Mátot / márit ájin / vihitem nekiim

and the land has been subdued, at the instance of יהוה, and then you return—you shall be clear before יהוה and before Israel; and this land shall be your holding under יהוה.

The Sages said to them: What did you see that led you not to teach others this craft? They said: The members of our father’s house knew that this house, the Temple, is destined to be destroyed, and they were concerned lest an unworthy man learn our skill of baking and go and engage in idol worship with that skill. Therefore, they attempted to prevent this skill from spreading beyond their family. The Gemara comments: And for this matter they are mentioned favorably: Never was refined bread of fine flour found in the hands of their descendants, so that people would not say that they are sustained from that technique of preparing the shewbread. They ate only bread made of coarse flour mixed with bran, to fulfill that which is stated: “And you shall be clear before the Lord and before Israel” (Numbers 32:22). Not only must one’s behavior be beyond reproach, he should also make certain to be beyond suspicion.

What, did Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi not mean that Yoḥanan Ḥakuka’a should sell this leaven to gentiles, in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, who says that it is prohibited for a Jew to eat leaven during the fifth hour? Rav Yosef said: No, it could be that he meant to sell it to a Jew, in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Meir that one may eat leaven during the fifth hour. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi was simply advising him to sell the leaven quickly before the sixth hour begins, at which point it would be prohibited for Jews to eat it. Abaye said to him: If it is permitted for a Jew to eat leaven, let him take it for himself and pay the owner back later. Why trouble him to sell it to someone else?

The Gemara responds: Eating it himself is not an option due to the potential of suspicion. As it was taught in a baraita with regard to a similar situation: Collectors of charity who have no poor people to whom they can distribute the money, change the money with other people and do not change it themselves, i.e., with their own coins.

Likewise, collectors of food for the charity plate, who would collect food in large vessels for the poor to eat, who do not have poor people to whom to distribute the food, sell the food to others and do not sell it to themselves, as it is stated: “And you shall be clear before God and before Israel” (Numbers 32:22). It is not sufficient that a person is without sin in the eyes of God. He must also appear upright in the eyes of other people so that they will not suspect him of wrongdoing.

In three baskets each of [the capacity of] three seahs they make the appropriation [of shekels] from the chamber. And on them was inscribed: Aleph, Beth, Gimmel. Rabbi Ishmael says: Greek was inscribed on them, alpha, beta, gamla. The one who made the appropriation did not enter the chamber wearing either a bordered cloak or shoes or sandals or tefillin or an amulet, lest if he became poor people might say that he became poor because of a sin committed in the chamber, or if he became rich people might say that he became rich from the appropriation in the chamber. For it is one’s duty to be free of blame before others as before God, as it is said: “And you shall be guiltless before the Lord and before Israel” (Numbers 32:22), and it says: “And you will find favor and good understanding in the eyes of God and man” (Proverbs 3:4).

Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan: In the Torah, in Prophets, and in Hagiographs we find that a person had to be innocent in the eyes of people just as he has to be innocent in the eyes of the Omnipresent. In the Torah from where? As it is written, you have to be blameless before the Eternal and before Israel. In Prophets from where? As it is written, The Power, God, Eternal, the Power, God, Eternal, He knows, and Israel has to know. In Hagiographs from where? As it is written, find grace and understanding in the eyes of God and man. Gamaliel the twin asked Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun, which one is the clearest of all of these? He answered him, you have to be blameless before the Eternal and before Israel.

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Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: Wherever the Sages prohibited an action due to the appearance of prohibition, even in the innermost chambers, where no one will see it, it is prohibited. When prohibiting an action, the Sages did not distinguish between different circumstances. They prohibited performing the action in all cases.

45. One may wear clothes that got drenched with water without fear that one might wring them. He should not spread them out to dry because of Mar’is ayin, lest people will say that they were laundered on Shabbos. This is prohibited even within inner-chambers where not visible to others. The Sages only forbade spreading them out on Shabbos, but if one spread out laundered clothes before Shabbos, one need not take them in on Shabbos.

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A ruling similar to the previous halakhais taught in a baraita: Naḥum of Galia says: If a drainage pipe is blocked by weeds [kashkashin] and grass, preventing water from running through the pipe, one may crush them with his foot in private on Shabbat without concern that he is performing the labor of preparing a vessel. The Gemara explains: What is the reason for this leniency? This is an example of repairing a vessel in an unusual manner, since it is uncommon to fix an item without using a tool or one’s hands. Performing labor in an unusual manner is ordinarily prohibited by rabbinic decree, but in a situation involving financial loss, the Sages did not issue a decree. Rabbi Yosef said: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Naḥum of Galia.

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The prohibition of the mixture applies only to that of meat and milk from a pure animal: if one of the two comes from an impure animal, cooking as well as enjoyment is permitted. Cooking and enjoyment are permitted if the meat comes from a wild animal or poultry, even if both the meat and milk come from pure animals. Such a mixture is even prohibited to eat only by rabbinic ordinance. Whereas the flesh of fish and locusts is not even prohibited by rabbinic ordinance.
GLOSS: It is customary to put poultry meat in almond milk, seeing that such a mixture, even if the milk were real, is only prohibited by rabbinic order; but when it comes to beef, a few almonds must be left in the milk to avoid suspicion, as stated earlier, § 66, regarding blood.

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