Tractate Demai Trivia Quiz - Tithing Laws

Question 1

What does 'demai' mean in halachic terminology?

Accepted Answer

Produce that is doubtfully tithed — we suspect the seller may not have separated tithes properly

Question 2

Who is an 'am ha'aretz' in the context of demai?

Accepted Answer

A person who is not trusted to have properly tithed their produce

Question 3

What is a 'chaver' (associate) in the context of Tractate Demai?

Accepted Answer

A person who has accepted upon themselves to be meticulous about tithing and ritual purity

Question 4

In which order of the Mishnah is Tractate Demai found?

Accepted Answer

Zeraim (Seeds/Agriculture)

Question 5

What is the primary concern with demai produce?

Accepted Answer

That maaser rishon (first tithe) and maaser sheni (second tithe) may not have been separated

Question 6

Does the demai obligation apply to all types of produce?

Accepted Answer

It primarily applies to produce that is commonly bought and sold in the marketplace

Question 7

What must a buyer do when purchasing demai produce?

Accepted Answer

Separate the tithes themselves to ensure the produce is properly tithed

Question 8

Why were the Sages lenient about terumah gedolah (the great heave offering) regarding demai?

Accepted Answer

Because even an am ha'aretz is generally trusted to have separated terumah gedolah, since it carries the severe penalty of death for non-priests who eat it

Question 9

How many chapters does Tractate Demai have?

Accepted Answer

Seven

Question 10

What is 'maaser rishon' (first tithe)?

Accepted Answer

A tenth of the produce given to the Levites

Question 11

What is 'maaser sheni' (second tithe)?

Accepted Answer

A tenth of the produce that must be eaten in Jerusalem (or redeemed onto money)

Question 12

Can demai produce be fed to the poor?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the Sages permitted feeding demai to the poor because of the doubt and their need

Question 13

What is 'terumat maaser' (tithe from the tithe)?

Accepted Answer

A tenth of the maaser rishon that the Levite gives to the Kohen (priest)

Question 14

When the Mishnah discusses demai, which historical period is primarily relevant?

Accepted Answer

The time of the Second Temple and the Mishnaic period, when many common people were lax about tithing

Question 15

What is the difference between 'tevel' (definitely untithed) and 'demai' (doubtfully tithed)?

Accepted Answer

Tevel is definitely untithed and forbidden to eat by Torah law, while demai is only doubtfully untithed and its prohibition is rabbinic

Question 16

Is it forbidden to eat demai produce without tithing it?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the Rabbis prohibited eating demai produce without first separating the required tithes

Question 17

What types of produce are listed in the Mishnah as exempt from demai?

Accepted Answer

Wild or ownerless produce (hefker) and certain items that most people do tithe properly

Question 18

Can a person buy demai produce and eat it immediately?

Accepted Answer

No, one must first separate the required tithes before eating

Question 19

What is the connection between demai and the marketplace?

Accepted Answer

The primary concern of demai arises from produce bought in the marketplace from sellers whose tithing status is uncertain

Question 20

According to the Mishnah, who established the laws of demai?

Accepted Answer

Yochanan the High Priest (Yochanan Kohen Gadol) enacted the demai regulations when he saw that many people were not properly tithing

Question 21

According to Mishnah Demai 1:1, which produce items are exempt from demai laws?

Accepted Answer

The Mishnah lists specific items like shittin (a type of fig), dates from certain areas, and other items that most people properly tithe

Question 22

What is the Mishnah's rule about a person who accepts upon himself to be a 'chaver'?

Accepted Answer

He must commit to not selling produce to an am ha'aretz, to not buying from one without tithing, and to be meticulous about ritual purity

Question 23

According to Mishnah Demai 2:2, what obligations does a chaver accept?

Accepted Answer

Not to give terumah or maaser to an am ha'aretz Kohen or Levi, not to prepare pure food in the home of an am ha'aretz, and to eat non-sacred food in ritual purity

Question 24

What is the halachah regarding demai on Shabbat?

Accepted Answer

One may tithe demai on Shabbat through a specific method of verbal designation, since the prohibition is only rabbinic and the Sages were lenient on Shabbat

Question 25

According to the Mishnah, what happens when a chaver's wife is from an am ha'aretz family?

Accepted Answer

She must accept the obligations of a chaver upon herself — a chaver should not marry an am ha'aretz's daughter unless she accepts these commitments

Question 26

What is the Mishnah's teaching about an innkeeper who serves food from demai produce?

Accepted Answer

A guest who eats at an inn may tithe from one portion for all the food served, using the leniencies of demai

Question 27

According to Mishnah Demai 3:1, what is the rule for a person who buys produce and then remembers he didn't ask about tithing?

Accepted Answer

He may eat it after tithing it himself — since the concern is only doubt (safeik), the buyer has the ability to rectify the situation

Question 28

What does the Mishnah teach about produce received as a gift from an am ha'aretz?

