Pesachim 46a — the Talmud in English

a.

And so

it is

regarding the joining of impurity on Passover.

For it is established for us: foods do not render other foods impure unless they contain the measure of an egg-bulk.

And that dough which is in the cracks of the kneading trough, if this were on Passover, and it contains an olive-bulk, behold, it joins with other foods to the measure of an egg-bulk in order to render other foods impure.

And if it does not contain an olive-bulk, it does not join.

But

during the rest of the days of the year,

the matter does not depend on the measure of an olive-bulk. Rather,

there is a dispute

[a distinction] between whether he is particular about the dough, not to leave it in the cracks of the kneading trough, but wishes to remove it from there, and whether he is not particular about removing it from there, and it does not matter to him that the dough be nullified to the kneading trough.

And it makes no difference whether it contains an olive-bulk or not.

And

what are the circumstances?

For example, there is

before us

less than an egg-bulk

of

foods

other than it.

And they touched

those foods

this dough

which is attached in the cracks of the kneading trough, and they joined together with it to the measure of an egg-bulk. And impurity touched them while they were still joined to one another, and they became impure, and afterward they touched other foods.

On Passover—

if this dough contains an olive-bulk, behold, although its owner is not particular about removing it from there, it is not nullified to the vessel, because

its prohibition

in an olive-bulk, on account of leaven on Passover, makes it a thing

important

in itself, which is not nullified to the vessel, despite the fact that the owner is not particular about removing it from there.

And as we found in the first clause, that an olive-bulk of leaven in the cracks of a kneading trough is important with regard to the prohibition of leaven on Passover, for dough of the measure of an olive-bulk is not nullified with regard to the kneading trough.

Therefore, it

joins

with the foods that became attached to it to the measure of an egg-bulk, in order to render other foods impure.

But if it does not contain an olive-bulk, since it lacks the importance of the prohibition of leaven in an olive-bulk, and he is not particular about removing it from there—it is not important to join in order to impart food impurity, since it is nullified to the vessel.

But

during the rest of the days of the year,

when the matter does not depend on the measure, since there is no prohibition of leaven here to make it important,

rather,

the matter depends on being particular—

behold, specifically

if he is particular about it

and intends to remove it from there, and it is considered food since ultimately he will remove it from there, it

joins

with other foods to the measure of an egg-bulk with regard to food impurity.

But

if

he

wishes it to remain

inside the cracks of the kneading trough—

behold, it is like the kneading trough.

And the status of food is removed from it. And it does not join with other foods to complete them to the measure of an egg-bulk, even when it contains an olive-bulk.

Rava challenged him

to Abaye: But

does it teach

in the Mishna, “If he is particular about it,

it joins”?

But it teaches: “If he is particular about it,

«если человек следит за ним,

it interposes,”

it teaches.

Rather, Rava said:

It is indeed speaking of an interposition in immersion.

And this is what it says:

And likewise, to raise purity to the kneading trough.

For if there is an olive-bulk in the dough in the cracks of the kneading trough, it interposes.

And

what are the circumstances?

For example, this kneading trough became impure, and he needs to immerse it.

On Passover—

since

because of

because of

its prohibition

it is

important,

for against his will he must remove it from there, behold, although he is not particular about removing it from there, it

interposes

in immersion, since it is not considered part of the vessel.

But if it does not contain an olive-bulk, since he need not remove it from there, and he is also not particular about it, it does not interpose.

But

during the rest of the days of the year,

the matter does not depend on the measure of an olive-bulk. Rather,

the matter depends on being particular.

If he is particular about it

and intends to remove it from there, it

interposes.

And if

he

wishes it to remain

and intends to leave it permanently in the cracks of the kneading trough,

behold, it is like the kneading trough,

and it does not interpose.

Rav Pappa challenged him

to Rava: But

does it teach

“And likewise with regard to purity”?

It teaches: “And likewise

«И так же

with regard to impurity,”

it teaches!

Rather, Rav Pappa said:

This is what it says:

And likewise with regard to bringing impurity down to the kneading trough,

and it proceeds to explain.

What are the circumstances?

For example, a creeping creature touched this dough,

and it did not touch the kneading trough itself.

As long as the dough is important as a thing in itself, the creeping creature is not considered to have touched the kneading trough itself, and it does not become impure on account of it.

Therefore,

on Passover—

if it contains an olive-bulk,

because

because of

its prohibition

it is

important

as a thing destined to be removed from the kneading trough, it is not nullified to the kneading trough even when he is not particular about it. Therefore it

interposes

against the impurity of the creeping creature,

and impurity does not descend to it

the kneading trough

impurity.

And if it does not contain an olive-bulk, since he need not remove it from there, and he is also not particular about it, it is nullified to the kneading trough, and it does not interpose between it and the creeping creature. And since the creeping creature touched it, it is considered as though it touched the body of the kneading trough, and it renders it impure.

But

during the rest of the days of the year,

when the matter does not depend on the measure, but rather

the matter depends on being particular.

Behold, even when it contains an olive-bulk, specifically

if he is particular about it,

it

interposes

between the creeping creature and the kneading trough against the impurity of the creeping creature.

But

if

he

wishes it to remain, behold, it is like the kneading trough.

And if the creeping creature touched it, it is as though it touched the kneading trough.

