The wife of a <i>chaver</i> [one who is meticulous about keeping all his foods pure] who left the wife of an <i>am ha'aretz</i> grinding in her house [i.e the house of the wife of the <i>chaver</i>], if the milling stopped, the house is impure. If the milling did not stop, things are only impure as far as to where she could extend her hand and touch. If there were two of them [i.e. two wives of <i>amei ha'aretz</i>], the house is impure regardless, because one woman could grind while the other goes around touching [other vessels in the house], according to Rabbi Meir. And the Sages say: [even when there are two of them] things are only impure as far as to where they could extend their hands and touch.
Bartenura on Mishnah Tahorot
אשת חבר – who is trustworthy on matters of ritual purity for the wife of a Haver is like a Haver.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
If the wife of a haver left the wife of an am haaretz grinding grain in her house, if the handmill stopped turning, the house is unclean. But if the handmill did not stop turning, that part of the house which she can stretch out her hand and touch is unclean. A haver is a term used to describe the opposite of an am haaretz. The wife of a haver has the status of a haver. She leaves the wife of an am haaretz, who also has the status of am haaretz, grinding a handmill in her home. If the am haaretz stops turning the mill, we must suspect that she will walk around the house and touch things. Therefore, all of the objects in the house are suspected of being impure. But if she kept milling the whole time, we need only be concerned about the things that are close enough for her to reach out and touch.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Tahorot
שהנייה לאשת עם הארץ – who is not trustworthy, for the wife of a commoner/who is not careful regarding the Levitical laws of ritual purity and tithes and his children are like hi, until they accept upon themselves the words of those who are careful with the observance of the Levitical laws of ritual purity and tithing.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
If there were two women, the house is unclean in either case, since while the one is grinding, the other can go about touching, the words of Meir. But the sages say: the only part that is unclean is where she can stretch out her hand and touch it. If there were two women in the house taking turns at grinding (this is hard work), then Rabbi Meir is consistent with his position from mishnayot two and three, the whole house is impure. The other sages are also consistent. We need only be concerned lest she touched things that are within hand's reach. .
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Tahorot
פסקה רחים – she completed her grinding and stopped milling. For all the time that she is busy with her work on the millstones, she does not go and examine about the house.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Tahorot
וחכמים אומרים וכו' – And the Halakha is according to the Sages.
