and R. Eliezer said the same thing - just as R. Eliezer says (see earlier Chulin 136 (e)1.) that separating Terumah even obligates fruits that are incomplete; similarly R. Meir says that an acquisition can even obligate fruits that are incomplete.