Com relação a este e àquele caso, o rabino Yehoshua disse: Este não é o tipo de Terumah sobre o qual sou advertido de contaminá-lo, mas de comê-lo. E "Não o contamine" se aplica a esse caso? Se alguém estivesse passando de um lugar para outro com pães de Terumah na mão e um não-judeu lhe dissesse: “Dê-me um destes e eu o contaminarei; pois, se não, eu vou contaminá-los todos. ” O rabino Eliezer diz: deixe-o sujar todos eles e não dê a ele um deles. Mas o rabino Yehoshua diz: ele deve colocar diante dele um deles em uma rocha.
Bartenura on Mishnah Terumot
ועל זו ועל זו – on that which a doubt of ritual impurity resulted, and on this that is getting lost, Rabbi Yehoshua stated he is not warned on their ritual defilement, and that which is is warned about, lest it become defiled, how so? He was passing [from place to place with loaves of heave-offering in his hand when a heathen approaches him who says to him – give him one of them so that he can defile it and if not he would defile all of them], Rabbi Yehoshua stated, he should leave one of them on the rock in order that he doesn’t cause ritual defilement to the others. Ans even that one, he should leave on the rock and not give it to him in his hand, so that he would not defile the hands. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehoshua.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Terumot
Introduction
Finally, we get Rabbi Joshua’s response. The mishnah also contains another scenario in which Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Eliezer debate.
I should note that I have explained the mishnah according to the version of the mishnah which Albeck claims is correct and is found in most good manuscripts of the Mishnah. The text of other versions is slightly different and they also have a different interpretation.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Terumot
Concerning both cases Rabbi Joshua said: This is not the kind of terumah over which I am cautioned lest I defile it, but rather to eat of it and not to defile it. Regarding the cases mentioned in mishnayot nine (the wine) and ten (the oil) Rabbi Joshua says it is not prohibited to defile them by putting them in unclean vessels. Meaning if the wine or oil is going to be completely lost, it is not prohibited to bring unclean vessels and save whatever can be saved. Rather, what he should do is try to save some of it, if he can save at least a reviit. If he can’t, he is allowed to make it unclean, rather than let it and all the hullin in the lower vat (in the case of the wine in mishnah nine) go to complete waste.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Terumot
If one was passing from place to place with loaves of terumah in his hand and a Gentile said to him: “Give me one of these and I will make it unclean; for if not, I will defile them all,” let him defile them all, and not give him deliberately one to defile, the words of Rabbi Eliezer. In this scenario a Gentile tells a Jew to give him a loaf of terumah which he will defile and that if he doesn’t give it to him, the Gentile will defile all of the loaves. Rabbi Eliezer is strict and holds that the Jew should let the Gentile defile all of the loaves rather than give over one of the loaves himself. Again, Rabbi Eliezer does not seem concerned that the result will be that all of the terumah loaves will become inedible.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Terumot
But Rabbi Joshua says: he should place one of them on a rock. Rabbi Joshua agrees with Rabbi Eliezer that he may not give over one of the loaves. Rather what he should do is place one on a rock and let the Gentile take it himself. This way he will hopefully prevent all of the loaves from becoming unclean while at the same time he will not give one over with his own hands.
