1)

(a)The Mishnah now discusses a R'shus ha'Yachid that becomes a R'shus ha'Rabim and then reverts to being a R'shus ha'Yachid once more. The classical case of this is - a valley (a collection of fields) which is considered a R'shus ha'Yachid in the winter, and a R'shus ha'Rabim in the summer.

(b)The Tana rules that - any Safek Tum'ah that occurs in it (whether it concerns people or Keilim [see Tos. Yom-Tov]) whilst it is a R'shus ha'Yachid is Tamei; whilst it is a R'shus ha'Rabim, is Tahor.

(c)Next the Mishnah discusses a Mesukan - someone who passes out, and we do not know whether he is alive or dead, whom one carries from a R'shus ha'Yachid into a R'shus ha'Rabim and, after takes him back into the R'shus ha'Yachid, they discover that he is dead.

(d)With regard to the status of the people and the Keilim who accompanied the Mesukan during the journey ...

1. ... the Tana Kama rules that - one declares Tamei all the people and the Keilim that might have touched him whilst he was in the R'shus ha'Yachid, and Tahor those that might have touched him whilst he was in the R'shus ha'Rabim.

2. ... R. Shimon - declares Tahor even the former (since, having declared the Mesukan alive (mi'Safek) in the R'shus ha'Rabim, how can one declare him dead prior to that (see Mishnah Achronah).

2)

(a)The Mishnah lists - four S'feikos, which R. Yehoshua declares Tamei, and the Chachamim, Tahor.

(b)The first case is where a Metzora is standing and a Tahor person is passing, and it is a Safek - whether he touched the Tahor person or whether a tree was Ma'ahil over both of them simultaneously (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(c)The second case is - where the Tahor person is standing and the Metzora is passing.

(d)Alternatively, the case concerns a weasel that passes, holding a Sheretz (or a dog holding a piece of Neveilah) in its mouth, in which case the Safek is - whether the Sheretz touched the Tahor person or not (but not concerning Tum'as Ohel).

3)

(a)The third case is that of Tum'ah in the R'shus ha'Yachid and Taharah, in the R'shus ha'Rabim. The ...

1. ... case is - where the Tumah is passing a store in the street, and the ...

2. ... Safek is - whether the Tum'ah entered the store whilst passing.

(b)The fourth case is - where the Taharah is the one that is passing and the Tum'ah is in the store (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(c)The Mishnah incorporates - Safek Naga ... , Safek He'ehil ... and Safek Hisit ... in the Safek.

4)

(a)R. Yehoshua declares all the above S'feikos, Tamei; The Chachamim - Tahor.

(b)The basis of their Machlokes is - whether a Safek that straddles both a R'shus ha'Yachid and a R'shus ha'Rabim it is considered a Safek Tum'ah bi'R'shus ha'Yachid (R. Yehoshua) or a Safek Tum'ah bi'R'shus ha'Rabim (the Chachamim).

(c)The Halachah is - like the Chachamim.

5)

(a)The Mishnah now ndiscusses someone who climbs to the top of a tree based in a R'shus ha'Rabim, not knowing whether he had contact with a piece of Tum'ah that was perched in it. The Tana declares him Tamei mi'Safek - because the top of a tree is considered a R'shus ha'Yachid (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(b)A similar case with the same ruling that he adds to the first one is - where he places his hand in a wall bordering the R'shus ha'Rabim, in which a piece of Tum'ah is lying and he does not know whether he touched it or not (see Tiferes Yisrael).

6)

(a)In a case where the person does not recall whether he entered a Tamei store that is situated in a R'shus ha'Rabim or not - the Tana declares him Tahor ...

(b)... because the entire shop is considered part of the R'shus ha'Rabim (in which case it is Safek Tum'ah bi'R'shus ha'Rabim (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(c)But if there are two stores, one Tamei and one Tahor, and he is not sure which store he entered - the Tana declares him Tamei (because then it is a Safek Tum'ah bi'Re'shus ha'Yachid [see also Tiferes Yisrael]).

7)

(a)The Mishnah rules that - all S'feikos and S'feikei S'feikos are Tamei in a R'shus ha'Yachid (see Tos. Yom-Tov), but Tahor in R'shus ha'Rabim (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(b)The Tana gives an example of Safek as someone who enters a Mavoy, which contains a Chatzer (see Tiferes Yisrael) in which there is Tum'ah, or a house in which there is Tum'ah, and he is not sure whether he entered it or not. The first two S'fek S'feikos are - Maybe the Tum'ah was not there and even if it was, maybe it did not have the required Shi'ur to render him Tamei.

(c)The last two stages listed by the Tana are that - even if it did have the required Shi'ur, maybe the piece was not Tamei at all, and even if it was, perhaps he did not touch it.

