Moed Katan

And [in fact] it is taught [thus]: ‘Wares may be brought [home] from the house of the craftsman, for instance, jugs from the jug maker's and tumblers from the glass maker's, but not wool from the dyer's nor articles from the house of the craftsman; but if he has not [enough] to eat one gives him his pay [in advance] and leaves the object with him, if however he does not trust him he leaves It In a house near him1 and if he is anxious about the things lest they be stolen he2 brings them home privily’.3 You have thus explained4 [the discrepancy] about ‘bringing home’, [but] the discrepancy about ‘conveying’ still remains a difficulty; for when it states WARES MAY NOT BE BROUGHT HOME, [it follows] much less may one convey [wares to the house of the craftsman]! Hence [obviously] the explanation given at first5 is the correct one. MISHNAH. FIGS [WHILE DRYING] MAY BE COVERED WITH STRAW;6 R. JUDAH SAYS, THEY MAY EVEN BE PILED UP [IN HEAPS].7 VENDORS OF FRUITS, CLOTHING AND [OTHER] WARES MAY SELL Privily FOR THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE FESTIVAL [WEEK]. FISHERMEN, 8 GROATS-POUNDERS AND GRIST GRINDERS PLY THEIR TRADE PRIVILY FOR THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE FESTIVAL [WEEK]. R. JOSE SAYS, THEY HAVE IMPOSED A RESTRICTION ON THEMSELVES.9 GEMARA. R. Hiyya b. Abba and R. Assi differ [in their interpretation] both in the name of Hezekiah and R. Johanan.10 One says that the [former expression], they MAY BE COVERED, MEHAPPIN, means [covering but] lightly, and [the latter] MAY EVEN BE PILED UP, ME'ABBIN, means [spreading the straw] closely; the other says that MAY BE COVERED, means [spreading the straw] lightly or densely, while [the latter expression], MAY EVEN BE PILED UP, means miaking a sort of pile.11 It is also taught thus: ‘May be piled up [me'abbin] — making a sort of pile: these are the words of R. Judah’. VENDORS OF FRUITS, CLOTHING AND [OTHER] WARES MAY SELL PRIVILY. The question was asked: Does THEY HAVE IMPOSED A RESTRICTION ON THEMSELVES, mean that they do not work at all, or perhaps that they do it privily? Come and hear: ‘Vendors of fruits, clothing and [other] wares sell privily for the requirements of the festival [week]; R. Jose says, The Tiberian traders have imposed a restriction on themselves not to sell at all. Deerstalkers, fowlers and fishermen catch privily for the requirements of thee festival [week]; it. Jose says, The catchers of Acra have imposed a restriction on themselves not to catch at all. Groats-pounders make hilka12 [coarse meal], tragus13 [pulse-porridge] and tisana14 [pearl-barley] privily for the requirements of the festival [week]; R. Jose says, The gristpounders of Sepphoris have imposed a restriction on themselves not to pound at all’. Abaye explained:15 Hilka means [groats of] one [grain broken] in two;16 tragus, one into three;17 tisana, one into four.18 When R. Dimi came [from Palestine] he said: [All these are] kuntha [spelt]. An objection was raised: Hilka, tragus and tisana are [considered as] ‘tainted’19 everywhere.20 Now this harmonizes well with the explanation that it is one [grain broken] in two, three or four; they are [considered] ‘tainted’ everywhere, because they have been rendered ‘fit’ [liable to take the taint of impurity]; but according to the explanation that they are all ‘spelt’, why then are they taken as ‘tainted’ everywhere, for these have not [necessarily] been rendered ‘fit’ [by damping]? [Sometimes they are], for instance, where the groats are [made of] peeled [spelt]; because, unless the grain had been soaked in water it would not peel. And why is it called hilka? Because it has had its ‘tunic’21 [husk] taken off. An objection was raised: ‘One who vowed [to abstain] from dagan22 is debarred even from [partaking of] the Egyptian bean23 when dry, but is allowed to eat it when fresh [green];24 and he is permitted rice,25 hilka, tragus and tisana.26 Now, this harmonizes well with the explanation that these [varieties] are so called because one [grain] is broken into two, three or four; it is Proper [to allow him to eat] because these [being now meal] no longer belong to the [category] of dagan [grain]; but according to him who says that hilka is [what we call] ‘spelt’, it is [still] properly [designated as] dagan! — This is a difficulty. R. Huna27 permitted vendors of Pot-herbs28 to go and sell in the festival week in the market Place in the ordinary way. R. Kahana thereupon put an objection to him [from the following]: ‘A shop which opens into a colonnade may be opened and closed in the ordinary way; if it opens into the public domain, [the shopkeeper] may open one door and close one; and on the day preceding the last day of the Feast [of Tabernacles]29 he may bring out fruit and decorate the markets all round the town in honour of the last day of the Feast’. [That is to say], ‘In honour of the last day of the Feast, [he may open]; but if not in honour of the last day of the Feast, he may not [open]! That is not difficult [to explain]: This latter prohibition refers to the sale of fruits, whereas in the former case it is the sale of seasoning [pot-herbs that is allowed]. MISHNAH. AND THESE [MAY] CROP30 [THEIR HAIR] DURING THE FESTIVAL [WEEK]: ONE ARRIVING [HOME] FROM ABROAD,31 OR FROM A PLACE OF CAPTIVITY OR ONE COMING OUT OF PRISON, OR ONE UNDER A BAN32 TO WHOM THE SAGES HAVE [JUST] GRANTED ABSOLUTION. AND LIKEWISE ONE WHO APPLIED TO A SAGE33 AND WAS ABSOLVED [BY HIM], AND A NAZIRITE34 OR A LEPER ON EMERGING FROM HIS [STATE OF RITUAL] IMPURITY TO [BEGIN] HIS PURIFICATION.35 AND THESE [MAY] WASH [THEIR GARMENTS] DURING THE FESTIVAL [WEEK]: ONE ARRIVING [HOME] FROM ABROAD,31 OR FROM THE PLACE OF [HIS] CAPTIVITY, OR COMING OUT OF PRISON festival week. Cf. R. Ash's reply, above. For further notes on this passage v. pes., Sonc. ed. p. 276. cakes. V. commentaries on Alfasi ‘s text and Krauss, TA II, 246. Egyptian lentil (Niliacam . . . lentem). vegetables are not subject to ritual defilement until washed or sprayed or have Purposely been left exposed to get damped by rain or dew. After that deliberate damping these take ritual defilement by contact with defiling objects. Cf. Lev. XI, 34. 37-38 with commentaries of Rashi and Nahmanides and B.M. 22a-b, (Sonc. ed. p. 138-9). parlance’, Ned. 49a; cf. 55a (top) commentaries. disciple of Rab, as was also R. Kahana, mentioned next. t,hpurf ), probably connected with the Greek ** permission only to the last part of Tabernacles, whereas there is no reason to exclude that of Passover. infra 16aff. The ‘repelled’ person was expected to go about in sorry apparel, with disordered hair during the time of disgrace. as if in mourning. made rashly and is now extremely inconvenient or impossible of fulfillment. Cf. e.g., Ned. IX, 6; 66a. 6-9); or, on the completion of his Nazirite period (13, 18).