Demai 2:3 - 2:4

להיות חבר – in the matter of ritual purity, which is being separate and that his clothing and his drinks will be ritually pure. And even a Sage/תלמיד חכם (i.e., a “Fellow”) is not trustworthy with regard to ritual purity until he accepts upon himself the words of the members of the order for the observance of Levitical laws in daily intercourse, unless he is an Elder/זקן and sits in the academy/ישיבה, and a person who accepts upon himself the words of members of order for the observance of Levitical laws in daily intercourse needs to accustom himself for thirty days and afterwards his clothing and his drink will be ritually pure. And there is no acceptance of the words of the members of the order for the observance of Levitical laws in daily intercourse with less than three members, unless the member is a Sage/ תלמיד חכם that does not need to be before three members. And not only this but also that others accept before him.

לח ויבש – and they don’t transmit ritual purity to a person who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes/עם הארץ , for it is prohibited to cause ritual impurity to unconsecrated produce in the Land of Israel.

ואינו לוקח ממנו לח – but he does acquire something dry from him that was not susceptible to receive ritual impurity all the while that something liquid does not come upon it. But the person who does not observed certain religious customs regarding tithes (i.e., עם הארץ ) is believed to state that it was susceptible [to receive ritual impurity] but was not defiled.

ולא יתארח אצל עם הארץ – so that he will not become ritually impure and come and defile his purity.

ולא מארחו –[nor host] a person who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes.

אצלו בכסותו – that the clothing of a person who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes/עם הארץ, his ritual defilement is more severe than the ritual defilement of person who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes himself for we suspect that perhaps his wife sat on them while she was a menstruant woman and the clothing of a person who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes is Levitical uncleanness arising from someone with gonorrhea’s immediate contact by treading or leading against to the Pharisees. Alternatively, for this reason they said that he cannot host him (i.e., a person who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes) other than with his clothing for from the contact itself, he can be more careful from contact with his clothing.

אף לא יגדל בהמה דקה – that it is forbidden to raise [small] cattle in the Land of Israel that won’t graze in the fields of others.

ולא יהא פרוץ בנדרים – for he will ultimately will come to desecration.

ולא יהא פרוץ בשחוק – for laughter and light-headedness will accustom a person to licentiousness.

ומשמש – [and serve] the Sages in the House of Study.

לא באו אלו לכלל – that their matters do not touch upon purity. And the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.

הנחתומים – a baker who observes certain religious customs regarding tithes (i.e., he is a חבר) who purchased grain from aa person who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes (i.e., an עם הארץ ) which is doubtfully tithed produce, the Sages did not obligate him to separate [tithes].

אלא כדי תרומת מעשר – [the heave-offering of the tithe that the Levite gives to the Kohen] which is one out of one-hundred (i.e., 1/100) but not Second Tithe (In years 1,2,4 and 5 of the seven-year cycle which is eaten in Jerusalem), because the officers of the king and his taskmasters beat them in every hour and say to them: see them cheaply, the Sages did not force them to give the Second Tithe for its trouble is great for one needs to consume it I Jerusalem. And especially when one sells it to a person who observes certain religious customs regarding tithes, for the person who acquires it separates out the Second Tithe, but if he sells it to someone who does not observe certain religious customs regarding tithes, he is liable to separate out the Second Tithe before he sells it.

החנונים – [the storekeepers] who sell a little bit at a time in the store, are not permitted to sell that which is doubtfully tithed, for since they profit a great deal on them, it is upon them to make things legally fit for use by giving the priestly dues. Alternatively, because they regularly sell to young children so that the young children will not eat that which is not legally fit for use by giving the priestly dues.

כל המשפיעים (all wholesale dealers) – who sell with great abundance together.

במדה גסה – further on it explains what is a selling in bulk.

רשאין למכור את הדמאי – it is the manner of man sellers together to increase on the measure and for that reason, they were called wholesale dealers who make an overflowing measure and add to the measures, and because of this they did not place upon them to separate out [tithes] on the doubtfully tithed produce other than for someone who purchases from them.

סיטונות (wholesale provision merchants) – they are the large business men who purchase grain from those who own it and sell it to storekeepers in a large measure/bulk.