Tahorot 7

הַקַּדָּר שֶׁהִנִּיחַ אֶת קְדֵרוֹתָיו וְיָרַד לִשְׁתּוֹת, הַפְּנִימִיּוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת, וְהַחִיצוֹנוֹת טְמֵאוֹת. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, בַּמֶּה דְבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, בְּמֻתָּרוֹת. אֲבָל בַּאֲגוּדוֹת, הַכֹּל טָהוֹר. הַמּוֹסֵר מַפְתְּחוֹ לְעַם הָאָרֶץ, הַבַּיִת טָהוֹר, שֶׁלֹּא מָסַר לוֹ אֶלָּא שְׁמִירַת הַמַּפְתֵּחַ:

A potter who left his pots and went down to drink, the inner pots are pure but the outer ones [those facing the road or public domain] are impure. Rabbi Yose says: to which cases does this apply? To unbound ones; but if they are tied together, everything is pure. One who gives over his [house] key to an <i>am ha'aretz</i> [a non-learned person, assumed to be impure], the house is pure, because he only gave over to him [the rights of] the guarding of the key.

הַמַּנִּיחַ עַם הָאָרֶץ בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ עֵר וּמְצָאוֹ עֵר, יָשֵׁן וּמְצָאוֹ יָשֵׁן, עֵר וּמְצָאוֹ יָשֵׁן, הַבַּיִת טָהוֹר, יָשֵׁן וּמְצָאוֹ עֵר, הַבַּיִת טָמֵא, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵין טָמֵא אֶלָּא עַד מְקוֹם שֶׁהוּא יָכוֹל לִפְשֹׁט אֶת יָדוֹ וְלִגָּע:

One who leaves an <i>am ha'aretz</i> in his house awake and finds him awake, [or leaves him] asleep and finds him asleep, [or leaves him] awake and finds him asleep, [in these three cases] the house is pure. If [one leaves him] asleep and he finds him awake, the house is impure, according to Rabbi Meir. And the Sages say: things are only impure as far as to where he [the <i>am ha'aretz</i>] could extend his hand and touch.

הַמַּנִּיחַ אֻמָּנִים בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ, הַבַּיִת טָמֵא, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵין טָמֵא אֶלָּא עַד מְקוֹם שֶׁהֵן יְכוֹלִין לִפְשֹׁט אֶת יָדָם וְלִגָּע:

If one leaves craftsmen in his house, the house is impure, according to Rabbi Meir. And the Sages say: things are only impure as far as to where they could extend their hands and touch.

אֵשֶׁת חָבֵר שֶׁהִנִּיחָה לְאֵשֶׁת עַם הָאָרֶץ טוֹחֶנֶת בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתָהּ, פָּסְקָה הָרֵחַיִם, הַבַּיִת טָמֵא. לֹא פָסְקָה הָרֵחַיִם, אֵין טָמֵא אֶלָּא עַד מְקוֹם שֶׁהִיא יְכוֹלָה לִפְשֹׁט אֶת יָדָהּ וְלִגָּע. הָיוּ שְׁתַּיִם, בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ, הַבַּיִת טָמֵא, שֶׁאַחַת טוֹחֶנֶת וְאַחַת מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵין טָמֵא אֶלָּא עַד מְקוֹם שֶׁהֵן יְכוֹלִין לִפְשֹׁט אֶת יָדָן וְלִגָּע:

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.

הַמַּנִּיחַ עַם הָאָרֶץ בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ לְשָׁמְרוֹ, בִּזְמַן שֶׁהוּא רוֹאֶה אֶת הַנִּכְנָסִין וְאֶת הַיּוֹצְאִין, הָאֳכָלִים וְהַמַּשְׁקִים וּכְלֵי חֶרֶס הַפְּתוּחִים, טְמֵאִים. אֲבָל הַמִּשְׁכָּבוֹת וְהַמּוֹשָׁבוֹת וּכְלֵי חֶרֶס הַמֻּקָּפִין צָמִיד פָּתִיל, טְהוֹרִין. וְאִם אֵינוֹ רוֹאֶה לֹא אֶת הַנִּכְנָסִין וְלֹא אֶת הַיּוֹצְאִין, אֲפִלּוּ מוּבָל, אֲפִלּוּ כָפוּת, הַכֹּל טָמֵא:

One who leaves an <i>am ha'aretz</i> in his house to guard it, as long as he [the homeowner] can see those who are entering and those who are exiting, the food and the drinks and the earthenware vessels that are unsealed are all impure, but the beds and couches and the earthenware vessels closed with a tight seal are all pure. And if he cannot see those entering nor those who are exiting, even if he [the <i>am ha'aretz</i> guard] was being lead [by someone] or was tied up, everything is impure.

