Commentary for Eduyot 3:2
אֹכֶל פָּרוּד, אֵינוֹ מִצְטָרֵף, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי דוֹסָא בֶּן הַרְכִּינַס. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, מִצְטָרֵף. מְחַלְּלִין מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי עַל אֲסִימוֹן, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי דוֹסָא. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵין מְחַלְּלִין. מַטְבִּילִין יָדַיִם לַחַטָּאת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי דוֹסָא. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אִם נִטְמְאוּ יָדָיו, נִטְמָא גוּפוֹ:
Separated food [e.g., a clump of nuts, pistachios, and almonds, which, when they are separated from each other, do not contain the size of an egg, (the minimum size for making other foods tamei)], do not combine, each with the other, [(if they are tamei, and clean food touched them when they are clumped together) to make clean food tamei, since there is not in each one of them the minimum size for making food tamei.] These are the words of R. Dossa b. Hyrcanus. And the sages say that they do combine.
Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
אוכל פרוד – such as a pile of nuts, peanuts and almonds, when they are separated one from the other, they lack the equivalent of an egg which is the measure for defilment of foods to defile others.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eduyot
Food which is in separate pieces does not combine together [to receive impurity], according to Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas. But the Sages say: “It does combines together.” For food to become impure it must be the size of an egg. According to Rabbi Dosa food which is broken up into pieces smaller than the size of an egg does not join to receive impurity, whereas according to the Sages it does.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
אינו מצטרף – and if they were ritually impure and came in contact with ritually pure [foods] when they are in a pile, they do not combine with each other to defile the pure [foods] since there isn’t among any of them on its own like the measure for the defiling of foods.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eduyot
One may exchange [ produce of] second tithe for uncoined metal, according to Rabbi Dosa. But the Sages say: “One may not so exchange it.” The second tithe may be redeemed with money and brought to Jerusalem. According to Rabbi Dosa one may redeem this second tithe even with a coin that does not have a stamp upon it. According to the Sages it must have a stamp. This is learned from Deuteronomy 14:25, which says “money” in connection with second tithe.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
אסימון – it is made like the form of the coin in vogue, but they had not yet formulated the coin (i.e., a picture indicating the value), and we don’t redeem Second Tithe with it, as it is written (Deuteronomy 14:25): “Wrap up the money n your hand,” something that has upon it a form.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eduyot
The hands [alone] need to be immersed for the waters of purification according to Rabbi Dosa. But the Sages say: “If his hands have become unclean his whole body becomes unclean.” A person whose hands have become impure by touching impure food (but not a corpse, which would cause impurity to the whole body), need only wash his hands before touching the waters of purification which are used to purify someone who has contracted corpse impurity. This is according to Rabbi Dosa. The Sages disagree and say that with regards to touching waters of purification, if his hands are impure his whole body is impure. To become pure he would need to take a ritual bath (mikveh).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
מטבילין ידים לחטאת – Whomever has come in contact with impure food-stuffs and liquids and similar thing from those things that defile the hands and don’t defile the entire body, he immerses his hands only, and it is fit to com in contact with the waters of purification (i.e., water mixed with the ashes of the Red Heifer) and to be sprinkled from the ashes of the [Red] Heifer on the impurity.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
אם נטמאו ידיו נטמא גופו – and it requires immersion of the entire body, for they made a preference for the waters of purification that if his hands had been defiled, his entire body was defiled, which is not the case with Priest’s Due/Terumah and Holy Things [in the Temple].
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