Masa en las grietas de una areiva (un amasador) [utilizada para reforzar fragmentos y divisiones] —Si hay un tamaño de aceituna (de masa) en un lugar, debe eliminarlo. Si no, se neutraliza por su pequeñez. [Y si no se usa como refuerzo, incluso se debe quitar menos del tamaño de una aceituna, ya que no la anula allí (a la areiva), y podría decidir tomarla desde allí.] Lo mismo se aplica a la impureza. (tumah) [Si un sheretz tocó esta masa en Pesaj ("cuya prohibición le da importancia")—Si hay una masa del tamaño de una aceituna, actúa como una partición contra tumah (es decir, contra la impartición de tumah a la areivah). No se considera como (parte de) la areiva, y tumah no se transfiere a ella. Con menos de una aceituna—si no le preocupa, se anula a la areivah; se considera como si el sheretz hubiera tocado la areiva misma, y se convierte en tamei.] Si le preocupa (es decir, que esté allí), es una partición; y si lo quiere allí, es como la areivah. [Esto es lo que significa: y en los otros días del año, "cuando su prohibición no le da importancia", no depende del tamaño (de la masa), de si es o no del tamaño de una aceituna, pero sobre su preocupación. Si le preocupa que esté allí y eventualmente lo eliminará de allí, es una partición contra la (transferencia de) la tumah, ya sea que sea o no del tamaño de una aceituna, y no confiere tumah a la areivah. Y si no le preocupa y desea que permanezca allí, incluso si contiene varios tamaños de aceituna, es como parte de la areiva, y cuando el sheretz toca la masa, es como si toca la areiva en sí. ] Batzek hacheresh (masa "sordomuda") que cuando se golpea con la mano no emite ningún sonido, como un sordomudo, que se llama y no responde. Otra interpretación: "Batzek hacheress" ("masa de fragmentos") [que es tan dura como un fragmento, de modo que no se puede determinar si se ha convertido o no en jametz]— Si hay algo parecido que se ha convertido en jametz, [es decir, si hay otra masa que se amasó al mismo tiempo que se hizo, y que se ha convertido en jametz], está prohibido, [y si no hay nada igual , entonces el estándar (para que se convierta en jametz) es la cantidad de tiempo que le toma a uno caminar un milímetro a un ritmo normal, aproximadamente dos quintos de una hora.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Pesachim
בצק שבסידקי עריבה – and it is made to strengthen its breaks and cracks. If there is the equivalent of an olive’s bulk in one place, he liable to remove it; less than this, it is made void in its minority. But if it is not made to strengthen, even less than an olive’s bulk must be removed because it is not made void there and it is impossible that he will decide to take it from there.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Pesachim
Introduction
Most of this mishnah deals with dough which is found in the crevices of a kneading trough and whether or not one must remove this dough on Pesach. The final clause of the mishnah deals with dough that may or not have already begun to become chametz.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Pesachim
וכן לענין הטומאה – If an unclean reptile came in contract with this dough on Passover, for its prohibition is considered, if it has the equivalent of an olive’s bulk separating from before the impurity, and there isn’t something like a trough and the impurity does not go down to the trough, and with less than an olive’s bulk, if he is not strict upon it, it is null in regard to the trough and it is as if the unclean reptile had come in contact with the trough itself, and it is impure.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Pesachim
[With regard to] the dough in the cracks of the kneading trough: if there is as much as an olive in one place, he must remove [it]; but if not, it is nullified through the smallness of its quantity. With regard to removing the dough from the cracks of the kneading trough, it all depends on whether or not there is an olive’s worth of dough in one place. If there is, then he must remove it; but if not the dough is considered as if it doesn’t exist and he need not bother removing it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Pesachim
אם מקפיד עליו חוצץ – this is how it should be read: And in the rest of the days of the year when it’s prohibition is not considered, the matter is not dependent upon the measurement if there is an olive’s bulk or not, but rather matter is dependent upon the stringency/fastidiousness. If he is fastidious about it and will eventually take it from there, it interposes in the face of the impurity, whether there is within it an olive’s bulk or not and the impurity does not descend into the trough. But if he is not fastidious about it and wishes for its existence, even if there are in it several olives it is considered as if it is in the trough. And when the unclean reptile comes in contract with the dough, it is as if it has come in contact with the actual trough.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Pesachim
And it is likewise in the matter of uncleanness: if he objects to it, it makes a break; but if he desires its preservation, it is like the kneading-trough. There is a similar rule with regard to uncleanness, but the rule is actually different. With regard to uncleanness the issue is whether or not the dough is an essential and desired part of the kneading trough. If the dough is an essential part of the trough, then if a sheretz (an impure creeping thing) touches the dough the entire trough is impure, even if though the sheretz didn’t touch the trough itself. If the dough is not an essential part of the trough, then only the dough is impure and the rest of the trough remains pure. The mishnah says that the dough’s being an essential part of the trough hinges on the desire of its owner. If the owner wishes the dough to remain there because it is helping to fill a gap in the trough (functioning like plaster), then it is part of the trough and does not stop the uncleanness from spreading. If the owner wants it to be removed, it does break the uncleanness; only the dough is impure and not the trough.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Pesachim
בצק החרש – that we strike it with a hand and it does emit a sound and it is similar to a deaf-mute that when we call it, it does not respond. Another commentary: dough of the earthenware which is hard like earthenware and it is not known if it has fermented.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Pesachim
[With regard to] “deaf” dough, if there is [a dough] similar to it which has become chametz, it is forbidden. Dough is here compared to a deaf person. When one talks to a deaf person (they didn’t have sign language back then) the deaf person doesn’t get up to respond. So too, this “deaf” dough does not seem to be “getting up” meaning it doesn’t seem to be rising. The mishnah says that if other dough that was kneaded with it is rising, then the deaf dough must also be chametz and it needs to be removed. If not, then the deaf dough is not chametz and need not be removed before Pesah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Pesachim
אם יש כיוצא בו שהחמיץ – if there is another started dough that was to be kneaded at the at the same time that this one is being kneaded and has already fermented, it is considered prohibited. And if there isn’t there something similar, its measure is as long as it takes an average man to walk a mile, and this measure is like the time of two-fifths of an hour.
