Une femme peut prêter à son voisin qui est soupçonné de shevi'ith [c'est-à-dire de garder les fruits de l'année sabbatique et de les sécréter (au moment de leur enlèvement requis): un tamis, un tamis, un moulin et un four. Mais elle ne peut ni tamiser ni broyer avec elle [pour l'aider, il est interdit d'assister directement les transgresseurs dans leur acte de transgression.] La femme d'un chaver (un érudit de la Torah) peut prêter un tamis ou un tamis à la femme d'un homme ignorant, et elle peut tamiser, broyer et tamiser avec elle, [pour la majorité des ignorants de la dîme]; mais quand elle met de l'eau [sur la pâte], elle ne peut pas la toucher avec elle, [car lorsqu'elle la roule, elle devient sujette à la challah, et elle devient impure au contact de vases impurs, la levure étant devenue sensible à l'impureté ( par l'ajout d'eau), et elle l'aide à rouler; et il est interdit de donner de l'impureté à la challah.] Et tout a été déclaré seulement pour favoriser la paix. [Ils leur ont permis de leur prêter des vases et de les aider (pas au moment de la transgression elle-même) uniquement à favoriser la paix.] Et les mains des gentils peuvent être fortifiées [c'est-à-dire qu'il est permis de leur souhaiter du succès (quand ils travaillent leurs champs pendant l'année sabbatique)]; mais pas les mains des Juifs (qui accomplissent un tel travail). Et ils (les gentils) sont accueillis [tous les jours, même lors de leurs fêtes, même s'ils sont ainsi honorés du nom du ciel, "Shalom" (paix) étant l'un des noms du Saint béni soit-Il], pour favoriser la paix.
Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
החשודה על השביעית – to guard/preserve the seventh year fruit and hide them from removal [of the fruit] (in the third and sixth years of the Sabbath period) and beyond.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
Introduction
The final mishnah of chapter five completes the examples of enactments made because “of the ways of peace.”
This mishnah demonstrates that in the Second Temple period Jews of different levels religiosity lived in the same communities and shared their things with one another. While people who were more observant of certain ritual requirements had to be careful in certain areas, they did not cease living together.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
לא תבור ולא תטחון עמה – to assist her, since it is forbidden to help with his hands those who sin while they are sinning.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
A woman may lend to another woman who is suspected of not observing the sabbatical year a fan or a sieve or a handmill or a stove, but she should not sift or grind with her. It is forbidden to keep sabbatical year produce in one’s house after it no longer exists in the field. The woman suspected of not observing the sabbatical year may have such produce in her house. Nevertheless, another woman may still lend various vessels, even though those vessels will used to commit transgressions. However, the woman should not physically help her neighbor commit a transgression.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
לאשת עם הארץ – who is suspect regarding tithing
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English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
The wife of a “haver” may lend to the wife of an “am ha-aretz” a fan or a sieve and may winnow and grind and sift with her, but once she has poured water over the flour she should not touch anything with her, because we do not assist those who commit a transgression. A “haver”, literally friend, or perhaps better translated as “member”, is one who is careful about purity laws and about tithing. An “am ha-aretz” an ignoramus is not careful about such laws. The wife of the “haver” may work with grain with the “am ha-aretz” even though the latter is impure. However, once the flour has become wet, it is now susceptible to impurity. At this point since we are discussing flour that belongs to an am haaretz, terumah and tithes have assumedly not been taken out of the flour. Therefore the am-ha-aretz will be rendering the terumah impure and this is forbidden. Since this is forbidden, the wife of the haver may not help her.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
ובוררת וטוחנת – since most ignoramuses do tithe
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English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
All these rules were only said because of the ways of peace. The permissions granted in the first two sections were because of “the ways of peace.” Communities of people with varying degrees of religiosity need to learn to be able to live together.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
אבל משתטיל המים – in the dough
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English Explanation of Mishnah Gittin
Gentiles may be wished luck in the Sabbatical year but not Israelites and greeting may be given to them, because of the ways of peace. It is forbidden to work fields during the Sabbatical year. If Gentiles own a field in the land of Israel one may wish them luck in their endeavors, even though the field should not be worked. However, one shouldn’t wish luck to Jews who are engaging in a prohibited activity. One may also greet a Gentile in order to increase peace between Jews and Gentiles. It seems that there is an underlying fear in this section. If Jews do not wish Gentiles luck, or greet them properly, they may cause danger to the Jewish community. Alternatively, one could see a more positive message here. It is important for Jews and Gentiles to get along and therefore, to increase peace, Jews should wish them well.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
לא תגע עמה – since when she rolls it, it becomes liable for setting aside Hallah (i.e., the piece of dough taken off, thrown into the oven and burned), and she becomes defiled through impure utensils , which had become susceptible to receive impurity; and she who helps her to roll [the dough] is forbidden to cause the Hallah to become impure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
וכולן לא אמרו כו' – they did not permit them to lend utensils and assist them outside of the time of the sin itself, other than because of the ways of peace.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
ומחזיקין ידי גוים – to tell them that they should strengthen their hands
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Bartenura on Mishnah Gittin
ושואלים בשלומם – all the days, even on the days of their holidays, and even though he places the name of heaven on the heathen [but nevertheless] peace is one of the names of the Holy One, blessed be He.
