2) A "NACHTOM" AND A "PALTAR"
OPINIONS: The Mishnah states that a person may not knead or form bread with a Nachtom (baker) who is making his dough when he is Tamei. This Tana maintains that causing Tum'ah to Chulin in Eretz Yisrael is forbidden. Therefore, no one may help the baker make the bread because he thereby assists the efforts of a transgressor ("Mesayei'a Yedei Ovrei Aveirah"). However, one is permitted to help the baker bringing his bread to a Paltar (a wholesale bread dealer).

Why is a person allowed to help a Nachtom bring his bread to a Paltar? Why does this not constitute assisting the efforts of a transgressor?

(a) RASHI (DH l'Paltar) explains that the Nachtom is the one who forms the bread, and the Paltar is the one who bakes the bread. Rashi understands that the Tana maintains that only helping with the actual forming of the dough is forbidden, because one thereby helps the baker make the Chulin Tamei. However, once the bread is formed, one may help the baker bring the dough to where it will be baked.

The LECHEM SESARIM gives a logical support for Rashi's explanation. Had the Tana of Mishnah maintained that one may not help the Nachtom bake the bread, the Mishnah would have added the words, "v'Lo Ofin" -- "and not bake." The omission of these words implies that when the Mishnah says that one may take the bread to a Paltar, it means to take the bread to be baked.

(b) TOSFOS (DH Aval) disagrees with Rashi's explanation. He argues that if one is permitted to help bring the formed dough to the oven, then the Mishnah should say that one may bring the bread "to an oven (Tanur)," and not "to a Paltar." Tosfos quotes the Tosefta which states explicitly that one is not allowed to help the Nachtom by bringing formed dough to the oven for baking.

Tosfos explains that the baking is considered the "end of the kneading" of the bread, and therefore one is forbidden to help someone cause Tum'ah to Chulin in Eretz Yisrael by kneading dough and bringing the dough to the oven. He therefore explains that a Paltar is a "small Nachtom." The Mishnah is teaching that a person may bring bread which is already baked to the Paltar, who then sells the bread to his customers. Tosfos proves his definition of "Nachtom" and "Paltar" from the Gemara in Bava Metzia (56a), which says that "a Nachtom buys from one person, and a Paltar from two or three." Tosfos apparently understands the Gemara in Bava Metzia as the ROSH there explains. The Rosh explains that a Nachtom buys his grain or flour from one person, while a Paltar offers customers baked goods from different bakers which are not baked by the Paltar himself.

This is also the opinion of the RAN, although the Ran's objection to Rashi's explanation seems difficult to understand. The Ran writes that it is not logical to explain that the Mishnah refers to bringing dough to a Paltar, according to Rashi's explanation that a Paltar is a baker. If a Paltar is a baker, he makes his own dough and bakes his own bread! Perhaps Rashi maintains that although a Paltar bakes the bread on his premises, he does not necessarily make the dough himself.

However, Rashi in Bava Metzia (56a, DH Paltar) seems to contradict his definition of Paltar here. Rashi there says that a Paltar is one who buys many loaves and sells them to merchants and Nachtomim. In other words, a Paltar is a businessman, not a baker.

The answer to this question may be found in the ME'IRI to Bava Metzia, who explains the Gemara in a way similar to that of Rashi. The Me'iri says that a Paltar is either a wholesaler who sells large amounts of bread to different people (as Rashi says "to merchants and Nachtomim") or one who bakes in large quantities in many different forms in order to sell a large variety of goods to different people. A Nachtom, in contrast, bakes small amounts of bread and sells them, or he buys from another person and sells. This explanation seems to answer all of the questions on Rashi's explanation. However, one must say that Rashi learns that the Tosefta quoted by Tosfos, which says that one may not help bring dough to the oven, argues with the Mishnah here. (Y. Montrose)