Study Gittin folio 61B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
טוחנין ומפקידין אצל אוכלי שביעית, ואצל אוכלי פירותיהן בטומאה; אבל לא לאוכלי שביעית, ולא לאוכלי פירותיהן בטומאה!
One may grind one’s tithed produce and deposit it with those who eat Sabbatical-Year produce and those who eat their own produce in a state of impurity, because there is no concern that they will exchange this produce with Sabbatical-Year produce or with impure produce, or that they will touch the produce. But one may not grind for those who eat Sabbatical-Year produce or for those who eat their own produce in a state of impurity, so as not to assist them in committing a transgression. This is difficult according to Rava’s explanation of the Mishnah, that the wife of a ḥaver may grind non-sacred produce with the wife of an am ha’aretz, who eats his own produce in a state of ritual impurity.
אמר אביי: התם, בכהן החשוד לאכול תרומה בטומאה עסקינן – דהוה ליה טומאה דאורייתא.
Abaye said: There, in that baraita, we are dealing with a priest who is suspected with regard to partaking of teruma in a state of ritual impurity, which involves a prohibition of impurity by Torah law.
אי הכי, מפקידין?! ורמינהו: מפקידין תרומה אצל ישראל עם הארץ, ולא אצל כהן עם הארץ, מפני שלבו גס בה!
The Talmud asks: If so, if the baraita is referring to a priest, how then may one deposit tithed produce with him? The Talmud raises a contradiction from that which was taught in a baraita (Tosefta, Demai 4:28): One may deposit teruma with an Israelite who is an am ha’aretz. Although he is not meticulous about the halakhot of purity, there is no concern that he will defile the teruma. But one may not deposit teruma with a priest who is an am ha’aretz because he is accustomed to having teruma, and therefore he might not treat it properly and will touch and defile it.