(Beraisa): Sometimes Modi'im is like inside of Modi'im (and the potter is trusted), and sometimes it is like outside of Modi'im (and the potter is not trusted).

When the potter is leaving Modi'im and the Chaver coming in, Modi'im is like inside.

When both the potter and Chaver are coming in, or both are going out, it is like outside.

(Abaye): Our Mishnah also teaches this.

In one statement, the Mishnah implies that only inside of Modi'im is the potter trusted.

In another statement, the Mishnah implies that even in Modi'im itself he is trusted.

It must be that one case is when the potter is leaving and the Chaver is coming in, and the other case is when both are leaving or both are coming in.

(Beraisa): They are trusted on small earthenware vessels.

(Reish Lakish): The vessels must be small enough to hold with one hand.

(R. Yochanan): The vessels may be even be so large that they cannot be held with one hand.

(Reish Lakish): The vessels must be empty.

(R. Yochanan): The vessels may even be full.

We assume the vessels to be Tahor, even if they are filled with the Am ha'Aretz's own liquid or shirt.

The liquid or shirt itself, though, is of course Tamei

Indeed, we find (Ohalos 5:4) that it is possible for either the container or the contents to be Tamei, while the other is Tahor.

Tax-collectors who entered one's home are believed to say that they did not touch any utensils (and thus they are Tahor).

Likewise, thieves who repented and returned stolen items are believed to say that they did not touch any utensils.

In Yerushalayim, [Amei ha'Aretz] are trusted with regard to Kodesh.

And during the festival, they are trusted even with regard to Terumah.

Question: But another Mishnah says that they are not believed!

(Mishnah, Taharos 7:6): If tax-collectors entered one's home, everything is Tamei.

Answer: The Mishnah there refers to when they are accompanied by a Nochri (in which case everything is Tamei)

Question: What difference does it make if they are accompanied by a Nochri?

Answer #1: The dread of the Nochri is upon them (lest the Nochri beat them up if they do not do their job thoroughly).

Answer #2: The dread of the government is upon them (lest the Nochri inform the authorities about them).

Question: What is the difference between these two explanations?

Answer: A weak Nochri.

(Beraisa): They are trusted on large earthenware vessels for Kodesh (and certainly on small ones).

Question: What is the reason for all of this?

Answer: Because kilns (for making vessels) are not constructed in Yerushalayim.

Question: From where do we learn this?

Answer (R. Yehoshua ben Levi): The verse states, "All of the people of Yisrael gathered together at the city, as one man, as compatriots (Chaverim)" (Shoftim 20:11) -- the verse makes everyone Chaverim [during the festival].

One who opens his barrel [to sell wine] or who begins selling his flour during the festival:

(R. Yehudah): He may finish selling it even after the festival has passed.

(Chachamim): He may not finish selling it after the festival.

Question: May he leave it until the next festival (according to the Chachamim)?

Answer: The hand of all [Amei ha'Aretz] touch it [and make it Tamei], and you suggest leaving it until the next festival!?

Question: But until now, during the festival, the hand of all touched it, and yet it was considered Tahor!

Answer: That is different:

Until now, during the festival, the Torah made the Tum'ah of an Am ha'Aretz to be Tahor.

Now, however, it becomes Tamei [retroactively] due to the touch of the Am ha'Aretz.

Question: Say that it is a Machlokes Tana'im.

One Beraisa says he may leave it until the next festival.

Another Beraisa says that he does not leave it until the next festival.

Answer: No, it is not a Machlokes Tana'im.

The first Beraisa is the Chachamim.

The second Beraisa is R. Yehudah, who holds that he may finish selling it after the festival and does not need to leave it until the next festival.

When the festival has passed, we remove the vessels of the Azarah in order to make them Tahor.

If the festival ends on a Friday, we wait until after Shabbos to remove the vessels, due to the honor of Shabbos (the Kohanim need time to prepare for Shabbos).

(R. Yehudah): Even if the festival ends on Thursday, we wait until after Shabbos, because the Kohanim are not available to immerse the vessels.

(Beraisa): The Kohanim are not available to immerse the vessels, because they are busy clearing out all of the ashes (that collected on the Mizbe'ach during the festival).

How are the vessels of the Azarah made Tahor?

We immerse the vessels of the Mikdash.

Before the festival, we tell the Kohanim Amei ha'Aretz to be careful not to touch the Shulchan (which cannot be moved from its place in order to be immersed after the festival).

All of the vessels of the Mikdash have substitutes, in case the first ones became Tamei, they would bring the substitutes in their place.

All of the vessels of the Mikdash require Tevilah --

except the Mizbe'ach ha'Zahav and the Mizbe'ach ha'Nechoshes.

(R. Eliezer): They do not require Tevilah, because they are like earth.

(Chachamim): Because they are coated.

(Beraisa): [Warn them,] "Be careful not to touch the Shulchan and the Menorah."

Question: Why does our Mishnah not mention the Menorah?

Answer: The verse says "Tamid" ("always") with regard to the presence of Shulchan in the Mikdash (Shemos 25:30), but not with regard to the Menorah.

The Beraisa, though, holds that since the verse says, "[You shall place] the Menorah across from the Shulchan" (Shemos 26:35), it is as if it says "Tamid" with regard to the Menorah.

Our Mishnah holds that that verse is teaching only where to place the Menorah (but not when it must be there).

Question: Why must we warn them not to touch the Shulchan -- it is a wooden vessel that is not mobile!?

A wooden vessel that is not mobile does not become Tamei.

In order for a vessel to be able to become Tamei, it must be similar to a sack (Vayikra 11:32), which can be moved both while full and while empty.

Answer: The Shulchan indeed is mobile, even when it is full.

This is as Reish Lakish taught: The Torah refers to the Shulchan as the "Shulchan ha'Tahor" (Vayikra 24:6), implying that it can be Tamei.

How can it be Tamei, though, if it is an immobile wooden vessel?

The Torah is teaching that the Shulchan is lifted up in order to show the showbreads to all of the Olei Regalim, so that they should see the miracle that happened with the bread and know how beloved they are to Hash-m.

It was a great miracle -- the showbreads were as warm and fresh when they were removed as they were when they were placed upon the Shulchan a week earlier (as derived from Shmuel I 21:7).

Question: Say that it can become Tamei, even if it is not mobile, because it is plated in metal!?

A Mishnah (Kelim 22:1) teaches that we follow the coating of an object with regard to Tum'ah (and thus the metal coating over the Shulchan should make it Tamei).

We cannot answer that the Shitim wood of which the Shulchan was made is precious wood and is not subordinate to the metal coating.

R. Yochanan said that the material of the item -- regardless of how high quality it is -- is always subordinate to the coating!

We cannot answer that we follow the coating only when it is permanent (i.e. nailed down to the item), but when it is not permanent (such as the metal coating on the Shulchan, which was not nailed down), we do not follow the coating.

R. Yochanan said that we always follow the coating, whether or not it is permanent!

Answer: The Shulchan is different (and is not subordinate to its metal coating), because the Torah itself calls it a "wooden" vessel (Yechezkel 41:22).