1)

(a)We ask what the Din will be if a mouse falls into a barrel of vinegar. The Din there might be more lenient than the previous case (where it fell into a barrel of wine) - because vinegar has a sharper taste, and perhaps the mouse will not affect its taste significantly.

(b)Rav Hillel cited such a case that occurred by Rav Kahana, who forbade it. Rav Ashi claimed that that case was different - because the mouse had been cut into small pieces, and Rav Kahana was afraid that someone might swallow some of them.

(c)The smallest Shi'ur of Sheretz for which one is Chayav Malkos is - a 'k'Adashah' (the size of a lentil, which is equivalent to its Shi'ur Tum'ah.

2)

(a)Ravina thought to measure the mouse in a hundred and one of vinegar - because he considered it unlikely that the Din of a Sheretz should be more stringent than that of Terumah, which is Bateil in a hundred and one.

(b)Rav Tachlifa bar Giza countered Ravina's suggestion that in that case, perhaps we ought to compare it to spices of Terumah that fell into a pot - which do not become Bateil at all (see also Tosfos DH 'ke'Tavlin').

(c)Rav Achai measured the mouse in fifty measures of beer - because of the sharp taste of beer (as opposed to most other foods), which would diminish the effectiveness of the mouse.

(d)Rav Shmuel b'rei de'Rav Ika measured the mouse in sixty measures of beer, and that is the Halachah.

(e)When we say 'Idi ve'Idi be'Shishim', we mean that - the Shi'ur of Shishim applies, irrespective of whether the mouse fell into a barrel of beer or into a barrel of wine (and that is the Din regarding virtually all Isurim in the Torah).

3)

(a)We qualify the current ruling - by confining it to Miyn be'she'Eino Miyno (two different species), because Miyn be'Miyno forbids the mixture even if only a Mashehu (the smallest amount) of Isur falls into it.

(b)The only Isur that is not Bateil be'Shishim - is Chametz on Pesach, which is always Asur be'Mashehu (even Miyn be'she'Eino Miyno) ...

(c)... because (due to the Chumra of Pesach) - the Chachamim decreed Miyn be'she'Eino Miyno on account of Miyn be'Miyno.

4)

(a)Our Mishnah permits barrels of wine which a Nochri is transporting on behalf of a Yisrael, provided they are 'be'Chezkas ha'Mishtamer', which, as the Beraisa explains means that - the Yisrael did not inform the Nochri that he is going far ahead, even if he travels ahead as far as a Mil.

(b)If he did, the Shi'ur for the wine to become Asur is 'K'dei she'Yistom ve'Yistom ve'Yigov' - meaning the time it takes to bore a hole in the lid of the barrel, to seal it again and for the seal to dry.

(c)Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel permits the wine until the Shi'ur of the time it takes to remove the (sealed) lid from the barrel (which inevitably entails breaking it), to re-place it with a new lid and for the new lid to dry ('K'dei she'Yiftach, ve'Yigof ve'Teigov').

(d)He disagrees with the Tana Kama - because, he argues, the Nochri would not dare bore a hole in the lid, since the seal would inevitably be discernable, and would give him away.

5)

(a)The Mishnah repeats the same Machlokes two more times. In the Reisha of the first case, the Yisrael leaves the barrel of wine with the Nochri in a wagon or in a ship, whilst he goes be'Kapendarya - meaning that he takes a short cut into town.

(b)The Tana describes him as - visiting the bathhouse, once he arrives there.

(c)In both this case and in the next, if he informed the Nochri that he was going far ahead, the wine is permitted - on the same condition as in the previous case.

(d)In the second case, he leaves the barrel of wine in the store with the Nochri. The wine will be permitted immediately - provided the Yisrael appears in the store from time to time (at unspecified times) to check ('Yotzei ve'Nichnas').

6)

(a)The Seifa of the Mishnah discusses a case where the Yisrael invites the Nochri to eat by him, and exits in the middle of the meal, leaving the Nochri alone in the room. The Tana ...

1. ... forbids the jar of wine that the Yisrael left on the table ...

2. ... but permits the one on the top of the cupboard ...

(b)... because the Nochri will take advantage of his initial invitation to help himself to the former, but he will not be so brazen as to pour himself a drink from the latter.

(c)If, before leaving the room, the Yisrael invites the Nochri to help himself to a drink - then the fresh invitation will encourage him to help himself to the jar on the cupboard as well, in which case, it too, will be Asur.

(d)The Tana finally forbids all the open barrels in the room. As for the closed ones - they become forbidden only if he stays away 'K'dei she'Yiftach, ve'Yigof ve'Teigov' (like Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel).

7)

(a)The Beraisa rules in a case where someone's donkey drivers or laborers are transporting his Taharos, and he goes ahead by as much as a Mil that - his wine is permitted.

(b)In the Seifa however, the Tana rules that as soon as he is out of sight, his Taharos become Tamei - because there he is speaking where he told them that they should continue traveling, and that he would catch them up.

