Bechoros Daf 30 בכורות דַף 30

The next Mishnah states: החשוד על השביעית אינו חשוד על המעשרות – one who is suspect regarding shemittah is not suspected regarding maaser, because he might view maaser as more stringent, since it must be eaten inside Yerushalayim. One who is חשוד for maaser is not חשוד for shemittah, since shemittah produce cannot be redeemed, and might be viewed as more stringent. One who is חשוד for either shemittah or maaser, which are both מדאורייתא, is certainly חשוד for טהרות, i.e., the laws of חברות for chullin, which are מדרבנן. One who is חשוד for טהרות is not חשוד for shemittah or maaser, since they are מדאורייתא. Rebbe Yochanan said that this Mishnah is Rebbe Akiva’s view, but Rebbe Yehudah holds someone חשוד for shemittah is also חשוד for maaser, because people in Rebbe Yehudah’s location treated shemittah very stringently. In another version, Rebbe Yochanan quoted Rebbe Meir that someone חשוד for maaser is also חשוד on shemittah, because Rebbe Meir holds חשוד לדבר אחד הוי חשוד לכל התורה כולה – one who is suspect regarding one subject is suspect regarding the entire Torah (even for something more stringent).

A Baraisa states: הבא לקבל דברי חבירות חוץ מדבר אחד – if one comes to accept the laws of chaverus except for one matter, אין מקבלין אותו – we do not accept him as a חבר (to be trusted regarding טהרות). [Earlier, Rashi listed these laws: not to give terumah or maaser to an עם הארץ, not to work with tahor produce with an עם הארץ, to eat his chullin in a state of טהרה, and to separate tithes from produce which he eats, sells, or buys (from an עם הארץ).] The Baraisa continues: עובד כוכבים שבא לקבל דברי תורה חוץ מדבר אחד – if an idolator comes to accept the laws of the Torah except for one matter, we do not accept him as a גר. Rebbe Yose bar Rebbe Yehudah adds: אפי' דקדוק אחד מדברי סופרים – even if he only refuses to accept one stringency of the Rabbis. Similarly, a Levi who comes to accept the laws of Leviim (to sing and serve in the Beis Hamikdash, and to close its gates), or a Kohen who comes to accept the laws of Kohanim, except for one, we do not accept him.

Several Baraisos teach the halachos of accepting חברות (to be trusted regarding טהרות), including:

• The Tanna Kamma says that if one was seen practicing the laws of chaverus בצינעה בתוך ביתו – in the privacy of his house (demonstrating his sincerity), we accept him and then teach him the laws of tumah. If not, we first teach him the laws and accept him afterwards. Rebbe Shimon ben Yochai says that in either case, we accept him first and he learns the halachos as he goes along.
• Beis Shammai says one must practice the laws of חברות for thirty days to be considered trustworthy regarding משקין – beverages (whose tumah is only מדרבנן), but twelve months for clothing (whose tumah is מדאורייתא). Beis Hillel holds thirty days is sufficient for both.
• צריך לקבל בפני שלשה חבירים – One must accept חברות in the presence of three chaverim. The Tanna Kamma says his sons and household members do not need to accept חברות before three chaverim, but Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says they do, לפי שאינו דומה חבר שקיבל לבן חבר שקיבל – because a chaver who accepted חברות himself is not similar to the son of a chaver who accepted חברות. Tannaim debate whether a תלמיד חכם must accept חברות before three חברים.