Audio by Michael Sokolow

Mishnah Taharos 7:4: The wife of a chaver [one who is meticulous about keeping all his foods pure] who left the wife of an am ha'aretz grinding in her house [i.e the house of the wife of the chaver], if the milling stopped, the house is impure. If the milling did not stop, things are only impure as far as to where she could extend her hand and touch. If there were two of them [i.e. two wives of amei ha'aretz], the house is impure regardless, because one woman could grind while the other goes around touching [other vessels in the house], according to Rabbi Meir. And the Sages say: [even when there are two of them] things are only impure as far as to where they could extend their hands and touch.

אֵשֶׁת חָבֵר שֶׁהִנִּיחָה לְאֵשֶׁת עַם הָאָרֶץ טוֹחֶנֶת בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתָהּ, פָּסְקָה הָרֵחַיִם, הַבַּיִת טָמֵא. לֹא פָסְקָה הָרֵחַיִם, אֵין טָמֵא אֶלָּא עַד מְקוֹם שֶׁהִיא יְכוֹלָה לִפְשֹׁט אֶת יָדָהּ וְלִגָּע. הָיוּ שְׁתַּיִם, בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ, הַבַּיִת טָמֵא, שֶׁאַחַת טוֹחֶנֶת וְאַחַת מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵין טָמֵא אֶלָּא עַד מְקוֹם שֶׁהֵן יְכוֹלִין לִפְשֹׁט אֶת יָדָן וְלִגָּע:

Mishnah Taharos 7:5: One who leaves an am ha'aretz in his house to guard it, as long as he [the homeowner] can see those who are entering and those who are exiting, the food and the drinks and the earthenware vessels that are unsealed are all impure, but the beds and couches and the earthenware vessels closed with a tight seal are all pure. And if he cannot see those entering nor those who are exiting, even if he [the am ha'aretz guard] was being lead [by someone] or was tied up, everything is impure.

הַמַּנִּיחַ עַם הָאָרֶץ בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ לְשָׁמְרוֹ, בִּזְמַן שֶׁהוּא רוֹאֶה אֶת הַנִּכְנָסִין וְאֶת הַיּוֹצְאִין, הָאֳכָלִים וְהַמַּשְׁקִים וּכְלֵי חֶרֶס הַפְּתוּחִים, טְמֵאִים. אֲבָל הַמִּשְׁכָּבוֹת וְהַמּוֹשָׁבוֹת וּכְלֵי חֶרֶס הַמֻּקָּפִין צָמִיד פָּתִיל, טְהוֹרִין. וְאִם אֵינוֹ רוֹאֶה לֹא אֶת הַנִּכְנָסִין וְלֹא אֶת הַיּוֹצְאִין, אֲפִלּוּ מוּבָל, אֲפִלּוּ כָפוּת, הַכֹּל טָמֵא:

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