(c)To explain the difference between the Reisha and the Seifa, Rebbi Yitzchak Nafcha establishes the Reisha - where the owner forced his employees to Tovel in a Mikvah.

(d)The mere fact that the owner does not go far away will not suffice - because nothing is said in the Beraisa to suggest that the barrels are sealed.

8)

(a)Even if were to establish the Seifa like we do the Reisha, the wine would not be permitted - because we are afraid that the laborers will allow their friends (who have not Toveled) to touch the wine (something about which Amei ha'Aretz tend not to be fussy).

(b)Rava explains that this fear does not apply in the Reisha, because the laborers are afraid that the owner will return from a different angle and catch them allowing their friends to touch the Taharos. They are not afraid of that in the Seifa - because, since he instructed them to carry on traveling and that he will catch them up, they realize that he will not return for quite a while.

9)

(a)In spite of having taught us the Halachah of ...

1. ... 'Yotzei ve'Nichnas' in the case of 'ha'Meni'ach Akum ba'Chanuso', the Tana nevertheless finds it necessary to add that of 'Kapendarya' in the case of 'ha'Meni'ach Yeino be'Karon O bi'Sefinah' - where they may be less afraid that he will catch them touching the wine, since they are able to sail the boat further away from the river bank, and do as they please.

2. ... 'Kapendarya' by 'ha'Meni'ach Yeino be'Karon O bi'Sefinah', the Tana finds it necessary to add that of 'Yotzei ve'Nichnas' in the case of 'ha'Meni'ach Akum ba'Chanuso' - where they are perhaps less afraid, because they are able to lock the door and do as they please.

(b)Rabah bar Chanah Amar Rebbi Yochanan qualifies the Machlokes between Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel and the Chachamim - by confining it to where the lid is made of cement, which is white, and which the replacement will therefore resemble. But if the lid is made of clay, which is black, the Chachamim will concede that the Shi'ur is 'she'Yiftach, ve'Yigof ve'Yigov' - because, if he makes a hole in the lid, the seal (which is initially white, and takes a day or so to turn black) will be easily discernible, and they will certainly not dare to just make a hole without filling it in.

(c)Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel in a Beraisa queries the Chachamim inasmuch as - seeing as the seal is easily discernible, both on the outside and on the inside, they would definitely be afraid to make a hole and then to seal it, so how can they give the Shi'ur as 'K'dei she'Yistom ve'Yistom ve'Yigov'?

(d)This poses a Kashya on Rabah bar bar Chanah ... - because if, as he maintains, they are arguing in the case of a lid made of cement, how can Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel suggest that the seal will be discernible even on the outside,.

10)

(a)And we answer that Raban Shimon ben Gamliel was not sure what the Chachamim were saying. His point of doubt was - whether the Chachamim were speaking about whether the lid was made of cement or of clay.

(b)What he therefore told them was that - if they were speaking about a clay lid, then the seal would be discernible both on the outside and on the inside; whereas if they were speaking about a lid made of cement, then it would at least be discernible on the inside ...

(c)... due to the fact that - the new seal would not be level with the rest of the lid.

(d)The Chachamim countered that - a. the Nochri will not worry about that, because, since the seal on the outside of the barrel is level, it will not occur to the owner to check the inside, and b. sometimes, the cement fills the hole completely, so that it is level with the barrel on the inside as well.

11)

(a)Rava rules like Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel - because the Seifa ('Hayah Ochel Imo al ha'Shulchan ... K'dei she'Yiftach, ve'Yigof ve'Teigov') is written in the form of a S'tam Mishnah that holds like him.

(b)Rava needs to teach us that the Seifa is a S'tam Mishnah like Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel - because we might otherwise have thought that it is a continuation of the words of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, and is not an independent case.

12)

(a)When we rule like Rebbi Eliezer (in the second Perek) regarding 'Ziyufa', we mean that - whenever a big 'Tircha' is involved (such as making a new lid, like in our case), we do not suspect a Nochri of taking the trouble to indulge in forgery ...

(b)... to preclude - the opinion of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel (who does).

(c)And we rule like Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel with regard to his rejection of the opinion of the Chachamim, who suspect that the Nochri might make a hole and fill it in, as we explained.

(d)In spite of these two lenient rulings, we do not trust Nochrim with our barrels of wine nowadays - because of 'Shaycha' (a tiny hole in the barrel, which is necessary to let out the smell of the wine, and) - which we suspect the Nochri of enlarging very slightly, just enough to drink from.

13)

(a)Rava permits an open jar of wine belonging to Yisre'elim who are sitting at table with a Nochri Zonah - because even though the Yeitzer-ha'Ra for adultery is strong, the Yetzer-ha'Ra for Yayin Nesech is not (in which case they would not let the Zonah touch the wine).

(b)In the reverse case however, where the wine belongs to a Zonah Yisre'elis who is sitting with Nochrim at table, he forbids the wine - because, due to the fact that they despise her, she will not stop them should they want to be Menasech the wine.