פירוש על זבים 3:2

מגיפין – they (i.e., the ritually pure person and the person with gonorrhea/the Zav) close the door.

Introduction Today's mishnah deals with a series of cases in which a zav and a clean person are jointly performing some action. In each case, there is one opinion that holds that the clean person has been defiled, or might have been defiled, and there is one opinion that holds that only if the act was done under specific conditions is he considered defiled.

או פותחין – [open] the door together – the person with gonorrhea/the Zav and the ritually pure person.

If they were both closing or opening [a door], [the clean person and his clothes are unclean]. But the sages say: [he is not unclean] unless one was shutting and the other opening [it]. According to the first opinion, if they were both either opening or closing a door then the zav has shifted the clean person by applying pressure to the door. The clean person and his clothes are defiled. The sages hold that this is true only if they are pushing against each other. In such a case, it is likely that one has moved the other. But if both are opening or closing, then it is more likely that neither has moved the other, so the clean person remains pure.

עד שיהא זה מגיף – after all there is no defilement here, until there would be this one pull to open [the door] and that one pull to close it, that we don’t allow them each to do it to the other [for it would cause defilement through movement/shaking].

If one was lifting the other out of a pit [the clean person and his clothes are unclean]. Rabbi Judah says: only if the clean person was pulling out the unclean one. According to the first opinion, if the zav and pure person are helping each other climb out of a pit, then it is likely that the zav has lifted or shifted in some way the pure person. Therefore, he is defiled. Rabbi Judah says that the pure person is defiled only if the pure person is helping the zav get out of the pit. In such a case, the zav may have leaned on the pure person and defiled him. But if the zav is helping the pure person out of the pit, he is not defiled. Evidently, Rabbi Judah is lenient and holds that the zav must lean on the pure person to defile him. Simply moving him does not cause defilement. Note that Rabbi Judah was also lenient in yesterday's mishnah.

עד שיהא הטהור מעלה את הטמא – for then the clothes of the ritually pure person would be impure through treading, for the weight of the impure person would be greater than that of the pure ofperson and he would be leaning upon him. And the clothing of the pure person would be impure through treading. But if the impure person raises the pure person [from the pit], the impure person does not lean upon the ritually pure person, and the clothing of the pure person is not impure through treading. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.

If they were twisting ropes together [the clean person and his clothes are unclean]. But the sages say: unless the one pulled one way and the other pulled the other way. Again, the first opinion holds that by twisting ropes together the zav may have leaned upon or shifted the clean person and thereby defiled him. The sages rule that they have to be pulling in opposite directions, as was the case with the door in section one.

מפשלין בחבלין (twisting ropes) – the person with gonorrhea/the Zav and the ritually pure person together are plaiting/twisting a rope. And even if both of them are doing it from one side.

If they were both weaving together, whether they were standing or sitting, or grinding wheat, [the clean person and his clothes are unclean]. Rabbi Shimon says [the clean person] in every case is pure, except where they [both] were grinding with a hand-mill. The first opinion holds that weaving or grinding together causes the zav to defile the clean person, either because he leans on him or he shifts him. Rabbi Shimon rules more leniently. The only case of defilement is when they grind together with a hand-mill.

זה מושך הילך וזה מושך הילך – this one stands to the east and pulls towards him and the other stands to the west and pulls towards him.

If they [both] were unloading or loading a donkey, they are unclean if the load was heavy, but clean if the load was light. If they are both unloading a donkey and the load is heavy, then the zav would likely have leaned on the pure person and defiled him. But if the load is light, they could both unload independently and one has not leaned on the other.

בין עומדין – there are things that are woven while standing and there are those [that are woven] while sitting, and the ritually impure person and the ritually pure person weave together, or grind [wheat].

In all cases, however, they are clean for members of the synagogue, but are unclean for terumah. In all of these cases, we can't be certain that the pure person is defiled. Therefore, he can sit with other members of the synagogue who are eating their non-sacred food in a state of purity. Since this behavior is only a stringency, and is not required by law, we can be lenient and let him eat with them. However, the Torah prohibits eating defiled terumah. Therefore, he cannot eat terumah. This last clause basically serves to clarify that in all of these cases the status of his impurity is doubtful, not certain.

ר' שמעון מטהר בכולן – but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.

בזמן שמשאן כבד טמאים – for perhaps through the heaviness of the load, the person with gonorrhea leans upon the ritually pure person and it is found that the pure person shakes/moves him or the pure person is moved by him (i.e., the person with gonorrhea).

וכולן – even if their load is heavy.

טהורים לבני הכנסת – that is to say, to those who eat their non-holy produce in a state of ritual purity, for this is not a complete shaking, and all the more so, that there is a doubt [of shaking].

וטמאים לתרומה – from according to the Rabbis, and even with doubt.