Commentaire sur Makhshirin 6:2
הַמַּעֲלֶה אֶת הָאֲגֻדּוֹת וְאֶת הַקְּצִיעוֹת וְאֶת הַשּׁוּם לַגַּג בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁיַּמְתִּינוּ, אֵינָן בְּכִי יֻתַּן. כָּל הָאֲגֻדּוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית הַשְּׁוָקִים, טְמֵאִין. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מְטַהֵר בַּלַּחִים. אָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר, וְכִי מִפְּנֵי מָה טִמְּאוּ, אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי מַשְׁקֵה הַפֶּה. כָּל הַקְּמָחִין וְהַסְּלָתוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית הַשְּׁוָקִים, טְמֵאִים. הַחִילְקָה, הַטְּרָגִיס וְהַטִּסְגִי, טְמֵאִים בְּכָל מָקוֹם:
[Si] on a amené des bottes [de légumes] ou des figues préparées, ou de l'ail sur le toit pour qu'ils deviennent humides, cela n'atteint pas BeKhi Yutan . Tous les paquets [de légumes] du marché sont impurs. Rabbi Yehudah considère que les [légumes] frais sont purs. Le rabbin Meir a dit: Pourquoi les ont-ils jugés impurs? N'est-ce pas à cause de l'humidité de la bouche? Tous les [types de] farine et farine fine sur le marché sont impurs. Les grains de blé coupés en deux morceaux, en trois morceaux et en quatre morceaux sont impurs partout.
Bartenura on Mishnah Makhshirin
המעלה את האגודות (if he takes up on the roof bunches – herbs – which had been lying in the market houses) - of vegetables/greens.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makhshirin
One who carries up to the roof bundles [of vegetables] or cakes of figs or garlic so as to keep them fresh, it does not come under the law of ‘if water be put’. Since he carried his vegetables or other such items up to the roof only to let them air out and not so that they would get wet, they do not become susceptible to impurity if dew falls on them.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makhshirin
ואת הקציעות (figs packed) – they crush the figs in a mortar/mortar-shaped cavity and make them like large loaves, and hey are called קציעות/packed figs.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makhshirin
All bundles [of vegetables] in the market places are unclean. Rabbi Judah declares them clean if they are fresh. Rabbi Meir said: Why did they declare them unclean? Only because of liquid from the mouth. The assumption is that the sellers in the marketplace moisten their vegetables to keep them fresh and make them look more appetizing (supermarkets still do this with their mist machines). In the marketplace impure people might touch them. Therefore, when one buys vegetables from the market, one has to assume that they are impure. Rabbi Judah says that sellers don't throw water over fresh vegetables, so they are considered clean because they were never made susceptible to impurity. Rabbi Meir disagrees as to why they declared bundles of vegetables to be unclean. Bundles come untied and when they do a person uses his mouth to moisten the ties so they can be retied. The assumption is that the person who does this is impure and this moisture from the mouth is what causes them to be defiled. So even fresh ones, ones that have never had water put on them, are impure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makhshirin
שימתינו (that they may remain fresh) – it is the language of moisture. And similar to it is found in the Gemara in the chapter "לא יחפור"/One should not dig/hollow out (Chapter 2) [Tractate Bava Batra 18a):"מיתנא קשה לכותלים" (the actual term found in the printed editions of the Talmud is דהבלא /vapor) that is difficult for the walls).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makhshirin
All coarse and fine flours of the market places are unclean. The wheat used to make flour is moistened before it is ground up. This moistening causes it to be susceptible to impurity. In the marketplace we have to assume that anyone might have touched the flour, including impure people. Therefore, it must be assumed to be impure. Outside of the marketplace impure people won't necessarily be touching the flour so it remains pure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makhshirin
אינו בכי יותן – if dew fell upon them.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makhshirin
Crushed wheat, groats, and pearl-barley are unclean everywhere. These crushed grains are frequently touched, unlike flour and fine flour which not as many people will touch. Since people touch them everywhere, not just in the market, they are always considered impure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makhshirin
כל האגודות – [all the bunches] of greens/vegetables.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makhshirin
של בית השוקים טמאים– because he sellers are accustomed to sprinkle upon them water in order to moisten them and they are made fit to receive ritual defilement, and the hands always handle/touch them. Therefore, they are presumed to be defiled.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makhshirin
מפני משקה הפה – even though that they don’t sprinkle water upon them when they are moist, nevertheless, they regularly put upon them liquid that comes out from the mouth in order to remove the dust that is upon them, and through this they are made fit for [receiving ritual defilement]. But there is a dispute between the first Tanna/teacher and the Rabbi Meir in a place where they do not regularly moisten them with liquid from the mouth; according to Rabbi Meir they are ritually pure, but according the first Tanna/teacher, in every manner they are ritually impure, for even with moist things that they place upon them water. And the Halakha is according to the first Tanna/teacher.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makhshirin
הקמחין והסלתות של בית השוקים טמאים – because they stir/wash the grain in water prior to grinding them and they are made fit [for receiving ritual impurity]. And the hands are always handling/touching them. Therefore, they are presumed to be ritually impure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makhshirin
החילקה (split grain, grist, grits) - wheat that is pounded and each kernel/stone is divided into two.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makhshirin
טאגיס (mass of groats of wheat, barley) – that each kernel/stone is divided into three parts.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makhshirin
טסגי (pearl barley/barley groats)- each stone/kernel is divided into four parts.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makhshirin
בכל מקום – even not in the house of the market place, for everyone sprinkles water upon them.
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