A woman may lend her neighbor who is suspect of shevi'ith [i.e., of keeping the fruits of the sabbatical year and of secreting them from (the time of their required) removal on: a sifter, a sieve, a mill, and an oven. But she may not sieve or grind with her [to assist her, it being forbidden to directly assist transgressors in their act of transgression.] The wife of a chaver (a Torah scholar) may lend a sifter or a sieve to the wife of an ignorant man, and she may sieve and grind and sift with her, [for the majority of the ignorant tithe]; but when she puts water [on the dough], she may not touch it with her, [for when she rolls it, it becomes subject to challah, and it becomes unclean by contact with unclean vessels, the yeast having become susceptible to uncleanliness (by the addition of the water), and she helps her to roll; and it is forbidden to impart uncleanliness to challah.] And all were stated only to foster peace. [They allowed them to lend them vessels and to help them (not at the time of the transgression itself) only to foster peace.] And the hands of gentiles may be strengthened [i.e., it is permitted to wish them success (when they work their fields on the sabbatical year)]; but not the hands of Jews (who perform such labor). And they (the gentiles) are greeted [on all days, even on their festivals, even though they are thereby graced with the name of Heaven, "Shalom" (Peace) being one of the names of the Holy One Blessed be He], to foster peace.
Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
החשודה על השביעית – to guard/preserve the seventh year fruit and hide them from removal [of the fruit] (in the third and sixth years of the Sabbath period) and beyond.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
Introduction
The final mishnah of chapter five completes the examples of enactments made because “of the ways of peace.”
This mishnah demonstrates that in the Second Temple period Jews of different levels religiosity lived in the same communities and shared their things with one another. While people who were more observant of certain ritual requirements had to be careful in certain areas, they did not cease living together.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
לא תבור ולא תטחון עמה – to assist her, since it is forbidden to help with his hands those who sin while they are sinning.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
A woman may lend to another woman who is suspected of not observing the sabbatical year a fan or a sieve or a handmill or a stove, but she should not sift or grind with her. It is forbidden to keep sabbatical year produce in one’s house after it no longer exists in the field. The woman suspected of not observing the sabbatical year may have such produce in her house. Nevertheless, another woman may still lend various vessels, even though those vessels will used to commit transgressions. However, the woman should not physically help her neighbor commit a transgression.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
לאשת עם הארץ – who is suspect regarding tithing
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
The wife of a “haver” may lend to the wife of an “am ha-aretz” a fan or a sieve and may winnow and grind and sift with her, but once she has poured water over the flour she should not touch anything with her, because we do not assist those who commit a transgression. A “haver”, literally friend, or perhaps better translated as “member”, is one who is careful about purity laws and about tithing. An “am ha-aretz” an ignoramus is not careful about such laws. The wife of the “haver” may work with grain with the “am ha-aretz” even though the latter is impure. However, once the flour has become wet, it is now susceptible to impurity. At this point since we are discussing flour that belongs to an am haaretz, terumah and tithes have assumedly not been taken out of the flour. Therefore the am-ha-aretz will be rendering the terumah impure and this is forbidden. Since this is forbidden, the wife of the haver may not help her.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
ובוררת וטוחנת – since most ignoramuses do tithe
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
All these rules were only said because of the ways of peace. The permissions granted in the first two sections were because of “the ways of peace.” Communities of people with varying degrees of religiosity need to learn to be able to live together.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
אבל משתטיל המים – in the dough
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
Gentiles may be wished luck in the Sabbatical year but not Israelites and greeting may be given to them, because of the ways of peace. It is forbidden to work fields during the Sabbatical year. If Gentiles own a field in the land of Israel one may wish them luck in their endeavors, even though the field should not be worked. However, one shouldn’t wish luck to Jews who are engaging in a prohibited activity. One may also greet a Gentile in order to increase peace between Jews and Gentiles. It seems that there is an underlying fear in this section. If Jews do not wish Gentiles luck, or greet them properly, they may cause danger to the Jewish community. Alternatively, one could see a more positive message here. It is important for Jews and Gentiles to get along and therefore, to increase peace, Jews should wish them well.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
לא תגע עמה – since when she rolls it, it becomes liable for setting aside Hallah (i.e., the piece of dough taken off, thrown into the oven and burned), and she becomes defiled through impure utensils , which had become susceptible to receive impurity; and she who helps her to roll [the dough] is forbidden to cause the Hallah to become impure.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
וכולן לא אמרו כו' – they did not permit them to lend utensils and assist them outside of the time of the sin itself, other than because of the ways of peace.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
ומחזיקין ידי גוים – to tell them that they should strengthen their hands
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
ושואלים בשלומם – all the days, even on the days of their holidays, and even though he places the name of heaven on the heathen [but nevertheless] peace is one of the names of the Holy One, blessed be He.
