Gittin - Daf 61
- Activities done for gentiles for דרכי שלום
The Mishnah on Daf 59b taught: אין ממחין ביד עניי נכרים בלקט בשכחה ובפאה – We do not prevent a gentile from taking leket, shich’chah, and pe’ah, מפני דרכי שלום – to promote harmony. A Baraisa on this Daf teaches similar laws: מפרנסים עניי נכרים עם עניי ישראל – We financially support the gentile poor along with the Jewish poor, ומבקרין חולי נכרים עם חולי ישראל – and we visit the gentile sick along with the Jewish sick, וקוברין מתי נכרים עם מתי ישראל – and we bury the gentile dead along with the Jewish dead, מפני דרכי שלום – all to promote harmony.
- Lending utensils or assisting someone who is suspected regarding shemittah or maaser observance
The next Mishnah states: משאלת אשה לחבירתה החשודה על השביעית – A woman may lend to her friend, who is suspected about shemittah observance, נפה וכברה וריחים ותנור – a sifter, a sieve, a handmill, and an oven. אבל לא תבור ולא תטחן עמה – But she cannot sort or grind with her, because that would be directly assisting her in the preparation of possibly forbidden foods (shemittah produce held after the biur deadline). The Mishnah continues that a woman who is careful with maaser can lend utensils to an am haaretz’s wife (who is unreliable regarding maaser) and may even grind or sort with her. These leniencies were instituted מפני דרכי שלום – to promote harmony. Abaye explains why we are more lenient regarding assisting an am haaretz than one suspected about shemittah: רוב עמי הארץ מעשרין הן – most amei Haaretz take maaser from their produce and are suspected only on a Rabbinical level. Therefore, they were lenient regarding the prohibition to help a suspected violator. Someone suspected of violating shemittah, however, is suspected Biblically, and cannot be assisted. Rava answers that the second case does not discuss a maaser concern, but a concern of tumah of chullin, which is only Rabbinical.
- The concern that a suspected person exchanged one’s permitted food for forbidden food
The Gemara poses a contradiction regarding the potential concern that one’s goods were exchanged for forbidden ones. One Mishnah states about one who brings wheat to a miller who is unreliable for maaser and taharos, הרי אלו בחזקתן למעשר ולשביעית – it is presumed to remain in its permitted state regarding maaser and shemittah (i.e., we do not suspect he exchanged the wheat with his own, which may be tevel or shemittah produce), אבל לא לטומאה – but it does not remain in its original state regarding tumah, because he may have been metamei it. Yet, another Mishnah states: הנותן לחמותו – One who gives dough to his mother-in-law (who is not trustworthy with maaser), מעשר את שהוא נותן לה – he must tithe what he gives her, ואת שהוא נוטל הימנה – and that which he receives from her, מפני שחשודה מחלפת המתקלקל – because she is suspected to exchange spoiled food for her own fresh food which was not tithed (he must tithe both, to ensure that what he eats is chullin, and that what she may have taken from him is chullin). Clearly, we are concerned with exchanging!? The Gemara answers that the Mishnah explains that this case is unique: רוצה היא בתקנת בתה ובושה מחתנה – because she desires her daughter’s wellbeing and is ashamed from her son-in-law to serve him spoiled food. Ordinarily, however, we are not concerned for exchanging.
