Commentary for Tahorot 10:8

העגולים לזגים (the space between the molds and the deposit of grape shells) – An עיגול is a kind of large millstone that they would put on the grape shells after they tread on the grapes by foot, in order that they wring out and all of the wine exuded that remained in them, and as a result of its weight and size of this mold/roller, they need many people to raise it on the pile of grape shells that are made like a kind of pile and to lower it, therefore it is considered the public domain to ritually purify a matter of doubtful defilement, because man are found there.

Introduction Last mishnah in Toharot!

כרם שלפני הבוצרים רשות היחיד (that [part of the] vineyard that is in front of the grape gatherers is the private domain) – for people are fearful to enter there, because he will be arrested/seized like a thief.

[The space] between the rollers and grape skins is regarded as a public domain. The rollers are used to press the grapeskins to try to get more juice out of them after the grapes have already been trodden upon. The area between the rollers and the grapeskins is considered a public domain, such that if a case of doubtful impurity is found there, the doubt is ruled pure. It is considered a public domain because many people are found in this area.

אחר הבוצרים רשות הרבים (that which is behind the grape gatherers is public domain) – for there is a domain for all people to enter.

A vineyard in front of the grape harvesters is deemed to be a private domain and one which is behind the harvesters is deemed to be a public domain. The part of the vineyard that the grape harvesters still have not harvested is considered a private domain. This is because people are not allowed into that area, since the grapes are still on the vines. Once the grape harvesters have been through a section of the vineyard, it is considered a public domain.

כלי בית הבד של גת – meaning to say, and of (i.e., belonging to) the vat, for the olive press is for [olive] oil and there is a vat for wine.

When is this so? When the public enter at one end and go out at the other. However, it is only considered a public domain if people will go in one side and out the other. If there is only one way to go in and out, then it seems less people will go there and it can be considered a private domain.

והעקל (and a bale of loose texture containing the olive pulp to be pressed) - it is made like a kind of knit box similar to a net, and after they have squeezed/wrung out the olives, they place the olive peat in that bale of loose texture containing the olive pulp to be pressed and place upon it something heavy to remove the remainder.

The vessels of the olive-press, the wine-press and the basket-press, if they are of wood, need only be dried and they become clean; But if they are of reed grass they must be left unused for twelve months, or they must be scalded in hot water. Rabbi Yose says: if he put them in the current of the river, it is sufficient. The mishnah now discusses what must be done to vessels used in presses in order to purify them. If these vessels are of wood, all one needs to do is dry them off from the liquid that defiled them and they are pure. This is because the wood is not assumed to have absorbed the liquid. However, the vessels are more absorbent if they are made of reed grass. In this case they either need to be scalded in hot water in order to get the impure liquid out. Or they can be left unused for 12 months (this is probably impractical). Rabbi Yose says that he can put them in the river and (according to the Tosefta) leave them there for 12 hours. The current will wash them out and they will be pure. Congratulations! We have completed Tractate Toharot! As I always write, it is a tradition at this point to thank God for helping us finish learning the tractate and to commit ourselves to going back and relearning it, so that we may not forget it and so that its lessons will stay with us for all of our lives. Tractate Toharot was not easy. It contains somewhat of a random assortment of purity laws, which are in general difficult for us to relate to. I thought that there were two very interesting parts. The first was what to do with cases of doubtful impurity. In a world in which people were very concerned with these laws, it is certain that these situations would have arisen quite frequently. The second interesting part were the laws governing interaction between the "haver" (one who is careful about the laws of purity) and the am haaretz, who does not observe many of these laws. I found these laws interesting because we can see how people of different religious inclinations and practices can live together. As always, a hearty yasher koach on completing the tractate and keep up the good work. Tomorrow we begin Mikvaot.

מנגבן – but prior to this the ritually immersion is not benefitting/effective if they were defiled before the ritually impure liquids exuded from them that had been attached to them.

חולטן (scalds them in hot water) – pours upon them hot water and afterwards ritually immerses them.

בשבולת הנהר (in a rapid stream/ the current of the river) – a place where the waters flow/run, in order to remove the liquid that is attached on them. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yossi.