פסחים ג׳:ב׳ - ג׳:ג׳

בצק שבסידקי עריבה – and it is made to strengthen its breaks and cracks. If there is the equivalent of an olive’s bulk in one place, he liable to remove it; less than this, it is made void in its minority. But if it is not made to strengthen, even less than an olive’s bulk must be removed because it is not made void there and it is impossible that he will decide to take it from there.

וכן לענין הטומאה – If an unclean reptile came in contract with this dough on Passover, for its prohibition is considered, if it has the equivalent of an olive’s bulk separating from before the impurity, and there isn’t something like a trough and the impurity does not go down to the trough, and with less than an olive’s bulk, if he is not strict upon it, it is null in regard to the trough and it is as if the unclean reptile had come in contact with the trough itself, and it is impure.

אם מקפיד עליו חוצץ – this is how it should be read: And in the rest of the days of the year when it’s prohibition is not considered, the matter is not dependent upon the measurement if there is an olive’s bulk or not, but rather matter is dependent upon the stringency/fastidiousness. If he is fastidious about it and will eventually take it from there, it interposes in the face of the impurity, whether there is within it an olive’s bulk or not and the impurity does not descend into the trough. But if he is not fastidious about it and wishes for its existence, even if there are in it several olives it is considered as if it is in the trough. And when the unclean reptile comes in contract with the dough, it is as if it has come in contact with the actual trough.

בצק החרש – that we strike it with a hand and it does emit a sound and it is similar to a deaf-mute that when we call it, it does not respond. Another commentary: dough of the earthenware which is hard like earthenware and it is not known if it has fermented.

אם יש כיוצא בו שהחמיץ – if there is another started dough that was to be kneaded at the at the same time that this one is being kneaded and has already fermented, it is considered prohibited. And if there isn’t there something similar, its measure is as long as it takes an average man to walk a mile, and this measure is like the time of two-fifths of an hour.

חלה בטומטה – the starter-dough that became impure and furthermore, Hallah that is appropriate for the Kohen to eat is not taken from it, how then would we separate it (i.e., the Hallah) on the holiday of Passover? WE are not able to bake it on Passover after it is not worthy of being eaten, and to keep it around and then burn it in the evening is impossible, lest it ferment. And to feed it to dogs is impossible for we do not get rid of holy things on Holy Days.

רבי אליעזר אומר לא יקרא לה שם חלה עד שתאפה – and still each and every is appropriate [for separating out Hallah] and from each and every one we separate a small amount, and after baking it, if he wanted, he can separate a complete Hallah on the entire thing. For Rabbi Eliezer holds that he who detaches bread from where it sticks to the oven and puts it in a basket, the basket combines [the pieces] for Hallah.

לא זהו חמץ שמוזהרים עליו – for it is not his after he has designated it (literally ‘called it by name’) and it is written in Scripture (Exodus 13:7): “no leaven shall be found [in your territory].” Yours you cannot see but you can see that of others and of “On High” (i.e., God). And this is not yours nor of your friends, for yet it has not reached the hand of the Kohen. But Rabbi Eliezer holds that since if he desires, he may bring up a case for decision [from a Sage] that is dedicated [to the Temple] in error and that is not something dedicated and it is appropriate for eating. It is found that it is his and it is the leaven of an Israelite. But Rabbi Yehoshua holds that we don’t say, ‘Since.” But the Halakha is according to Rabbi Eliezer.