Kommentar zu Demai 2:3
הַמְקַבֵּל עָלָיו לִהְיוֹת חָבֵר, אֵינוֹ מוֹכֵר לְעַם הָאָרֶץ לַח וְיָבֵשׁ, וְאֵינוֹ לוֹקֵחַ מִמֶּנּוּ לַח, וְאֵינוֹ מִתְאָרֵח אֵצֶל עַם הָאָרֶץ, וְלֹא מְאָרְחוֹ אֶצְלוֹ בִּכְסוּתוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אַף לֹא יְגַדֵּל בְּהֵמָה דַקָּה, וְלֹא יְהֵא פָרוּץ בִּנְדָרִים וּבִשְׂחוֹק, וְלֹא יְהֵא מִטַּמֵּא לְמֵתִים, וּמְשַׁמֵּשׁ בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, לֹא בָאוּ אֵלּוּ לַכְּלָל:
Wer es auf sich nimmt, ein Chaver zu sein [einer, der den Zehnten und die Reinheitsgesetze gewissenhaft einhält ], darf weder an eine unwissende Person verkaufen, die nass oder trocken ist, noch nass von ihm kaufen oder Gast eines Am sein HaAretz beherbergt ihn auch nicht als Gast [wenn er gekleidet ist] in seinen [eigenen] Kleidern. Rabbi Yehudah sagt: „Er darf nicht einmal kleine Tiere aufziehen, sich in Bezug auf Gelübde und Unterhaltung nicht zurückhalten, noch durch [Kontakt mit] einer Leiche verunreinigt werden und das Studienhaus häufig besuchen.“ Sie sagten zu ihm: "Diese sind nicht im allgemeinen Prinzip enthalten."
Bartenura on Mishnah Demai
להיות חבר – in the matter of ritual purity, which is being separate and that his clothing and his drinks will be ritually pure. And even a Sage/תלמיד חכם (i.e., a “Fellow”) is not trustworthy with regard to ritual purity until he accepts upon himself the words of the members of the order for the observance of Levitical laws in daily intercourse, unless he is an Elder/זקן and sits in the academy/ישיבה, and a person who accepts upon himself the words of members of order for the observance of Levitical laws in daily intercourse needs to accustom himself for thirty days and afterwards his clothing and his drink will be ritually pure. And there is no acceptance of the words of the members of the order for the observance of Levitical laws in daily intercourse with less than three members, unless the member is a Sage/ תלמיד חכם that does not need to be before three members. And not only this but also that others accept before him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Demai
Introduction
In yesterday’s mishnah we learned how a person becomes “trustworthy” such that others can buy his produce without fear that it has not been tithed. In today’s mishnah we learn how someone can become a “chaver.” The word “chaver” which in modern Hebrew means either friend or associate refers to a person who is known to be extra cautious in matters of purity. He is one who eats his non-sanctified produce (hullin) while in a state of purity. The chaver is also trustworthy when it comes to matters of tithing. According to many scholars and traditional commentators there may be a connection between being a “chaver” and being a Pharisee, a Second Temple group whose members were also known for being meticulous in matters of purity.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Demai
לח ויבש – and they don’t transmit ritual purity to a person who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes/עם הארץ , for it is prohibited to cause ritual impurity to unconsecrated produce in the Land of Israel.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Demai
One who takes upon himself to become a “chaver” may not sell to an am haaretz either moist or dry [produce], nor may he buy from him moist [produce], nor may he be the guest of an am haaretz, nor may he host an am haaretz as a guest while [the am haaretz] is wearing his own garment. An am haaretz is by definition not cautious in matters of purity and can be assumed to be impure. Therefore, a person who wishes to be a chaver should not sell his produce to an am haaretz. The mishnah rules that this is so for moist produce, which is susceptible to impurity and for dry produce as well, even though it is not susceptible to impurities, until it becomes wet. The fear is that the later on the dry produce will come into contact with a liquid and the am haaretz will then make it impure. Just as the chaver cannot sell to an am haaretz, he cannot buy from him. However, this only applies to moist produce because if the produce is still dry then it cannot have become impure. The chaver cannot be a guest at an am haaretz’s home because the am haaretz doesn’t observe the purity regulations, nor does he tithe. The chaver cannot host the am haaretz while the am haaretz is wearing his own clothing. The problem is that the clothing transmits a high level of impurity even without coming into direct contact. Therefore, the chaver would have great trouble in avoiding the impurity of the am haaretz. However, if the am haaretz was wearing the chaver’s clothing (which does not make the clothing impure) the chaver can avoid direct physical contact with the impure am haaretz.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Demai
ואינו לוקח ממנו לח – but he does acquire something dry from him that was not susceptible to receive ritual impurity all the while that something liquid does not come upon it. But the person who does not observed certain religious customs regarding tithes (i.e., עם הארץ ) is believed to state that it was susceptible [to receive ritual impurity] but was not defiled.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Demai
Rabbi Judah says: he may not also raise small animals, nor may make a lot of vows or merriment, nor may he defile himself by contact with the dead. Rather he should be an attendant at the house of study. Rabbi Judah adds several stringencies to the list of what one needs to do to be accepted as a chaver. The first is that he is not allowed to raise small animals (sheep and goats) in the land of Israel because they destroy the crops (see Bava Kamma 7:7). The second is that he won’t take many vows. A person who takes many vows is considered rash and not trustworthy. Third, he won’t engage in much laughter or merriment. Laughter and merriment in rabbinic literature often has a connotation of licentiousness. Finally, what he will do is sit in the Bet Midrash, the study house, and learn Torah. In other words, to Rabbi Judah, being a chaver is practically synonymous with being a sage.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Demai
ולא יתארח אצל עם הארץ – so that he will not become ritually impure and come and defile his purity.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Demai
They said to him: these [requirements] do not come within the general rule [of being a chaver]. The other sages disagree with Rabbi Judah and limit the concept of “chaver” to matters connected with the purity laws. A chaver is one who is scrupulous specifically in matters of purity. While being a sage is obviously a great merit, one does not have to be a sage, or scrupulous in matters of vows, raising animals etc, in order to be a chaver. All one has to do is carefully observe the purity laws.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Demai
ולא מארחו –[nor host] a person who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Demai
אצלו בכסותו – that the clothing of a person who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes/עם הארץ, his ritual defilement is more severe than the ritual defilement of person who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes himself for we suspect that perhaps his wife sat on them while she was a menstruant woman and the clothing of a person who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes is Levitical uncleanness arising from someone with gonorrhea’s immediate contact by treading or leading against to the Pharisees. Alternatively, for this reason they said that he cannot host him (i.e., a person who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes) other than with his clothing for from the contact itself, he can be more careful from contact with his clothing.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Demai
אף לא יגדל בהמה דקה – that it is forbidden to raise [small] cattle in the Land of Israel that won’t graze in the fields of others.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Demai
ולא יהא פרוץ בנדרים – for he will ultimately will come to desecration.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Demai
ולא יהא פרוץ בשחוק – for laughter and light-headedness will accustom a person to licentiousness.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Demai
ומשמש – [and serve] the Sages in the House of Study.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Demai
לא באו אלו לכלל – that their matters do not touch upon purity. And the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.
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