(d)In both cases - the person is Tamei.

8)

(a)According to R. Elazar disagrees - Safek Maga, Tamei; Safek Bi'ah (whether he entered or not) Tahor.

(b)His source is - Sotah, which in turn, is the source for the Tum'ah of Safek Tum'ah in the R'shus ha'Yachid where both the man and the woman had to be in the same room for the Din Sotah to take effect).

9)

(a)Now the Mishnah discusses someone who enters a Bik'ah - a collection of fields each owned by a different person (delineating them into different areas) during the winter months, and who does not know whether he entered a specific field in which something Tamei is lying.

(b)The significance of the winter months is the fact that - since the fields have been sown at that time, people do not walk there (The Din of Bik'ah will be discussed in more detail in Mishnah 7).

(c)R. Elazar rules - Tamei; the Chachamim - Tahor.

10)

(a)The Mishnah declares Tamei, Safek Tum'ah in the R'shus ha'Yachid unless the person says Lo Na'ga'ti. In fact - any good circumstantial reason that suggests that he did not touch it will suffice (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(b)The equivalent ruling that the Tana issues with regard to Safek Tum'ah in the R'shus ha'Rabim is that - he remains Tahor unless he says Naga'ti (presumably, the same qualification that we wrote regarding a R'shus ha'Yachid will apply here too).

(c)The Tana cites an example of a R'shus ha'Rabim as Shevilei Beis Gilgul - steep paths leading up a mountainside that borders the town (see also Tos. Yom-Tov).

11)

(a)The Tana gives Shevilei Beis Gilgul the status of R'shus ha'Yachid as regards Shabbos, but of R'shus ha'Rabim as regards Tum'ah - because a R'shus ha'Rabim vis-a-vis Shabbos is a domain which is literally used by the public, whereas vis-a-vis Tum'ah it will suffice if three people go there often (see Tiferes Yisrael).

(b)According to R. Elazar - Shevilei Beis Gilgul are considered a R'shus ha'Yachid with regard to Safek Tum'ah as well.

12)

(a)R'shus ha'Yachid throughout this Mishnah means - a Karmelis ...

(b)... and the Tana refers to it as R'shus ha'Yachid inasmuch as it is not a R'shus ha'Rabim.

(c)The example the Mishnah gives of a path that is a R'shus ha'Yachid vis-a-vis Shabbos, but a R'shus ha'Rabim vis-a-vis Safek Tum'ah, even according to R. Elazar is - a path that leads to a pit, a trench, a cave or a wine-press (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(d)The Tana must be speaking where three people are not present at the time that the Safek Tum'ah occurred - because if there were, then it would have the Din of a R'shus ha'Rabim even in a room within a room.

13)

(a)The Mishnah rules that in summer-time (see Tos. Yom-Tov) a Bik'ah is a R'shus ha'Yachid regarding Shabbos. Its status ...

1. ... regarding Tum'ah is - that of a R'shus ha'Rabim.

2. ... during the winter months (see Tos. Yom-Tov [even regarding Shabbos]) is - that of a R'shus ha'Yachid ...

(b)... because it has been sown, and people generally avoid walking there; whereas in the summer, the workers need to go there in order to reap and thresh the harvest and to plow the field for next year's crops.

14)

(a)According to the Tana Kama, a Basilki - a large public conference room, is considered a R'shus ha'Yachid regarding Shabbos (Tiferes Yisrael).

(b)Its status regarding Tum'ah is - that of a R'shus ha'Rabim with regard to Tum'ah.

(c)R. Yehudah qualifies the Tana Kama's ruling, agreeing with him - provided it is so long that someone who stands in one entrance cannot see the people going in and out of the other entrance.

(d)The Halachah is - like the Tana Kama.

15)

(a)The Mishnah now discusses a Paran - a large-size Basilki whose entrances all face each other (see Tiferes Yisrael).

(b)The Tana Kama attributes to ...

1. ... a Paran and to ...

2. ... the sides of the Paran (which are not used for conferences, but are nevertheless used by the public [see also Tos Yom-Tov]) - the status of a R'shus ha'Yachid regarding Shabbos and that of a R'shus ha'Rabim regarding Tum'ah.

(c)R. Meir considers the sides of the Paran - a R'shus ha'Yachid regarding Shabbos too.

16)

(a)Finally, the Mishnah discusses an Istevanis - a small area in the R'shus ha'Rabim outside a store, measuring roughly one Amah square and four or five Tefachim tall (on which the storekeeper sits.

(b)The Tana attributes to ...

1. ... an Istevanis and to ...

2. ... a Chatzer which many people enter at one end and leave at the other - the status of a R'shus ha'Yachid regarding Shabbos (see Tos. Yom-Tov) and a R'shus ha'Rabim regarding Tum'ah.