הַגַּבָּאִים שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ לְתוֹךְ הַבַּיִת, הַבַּיִת טָמֵא. אִם יֵשׁ עִמָּהֶן גּוֹי, נֶאֱמָנִים לוֹמַר לֹא נִכְנָסְנוּ, אֲבָל אֵין נֶאֱמָנִים לוֹמַר נִכְנַסְנוּ אֲבָל לֹא נָגָעְנוּ. הַגַּנָּבִים שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ לְתוֹךְ הַבַּיִת, אֵין טָמֵא אֶלָּא מְקוֹם רַגְלֵי הַגַּנָּבִים. וּמַה הֵן מְטַמְּאִין. הָאֳכָלִים וְהַמַּשְׁקִים וּכְלֵי חֶרֶס הַפְּתוּחִין. אֲבָל הַמִּשְׁכָּבוֹת וְהַמּוֹשָׁבוֹת וּכְלֵי חֶרֶס הַמֻּקָּפִין צָמִיד פָּתִיל, טְהוֹרִים. אִם יֵשׁ עִמָּהֶן נָכְרִי אוֹ אִשָּׁה, הַכֹּל טָמֵא:

If tax collectors [assumed to be impure] entered a house, the house is impure. If there is a non-Jew with them, they are believed to say, "We did not enter," but they are not believed to say, "We entered but did not touch anything." Robbers who entered a house, only places where the robbers walked are impure. And what do they render impure? Foods and drinks and open earthenware vessels; but beds, couches and earthenware vessels closed with a tight seal are pure. If there was a non-Jew or a woman with them, everything is impure.

הַמַּנִּיחַ אֶת כֵּלָיו בְּחַלּוֹן שֶׁל אוֹדְיָארִין, רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה מְטַהֵר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, עַד שֶׁיִּתֶּן לוֹ אֶת הַמַּפְתֵּחַ אוֹ חוֹתָם אוֹ עַד שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה סִימָן. הַמַּנִּיחַ אֶת כֵּלָיו מִגַּת זוֹ לַגַּת הַבָּאָה, כֵּלָיו טְהוֹרִין. וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵל, עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר בְּלִבִּי הָיָה לְשָׁמְרָם:

If one left his clothing in a cabinet [literally: a window] of a bath attendant, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah declares them pure; and the Sages say: [they are not pure] until he [the attendant] gives him the key, or a seal, or makes a sign [to ensure the clothes were untouched]. One [a priest] who leaves his vessels from one wine press to the next wine press [i.e. he leaves his vessels by the wine press at the end of one season to use them for the next season], his vessels are pure. If he was [not a priest nor a Levite, but] an Israelite, [they are not pure] until he says, "I intended to watch over them."

מִי שֶׁהָיָה טָהוֹר, וְהִסִּיעַ אֶת לִבּוֹ מִלֶּאֱכֹל, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מְטַהֵר, שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ טְמֵאִין פּוֹרְשִׁין מִמֶּנוּ. וַחֲכָמִים מְטַמְּאִים. הָיוּ יָדָיו טְהוֹרוֹת וְהִסִּיעַ אֶת לִבּוֹ מִלֶּאֱכֹל, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמַר יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁלֹּא נִטְמְאוּ יָדָי, יָדָיו טְמֵאוֹת, שֶׁהַיָּדַיִם עַסְקָנִיּוֹת:

One [a priest] who was pure and decided not to eat [<i>terumah</i>], Rabbi Yehuda declares him pure because it is the way of impure individuals to stay away from him [lest they render him impure]; but the Sages say he is impure. If his hands were pure and he decided not to eat [<i>terumah</i>], even if he says, "I know that my hands were not rendered impure," his hands are impure, because hands are active.

הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁנִּכְנְסָה לְהוֹצִיא פַת לְעָנִי, וְיָצָאת וּמְצָאַתּוּ עוֹמֵד בְּצַד כִּכָּרוֹת שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה, וְכֵן הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁיָּצָאת וּמָצָאת אֶת חֲבֶרְתָּהּ חוֹתָה גֶחָלִים תַּחַת קְדֵרָה שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה, רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא מְטַמֵּא, וַחֲכָמִים מְטַהֲרִין. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן פִּילָא, וְכִי מִפְּנֵי מָה רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא מְטַמֵּא וַחֲכָמִים מְטַהֲרִין. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַנָּשִׁים גַּרְגְּרָנִיּוֹת הֵן, שֶׁהִיא חֲשׁוּדָה לְגַלּוֹת אֶת הַקְּדֵרָה שֶׁל חֲבֶרְתָּהּ, לֵידַע מַה הִיא מְבַשֶּׁלֶת:

If a woman went inside to bring out bread for a poor man and she came out to find him standing next to loaves of <i>terumah</i>, and similarly if a woman came out to find her friend raking coals under a pot of <i>terumah</i>, Rabbi Akiva declares them impure, but the Sages declare them pure. Rabbi Elazar ben Pilah says: What is the reason that Rabbi Akiva declares them impure but the Sages declare them pure? Because women are greedy [with regard to food], and she is suspected of having uncovered the pot of her friend to know what she is cooking.