Accepted Answer

Even produce received as a gift from an am ha'aretz is subject to demai — the recipient must tithe it

Question 29

According to the Mishnah, what is the rule regarding demai produce that was cooked?

Accepted Answer

Cooked demai is treated the same as raw demai — it must still be tithed before eating

Question 30

What is the Mishnah's teaching about separating tithes from demai for someone else?

Accepted Answer

One may separate tithes from demai produce on behalf of another person, even without their explicit permission, because it is for their benefit

Question 31

According to Mishnah Demai 4:1, what is the rule when a person enters a city and doesn't know who is trustworthy about tithing?

Accepted Answer

He should ask and find one person who is confirmed as trustworthy (ne'eman), and that person can guide him about local produce

Question 32

What does the Mishnah teach about selling demai produce?

Accepted Answer

A chaver may sell demai produce but should inform the buyer of its demai status so the buyer can tithe it properly

Question 33

According to the Mishnah, can soldiers or travelers eat demai without tithing?

Accepted Answer

The Sages permitted soldiers and travelers to eat demai without tithing in situations of necessity, since the prohibition is rabbinic

Question 34

What is the Mishnah's rule about a chaver who is a Kohen or Levi receiving tithes from an am ha'aretz?

Accepted Answer

A Kohen or Levi who is a chaver should not accept terumah or maaser from an am ha'aretz unless he knows it was properly separated

Question 35

According to Mishnah Demai 6:1, what is the rule for sharecroppers and the demai status of their produce?

Accepted Answer

If a chaver gives his field to an am ha'aretz sharecropper, the chaver must ensure the produce is properly tithed before receiving his share

Question 36

What is the Mishnah's teaching about demai produce from the land of Israel versus outside?

Accepted Answer

Demai laws primarily apply to produce grown in the Land of Israel, where biblical tithing obligations exist

Question 37

According to the Mishnah, what tithes must be separated from demai produce?

Accepted Answer

Maaser rishon (from which terumat maaser is given to the Kohen) and maaser sheni (or maaser ani in the appropriate years) — but terumah gedolah is assumed to have been separated

Question 38

What does the Mishnah teach about the relationship between the demai enactment and the level of observance in society?

Accepted Answer

The enactment reflected a reality where a significant portion of the population (ammei ha'aretz) were not careful about tithing, necessitating a systematic rabbinic response

Question 39

According to Mishnah Demai 5:1, what is the rule for separating tithes from one type of produce for another type?

Accepted Answer

One must separate tithes from the same species — you cannot tithe one species of produce to exempt a different species, even for demai

Question 40

What is the Mishnah's view on the trustworthiness of women regarding demai?

Accepted Answer

A woman who is the wife of a chaver is trusted regarding tithing in her own home, and the Mishnah discusses various cases of women's reliability

Question 41

According to the Talmud Yerushalmi (Demai 2:1), what three conditions must a person fulfill to become a 'ne'eman' (trustworthy person)?

Accepted Answer

Accept upon oneself to tithe everything purchased, everything sold, and everything consumed — including items from an am ha'aretz — and never be a guest of an am ha'aretz for a meal

Question 42

What is the Rambam's ruling on the reason Yochanan Kohen Gadol enacted the demai regulations?

Accepted Answer

The Rambam explains that Yochanan sent investigators throughout Israel and found that the common people were only separating terumah gedolah but not maaser rishon and maaser sheni — therefore the Sages decreed that buyers must tithe demai

Question 43

According to the Mishnah (Demai 1:3), what is the special status of dried figs and pressed figs regarding demai?

Accepted Answer

Dried figs (deveila) and pressed figs are subject to demai everywhere because they are commonly traded items and there is significant concern about their tithing status

Question 44

What does the Talmud Yerushalmi teach about the difference between a 'chaver' and a 'ne'eman'?

Accepted Answer

A ne'eman only commits to tithing properly, while a chaver takes on additional obligations of ritual purity — the chaver has a higher level of commitment

Question 45

According to Mishnah Demai 3:4, what is the rule when an am ha'aretz tells a chaver that he has already tithed his produce?

Accepted Answer

The chaver may not rely on the am ha'aretz's statement — the fundamental principle of demai is that an am ha'aretz is not trusted regarding tithes

Question 46

What is the Yerushalmi's explanation for why terumah gedolah is assumed to have been separated even by an am ha'aretz?

Accepted Answer

The punishment for eating untithed terumah is death at the hands of heaven (misah bidei shamayim), and even an am ha'aretz is afraid of this severe consequence — therefore we trust him on this point

Question 47

According to the Rambam (Hilchot Maaser 10:1), how does one separate tithes from demai?

Accepted Answer

One separates maaser rishon (1/10) and from that gives terumat maaser (1/100 of the original) to a Kohen, and then separates maaser sheni (1/10 of the remainder) which is redeemed on a coin — all with appropriate declarations

Question 48

What is the Mishnah's teaching (Demai 5:11) about a chaver and an am ha'aretz who inherit produce together?

