I fichi [sparsi sul campo per asciugare] possono essere coperti di paglia [contro la pioggia]. R. Yehudah dice: Possono anche essere accatastati, uno (strato) uno sopra l'altro e fatti una specie di tumulo, in modo che quelli superiori proteggano quelli sottostanti.] I venditori di frutta, fogli e navi possono vendere "discretamente" per scopi del festival. I cacciatori, i frantoi [quelli che frantumano il grano per grana] e i produttori di grano [quelli che fanno il grano in grani] possono lavorare "discretamente" ai fini del festival. R. Yossi ha dichiarato: Erano rigorosi con se stessi [e non hanno funzionato nemmeno "con discrezione". L'halachah non è conforme a R. Yossi.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
מחפין את הקציעות – figs that are spread/stretched out in the field to dry them, we cover and hide them with straw because of the rains.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
Introduction
The final mishnah of this chapter deals with people whose work might be necessary during the festival. The general rule is that while they may engage in their work, they should do so in as private a manner as possible.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
אף מעבין – place them this one on top of that one and make them like a pile, and that the upper owns protect the lower ones.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
They may cover [drying] figs with straw. Rabbi Judah says: they may even be pile [the figs] up [in heaps]. Drying figs were covered with straw so that they wouldn’t get dirty. The mishnah permits one to cover them with straw on the festival, because if they are left uncovered, they might get ruined. Rabbi Judah says that one may even heap them up together in order to preserve them better.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
הדשושות – that we thresh and crush wheat for cereal.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
Sellers of produce, clothing and [other] vessels may sell privately for the requirements of the festival. The people referred to in this section are selling items that the public might need for the festival. The mishnah says that they may do so, but that they should try to sell in as private a manner as possible. The rabbis wanted to allow people to buy items necessary for the festival, but they also wanted to prevent the week from turning into “business as usual.”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
בגרוסות – they make pounded beans.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Moed Katan
Trappers [of fish and birds], groats-makers and grist-millers may engage in their work privately for the requirements of the festival. Rabbi Yose says: they were strict upon themselves. Similarly, people who engage in food production may work, but only in a private manner. “Groats-makers” pounded grain to make it into cereal whereas “grist-millers” grind it to break it up into small kernels. Since people need these foods during the festival, and they can’t be done much ahead of time (they had little means to preserve food), they may continue to work during the festival, as long as they try to be as private about it as possible. Rabbi Yose adds a fascinating note. He says that people in these professions were strict upon themselves and didn’t engage in this work at all. In other words, the previous clause’s intention was not to tell these workers that they had to do their work in private, but rather to emphasize to them that they were allowed to work.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
הם – the artisans.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Moed Katan
החמירו על עצמן – and we don’t do it even in private. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yosi.