Mishna:

Concerning ordinary dough, the Sages gave signs of the stages of leavening, to know whether it has leavened or not. For example, its surface became pale, or cracks the size of locust horns formed in it, or its cracks became intermingled with one another, as detailed in the Mishna below.

Rather, at times it is impossible to ascertain the nature of the dough and to recognize whether these signs appeared in it or not. Then it is called “deaf dough,” because it is different like a deaf person, who has ears but it is not discernible whether he hears or not.

Deaf dough—

how do we know whether it has leavened or not?

If there is

another dough

like it,

which was kneaded together with it at the same time, it is judged according to the other leavened dough. For if the other one is recognizable through its signs

that it has leavened, behold

this deaf dough

is prohibited.

For they were kneaded at the same time. And since the second one has leavened, it is a sign that the time sufficient to leaven had already passed for them.

Gemara:

And we raise an objection concerning it:

If there is no

other leavened dough

like it—

what is the law?

How will we know whether it has leavened or not?

Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish:

If a period of time sufficient

for a person to walk from Migdal Nunaya to Tiberias

has passed over it, it is known that it has leavened. And this is the measure of walking

a mil.

And we raise an objection concerning it:

And let Rabbi Abbahu say

“the measure of walking

a mil?”

And we answer: By Rabbi Abbahu’s using this expression,

he teaches us that the measure of a mil

is

like

the distance

from Migdal Nunaya to Tiberias.

Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: For a dough-kneader [a worker who kneads dough], four mil!

[a worker who kneads dough], four mil!

That is, if a person hired his fellow to knead his dough for payment, and gave him impure vessels with which to knead the dough, the dough-kneader is obligated to trouble himself and walk as far as four mil in order to immerse them in a ritual bath, so as to knead the dough in purity.

And likewise for prayer—

if a person is traveling and the time has come to lodge, and there is a synagogue before him at a distance of four mil, he is obligated to walk an additional four mil ahead of him in order to pray with the congregation. And he should lodge there.

And

likewise

for washing the hands

for eating—if there is water before him within a distance of

four mil,

he must trouble himself and walk there in order to wash his hands.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: Aivu stated

this teaching. And he did not state only three matters, but

he stated four matters

[concerning walking four mil].

And one of them

[the additional matter beyond the three mentioned]

is

“processing

the hide.”

The ordinary hide of an unslaughtered animal is a hard hide and is not considered flesh; therefore it does not impart impurity like the flesh of the unslaughtered animal. But there are soft hides whose manner is to be eaten like flesh, and those hides impart impurity of an unslaughtered animal like the flesh itself.

And we learned: And all of them

[all the soft hides that impart impurity like flesh], if it happened

that he processed them

in the manner of processing hides,

or that he

spread out their hides and

walked upon them

until he trod on them

the measure of

the amount of

processing

[processing, for treading is the beginning of processing]—the status of flesh is removed from them.

And they are

pure

from imparting impurity of an unslaughtered animal.

Except for human skin,

which even after he processed it has the status of flesh. And it still imparts impurity of a corpse.

And

we raise an objection concerning it:

How much

is the measure of walking that contains

the measure of processing?

Aivu said in the name of Rabbi Yannai: The measure of walking four mil.

Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Ḥanina said:

This matter, that we trouble him to walk four mil for prayer and for washing the hands,

was stated

so

only

when the synagogue or the water is located

before him,

and they are in the direction in which he is walking.

But

if they are

behind him,

he need not turn back for them. Rather,

even

a distance of

one mil he does not turn back.

Rabbi Aḥa said: And from this

from the words of Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Ḥanina] we learn that specifically when the distance is

a mil, he does not return.

This—

if the synagogue or the water is farther away from him

than a mil—

he

returns

for their sake even after him.

Mishna:

All labors that are needed for food preparation, such as cooking and baking, were permitted to be performed on a festival. But anything that is not fit for eating because of its prohibition was not permitted to be baked on a festival, because we do not apply to it “food preparation.”

From now, one who comes to bake impure dough on the festival of Passover encounters a problem concerning the separation of ḥalla. For if he separates ḥalla before the baking, he will no longer be able to bake it, since impure ḥalla is forbidden to be eaten, and there is no permission to bake it as “food preparation.”

And if he leaves it without baking it, it will come to leavening, and he will transgress concerning it “it shall not be seen.”

And even to burn it or feed it to dogs before it leavens is forbidden, because the burning or removal of sacrificial matter does not override a festival.

If so,

how do they separate ḥalla on the festival

of Passover

in impurity

[from impure dough]?

Rabbi Eliezer says: Do not designate it by name

as ḥalla from the dough

until it has been baked

the entire dough.

Rather, he bakes from the dough loaves, loaves of matza, without separating ḥalla. And it is permitted to bake all the loaves, because the baking of all of them is for the sake of “food preparation.” For after the baking, each loaf will be fit for eating, by separating from it a small amount for ḥalla.

Therefore, since at the time of baking each loaf was fit for the need of the day, if he wishes, he may separate after the baking one whole loaf for all of them, as explained in the Gemara.

Ben Beteira says:

He should separate ḥalla before the baking

and place

[they should place] the ḥalla

in cold water.

And the cold water prevents it from leavening. And at the conclusion of the festival they should burn the ḥalla, in accordance with the law of impure ḥalla.