Accepted Answer

The chaver may say to the am ha'aretz: 'Take the wheat that is in one place and I'll take the wheat in another' — and the chaver tithes only his own share since he cannot force the am ha'aretz to tithe

Question 49

According to the Yerushalmi, what is the status of produce bought from a store versus directly from a farmer?

Accepted Answer

Store produce is generally treated as demai because the storekeeper may have bought from multiple sources, some of whom may not have tithed — the buyer must tithe as demai

Question 50

What does the Mishnah (Demai 4:7) teach about one who finds produce and doesn't know if it was tithed?

Accepted Answer

Found produce is treated as demai — since we don't know its tithing status, the finder must tithe it before eating

Question 51

According to the Rambam, what is the practical difference between tithing demai and tithing definite tevel?

Accepted Answer

For demai, one does not need to give the maaser rishon to a Levi (since it's doubtful) — one only separates terumat maaser for the Kohen and redeems maaser sheni. For definite tevel, the full maaser rishon must be given to a Levi

Question 52

What is the Mishnah's teaching (Demai 6:9) about a convert whose mother was an am ha'aretz?

Accepted Answer

A convert is considered like a new person and can accept upon himself the obligations of a chaver regardless of his family background

Question 53

According to the Yerushalmi, what is the rule about demai produce that was already tithed but the person is unsure which tithes were separated?

Accepted Answer

If there is uncertainty about which specific tithes were separated, the remaining doubtful tithes must still be separated — partial tithing does not resolve the demai status for the untithed portions

Question 54

What does the Mishnah (Demai 7:1) teach about tithing demai on Shabbat?

Accepted Answer

One may tithe demai on Shabbat through verbal designation — saying 'this is maaser' without physically separating, because the prohibition of demai is only rabbinic

Question 55

According to the Mishnah, what is the rule when two people exchange produce and both suspect the other's produce is demai?

Accepted Answer

Each person must tithe what they received — the exchange does not resolve the demai doubt for either party

Question 56

What is the Rambam's ruling on whether demai applies to produce from Syria?

Accepted Answer

Produce from Syria is subject to demai — though the tithing obligations in Syria are rabbinic, the Sages applied the demai regulations there because of its proximity to the Land of Israel

Question 57

According to the Mishnah (Demai 2:4), what is the halachah regarding an am ha'aretz who says 'I will tithe properly from now on'?

Accepted Answer

He is trusted only for himself but not trusted to sell tithed produce to others — because his commitment is personal and may not extend to business dealings

Question 58

What does the Yerushalmi teach about the relationship between demai and maaser ani (poor tithe)?

Accepted Answer

In the third and sixth years of the Shemittah cycle, maaser ani replaces maaser sheni — so when tithing demai in those years, one must separate maaser ani instead of maaser sheni and give it to the poor

Question 59

According to the Mishnah (Demai 3:5), what is the rule about relying on an am ha'aretz when he is selling his own produce at a time when the court is in session?

Accepted Answer

When the court is vigilant and actively supervising tithing practices, some authorities suggest greater reliability — but the basic demai rules still apply

Question 60

What is the Tosefta's teaching about a chaver who discovers that his friend has become an am ha'aretz?

Accepted Answer

He can no longer rely on that person's produce as properly tithed — the produce from that person is now treated as demai, and the chaver must tithe accordingly

Question 61

According to the Talmud Yerushalmi (Demai 1:3), what is the precise reasoning behind the list of items exempt from demai in Mishnah 1:1?

Accepted Answer

The exempt items are those which, by their nature or the circumstances of their sale, carry a high probability of having been properly tithed — either because they are commonly tithed by everyone or because they are ownerless produce where tithing obligations are reduced

Question 62

What does the Rambam (Hilchot Maaser 10:6) rule regarding the declaration formula for tithing demai?

Accepted Answer

The Rambam provides a specific formula: 'One hundredth of what is here plus one more hundredth is terumat maaser on the north side; one tenth is maaser rishon; and one tenth of the remainder is maaser sheni on the south side, and it is redeemed on this coin'

Question 63

According to the Chazon Ish, what is the practical application of demai laws today in the Land of Israel?

Accepted Answer

The Chazon Ish holds that even today, produce purchased from sellers whose tithing status is uncertain must be treated as demai — modern Israeli agriculture does not automatically guarantee proper tithing, and the original enactment remains in force

Question 64

What does the Talmud Yerushalmi (Demai 2:3) reveal about the process of accepting a chaver into a 'chavurah' (fellowship)?

Accepted Answer

The acceptance required a formal ceremony before three chaverim, who examined the candidate's commitment to tithing and purity — the candidate had to demonstrate knowledge and practice over a trial period

✨Tractate Demai Trivia

Choose Difficulty:

Number of Questions:

Choose Difficulty:

Number of Questions:

Related Quizzes

Related Quizzes - Talmud