Four doubts (i.e., in four cases of doubt): — R. Yehoshua rules tamei and the sages rule tahor. How so? The tamei stands [under a tent or under a tree] and the tahor passes by [that way. There is a doubt as to whether he touched or did not touch; or whether or not the tree "tented" over both of them and the tahor became tamei — This is one doubt.] The tahor stands and the tamei passes by. [This is a second doubt.] Tumah (an object that is tamei) in a private domain, and taharah in the public domain, [as in the instance of a shop that is open to the public domain, and he is in doubt as to whether he entered it or not]; or taharah in a private domain and tumah in the public domain, [two other doubts] — If there is a doubt as to whether he touched or did not touch, tented or did not tent, moved (hesit) or did not move, R. Yehoshua rules tamei, [holding that since a private domain is involved in this doubt, it is considered "a doubt of tumah in a private domain," which is ruled tamei.] And the sages rule tahor, [holding that since the public domain is involved in this doubt, it is considered "a doubt of tumah in the public domain," which is ruled tahor. The halachah is not in accordance with R. Yehoshua.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
הטמא עומד – the leper stands under the tent or under the tree.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eduyot
Introduction
Mishnayoth seven and eight both list cases in which one Sage declares something pure and the other Sages declare it impure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
וטהור עובר – on the way there (i.e., to the tent or tree). It is doubtful if he came in contact or did not come in contact [with it] or if he was overshadowed by the tree or was overshadowed by both of them and both the pure became impure, and it is doubtful if he was not overshadowed and not defiled, this is one doubt or the pure one stood and the leper passed by, which is the second doubt.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Eduyot
Four cases of doubt Rabbi Joshua pronounces impure, and the Sages pronounce them pure. How is this so? If the impure person stands and the pure person passes by him; or if the pure person stands and the impure person passes by him; or if impurity is in the private domain and something pure is in the public domain; Or if something pure is in the private domain and something impure is in the public domain; If it is doubtful [in all of these case] whether one touched or did not touch the other, or if it is doubtful whether one formed a tent over the other or did not form a tent over the other, or if it is doubtful whether one moved or did not move the other Rabbi Joshua pronounces such a case impure, and the Sages pronounce it pure. In this mishnah are listed four situations in which there is a doubt whether or not the pure person was touched by the impure person, or one of them formed a tent over the other (which would cause impurity to be transmitted, even without contact) or one of them moved the other (which would also transmit impurity, even without contact). In all of these situations Rabbi Joshua rules that the previously pure person is now impure, whereas the Sages hold that he is still pure. The cases are: i + ii) A case where one of the people is moving and one is stationary. In this case Rabbi Joshua pronounces the person impure due to the general rule that doubtful cases of impurity which occur in the private domain are ruled impure. The Sages say that he is pure. Although there is a general rule that doubtful cases of impurity that occur in the private domain are ruled impure, this is true only when the pure and the impure are either both moving or both stationary. If their status is different, then the rule is not applicable. iii + iv) The pure and impure are in different domains, one in the public domain and one in the private domain. According to Rabbi Joshua, since at least one of the two is in the private domain, he is impure, due to the above mentioned rule. According to the Sages, since one is in the public domain, the rule that doubtful cases of impurity in the private domain does not apply.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
טומאה ברשות היחיד וטהרה ברשות הרבים – such as a store open to the public domain, it is doubtful if he entered and it is doubtful if he did not enter.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
או שטהרה ברשות היחיד והטומאה ברשות הרבים – these are two other doubtful cases.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
רבי יהושע מטמא – as he holds that since the private domain is combined/joint in the doubtfulness of this defilement, this is a doubtful defilement in the private domain and its doubtfulness is defiled.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Eduyot
וחכמים מטהרים – for they hold that since a doubtful defilement in the public domain is combined in it, this is doubtful defilement in the public domain and its doubtfulness is pure. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehoshua.
