What is the case of the uncertainty of liquids regarding whether they themselves have become impure--and where such [liquids] are impure? If an impure person extended his foot amid pure liquids and it is uncertain if he touched them or not, its uncertainty is impure [i.e. the purity status of the waters is uncertain, and therefore impure]. If there was an impure loaf in his hand and he threw in among pure liquids and it is uncertain whether they touched or did not touch, its uncertainty is impure [i.e. the purity status of the waters is uncertain, and therefore impure]. And what is the case [of the uncertainty] regarding whether they [liquids] rendered [something else] impure--where such [items] are pure? If there was a stick in his hand on at its tip were impure liquids, and he threw it among pure loaves, and it is uncertain whether they touched or did not touch, its uncertainty is pure [i.e. the purity status of the loaves is uncertain, and therefore pure].
Bartenura on Mishnah Tahorot
ספק משקים ליטמא – ritually pure liquids that a doubt appeared on them if they were susceptible to receive defilement or not, their doubt is ritually impure, as we will explain further on.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
"In the case of a doubt concerning liquids as to whether they have contracted uncleanness it is deemed unclean:" How so? If an unclean person stretched his foot between clean liquids and there is doubt whether he touched them or not, such a condition of doubt is deemed to be unclean. If a man had an unclean loaf in his hand and he stretched it out between clean liquids, and there is doubt whether it touched them or not, such a condition of doubt is deemed to be unclean. This section deals with cases where something might have touched an unclean liquid and it is ruled impure. Since liquids are susceptible to impurity according to toraitic law, these liquids are impure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tahorot
לטמא טהור – and if the liquids are ritually impure and we have a doubt if they defiled the ritually pure thing or not, its manner of doubt is that it is ritually pure.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
"But if it was whether uncleanness has been conveyed, it is deemed clean." How so? If a man had in his hand a stick on the end of which there was an unclean liquid and he threw it among clean loaves and there is doubt whether it touched them or not, such a condition of doubt is deemed clean. Liquids do not convey impurity according to toraitic law only through rabbinic decree. Therefore, in these cases the loaf remains pure. Note that although the source of uncleanness seems to be moving, the sages say that since it is stationary on the stick, it is not moving. Were it moving it would obviously not convey impurity in cases of doubt, as we have learned previously.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tahorot
וזרקה לבין הככרות כו' ספיקו טהור – as for example that we had a doubt if after the staff came to rest the liquids touched the loaves [of bread] or didn’t touch them. For if it was at the time of throwing, it had defilement that has no place, and even with a creeping animal according to the Torah, its manner of doubt is ritually pure, since the defilement is thrown. But if you say that yet I will derive (that it is ritually pure) even with a creeping animal because it does not have awareness/knowledge to be interrogated. But one can say, that it is possible to establish that our Mishnah is dealing with a case when a person is holding the loaves.
