Zevachim 73: To Nullify or Not; Tithed Figs in Loaves

Today's daf further examines exceptions to the halacha that teaches that when we mix permitted and forbidden items, the forbidden items can become batel, nullified.  The rabbis speak about the concept of individual versus group; majority versus minority.

We learn about items sold by the number of items counted rather than items sold by weight.  Dried figs are used as an example.  Dried figs that were teruma, tithed, were sometimes pressed together in a circular told with other figs.  We might not know which are which.  Rabbi Yehuda interprets Rabbi Yehoshua's ruling: these figs will not be nullified because they are sold  as individual loaves.  On the other hand, if tithed figs were included in a mold together with other figs, they will become nullified because they are part of the mixture.

The Gemara teaches us about how figs were dried and stored.  We learn that the largest, round loaves of dried dates pressed together required two people to lift it.  The rabbis suggest that this case describes a single round loaf of teruma figs that was placed in the top of a container where it was not mixed with other figs.  Since those loaves were sold by number, Rabbi Yehoshua ruled that they cannot become nullified; we should treat all of the large, round loaves of pressed figs as if they were possibly made of tithes.