For something to be effectuate an eruv or be used for ma’aser sheni, the food has to be edible. Today’s daf TB Eruvin 28 discusses what plants is considered edible and which are not. “Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat, who said in the name of Rav: One may establish an eiruv with cheap and unimportant produce such as cress, purslane, and sweet clover, but one may not establish an eiruv with green grain or with unripe dates.” (Sefaria.org translation)
But later on Rav seemingly contradicted himself. “The Gemara considers the continuation of Rav’s statement: And may one not establish an eiruv with green grain? Didn’t Rav Yehuda say that Rav said: In the case of dodder and green grain, one may establish an eiruv with them; and when eating them one recites the blessing: Who creates the fruit of the ground?” (Sefaria.org translation)
We can resolve this seemingly contradiction in two ways. We need to know Rav’s history. He was born in Babylonia, but his uncle Rabbi Hiyya took him to Israel. Rabbi Hiyya took him under his wing and educated him. He brought him to study in Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi’s (the editor of the mishna) yeshiva. Ultimately Rav returned to Babylonia and established a yeshiva in Sura which existed for 800 years!
Apparently in Israel people didn’t eat green grain; while in Babylonia they did. “The Gemara answers: This is not difficult. This first statement, according to which green grain may not be used for an eiruv, was made before Rav came to Babylonia. That second statement was made after Rav came to Babylonia and saw that people there ate green grain, at which point he ruled that it is fit to be used for an eiruv.” (Sefaria.org translation)
The Gemara provides a second answer. There are green grains that are not eaten and there are green grains that are. “The Gemara answers: When Rav said that green grain may be used for an eiruv, if he was referring to the garden variety, which is commonly eaten.” (Sefaria.org translation)
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