Pesachim 46a, b

The rabbis continue to discuss whether two foods less than a particular amount are considered to be joined, creating a prohibited amount of food on Pesach and/or at other times, including ritually impure prohibitions.  When Rav Pappa disagrees with the rabbi's argument at the end of daf 45*, the Gemara explains that it must have been that the dough touched the carcass of a dead animal**, which changes the entire narrative and its consequences.

A new mishna explains that 'deaf dough' is dough that may or may not be leavened.  It is compared in the notes to a person who is deaf and mute and thus does not communicate his/her status (or other information).  Steinsaltz shares other possible reasons for this term, some quite offensive to me:  like deaf people, deaf dough does not make the usual sounds (when tapped), deaf dough makes lower sounds than other dough (when tapped), deaf dough leavens more slowly than other dough, and deaf dough does not leaven in a typical way.  This dough is prohibited if combined with other dough that is prohibited.  I won't even begin to address the many ways that these comparisons are offensive.  Suffice it to say that we will come across numerous evaluations of people that are hurtful, untrue, and offensive.

The Gemara begins to understand this new mishna first with an understanding of the time taken to leaven.  What is normal?  Perhaps the time taken to walk from Migdal Nunaya to Tiberias (one mil or 2000 cubits - somewhere between 18 and 24 minutes).  The common understanding is 22 minutes.

The rabbis then discuss how far people must walk in order to immerse their bodies or their hands to resume a state of ritual purity.  They look at people who knead dough, people who recite prayers following an action, and people who must wash hands.

The next mishna brings us into daf (b).  It questions the practice of taking challah during or immediately before Pesach.  This refers to challah that becomes ritually impure after enough dough had been kneaded to require the separation of challah.   This seems to be the job of women, as we are told that women should not designate the portion as challah until after the challah has baked to avoid any unwanted leavening.  Ben Beitera suggests that she should separate challah earlier and place it in cold water, while Rabbi Yehoshua claims that leavening makes no difference in this case.

The Gemara introduces the concept of "tovat hana'ah", "the benefit of discretion".  This refers to the practice of giving challah or other gifts to whichever priest one chooses.  Do these gifts have monetary value?  Who owns the challah or other gifts?  Looking at a similar case, the rabbis wonder about whether or not a person is flogged for baking on a Festival for later in the week.  And what about baking on a Festival for Shabbat?  Because the cooked foods are considered to be joined, this is a different matter entirely.  Another example details if and when we would be permitted to eat an animal that was slaughtered (while dying) late in the day of a Festival.

All of these examples demonstrate the rabbis attempts to connect seemingly disconnected scenarios and halachot.  How fascinating to try to first understand each example, and then to understand their connections, and then to understand the implications and the halachot that arise.  I know that I am missing pieces at each level of comprehension.  Still, I am enjoying trying to wade through this sea... clearly I am at the shore!  But I'm still in.


* On Pesach, an olive bulk of dough stuck in a kneading bowl intercedes between the bowl and the water used for ritual immersion, and thus the bowl is not used on Pesach.  However, if this happens during the rest of the year, the bowl is only prohibited if the owner is particular about this halacha.

** Steinsaltz explains that the carcass of a dead animal used to mean a a creature that crawls: a rodent, lizard, insect, or others.  The Sages determined that eight animals are included in this category: weasel, mouse, toad, hedgehog, chameleon, lizard, snail, and mole.