One may tread together with the gentile in the wine-press, [and we do not say that he is deriving benefit from forbidden things. For this tanna holds that it is permitted even to drink it, so long as it did not descend to the cistern. And causing susceptibility to tumah (gorem) does not obtain here. For from the time the gentile trod them a little they become tamei, so that the Jew is not a gorem here.] But he may not pick (grapes) with him. [For he (the gentile) places them into his winepress, which is tamei. And the gentile makes the grapes tamei with his touch, and the Jew, who picks with him, is a gorem of tumah. And this tanna holds that it is forbidden to be a gorem of tumah to chullin (non-consecrated food) in Eretz Yisrael, even that of a gentile. The halachah is not in accordance with this Mishnah, for we hold that once the wine begins flowing down (in the winepress) it becomes yayin nesech. Therefore, it is forbidden to tread with a gentile in the wine-press. And we hold that it is permitted to be a gorem of tumah to chullin in Eretz Yisrael when the chullin belongs to a gentile. Therefore, it is permitted to pick (grapes) with a gentile. And even though, thereby, he is a gorem of tumah to chullin, there is nothing adverse in this. However, a Jew, picking his vineyard may, ab initio, not take a gentile to help him, even to bring the grapes to the wine-press because of "'Go, go,' (far from the vineyard) 'they say to the Nazarite, etc.'"] It is forbidden to tread or pick with a Jew who processes (his fruits) in a state of tumah. [He (the owner) transgresses thereby, for he makes the terumoth and ma'aseroth among them tamei. It is, therefore, forbidden to assist him, so that he not become habituated to it.] But he may bring with him [empty] jugs to the winepress, and he may bring with him [full jugs] from the winepress, [for "what happened, happened." Once they (the grapes) become tamei, it is permitted to pour the wine into jugs that are tamei.] It is forbidden to knead (the dough) or to shape it with a baker who processes it in a state of tumah, but he may bring the (finished loaves) with him to the shop.
Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
דורכין עם העכו"ם בגת – and we don’t say that he is making a living with what is prohibited from deriving benefit, for this Tanna/thinks [that even] with drinking, it is permitted as long as he doesn’t go down into the cistern. But there isn’t anything concerning causing ritual defilement for from the time when the idolater treads upon them [a little bit], they were ritually defiled, so it is found that the Israelite did not cause the ritual defilement.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
Introduction
This mishnah discusses what actions a Jew may or may not do to help a non-Jew in the winemaking process. The second and third sections of the mishnah discuss helping ritually impure winemakers and bakers. These sections are only brought into our tractate due to their similarity to the halakhah in section one.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
אבל לא בוצרין עמו – because he places them into a ritually impure vat for wine pressing. For the idolater defiles the grapes through his contact and the Israelite who cuts with him causes ritual defilement. But this Tanna/teacher holds that it is forbidden to cause ritual defilement for non-holy produce that is in the Land of Israel, even if they belong to the idolater. But the Halakha is not according to this Mishnah for we hold that since the wine began to be drawn, it became libation wine, therefore, we do not tread with the idolater in the vat for wine pressing. And we hold that it is permissible to cause ritual from produce, there is nothing in this. But however, an Israelite who harvests his vineyard ab initio, the idolater should not take with him, even to bring the grapes to the vat, because we say, “go around Nazirite, etc. (that you may not come near the vineyard” – see Numbers Rabbah 6:10).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
A Jew may tread the winepress together with a non-Jew but may not pick grapes with him. A Jew is allowed to tread grapes in a winepress with a non-Jew, since the wine does not become yen nesekh until it goes down into the vat (see previous mishnah). However, a Jew may not pick grapes with the non-Jew for the non-Jew causes the grapes to become impure. When the non-Jew puts the grapes in his impure winepress, the grapes will become impure. If a Jew helps him to do so, the Jew is helping to make produce grown in the land of Israel impure. The reason that treading on the grapes is permitted is that as soon as the non-Jew touches them, they are already impure.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
וישראל העושה פירותיו בטומאה – he commits a sin because he defiles the Priest’s Due and Tithes that are within them. Therefore, it is forbidden to assist him in order that he become accustomed to this.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
If an israelite was working in a state of ritual impurity, one may neither tread nor pick with him, but one may move [empty] casks with him to the press and carry them [filled] with him from the press. An Israelite who works in a winepress while impure is committing a sin, for he is impurifying the terumah and tithes and thereby rendering them inedible. Since this is forbidden, another Jew may not even tread in the winepress with him, because that would be aiding a transgressor. However, the other Jew may help this Jew before the process begins by bringing jugs to the winepress and he may help him remove the jugs when the pressing is over. In other words, it is only forbidden to help him while the impure pressing is going on. Before and after it is permitted.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Avodah Zarah
אבל מוליכין עמו – an empty barrel to the vat, and he brings it with him filled barrels from the winepress, for what has happened has happened for after they have been ritually defiled, it is permissible to put the wine in impure barrels.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
If a baker was working in a state of ritual impurity, one may neither knead nor roll dough with him but we may carry loaves with him to the bakery. The same rules that were stated in section two with regards to helping a winemaker who presses his wine while impure, are also true with regards to the impure baker. One may not help him in the baking process, for he causes impurity to the terumah and tithes. However, one may help him after the loaves are already baked.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Avodah Zarah
Questions for Further Thought: • Why is it permitted to help the non-Jew tread but not to help the impure Jew, even though both cause the grapes to become impure?
