Kommentar zu Kelim 20:7
מַחֲצֶלֶת שֶׁעָשָׂה לָהּ קָנִים לְאָרְכָּהּ, טְהוֹרָה. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, עַד שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה כְמִין כִי. עֲשָׂאָם לְרָחְבָּהּ וְאֵין בֵּין קָנֶה לַחֲבֵרוֹ אַרְבָּעָה טְפָחִים, טָהוֹר. נֶחְלְקָה לְרָחְבָּהּ, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מְטַהֵר. וְכֵן הַמַּתִּיר רָאשֵׁי הַמַּעֲדַנִּין, טְהוֹרָה. נֶחְלְקָה לְאָרְכָּהּ וְנִשְׁתַּיְּרוּ בָהּ שְׁלֹשָׁה מַעֲדַנִּים שֶׁל שִׁשָּׁה טְפָחִים, טְמֵאָה. מַחֲצֶלֶת, מֵאֵימָתַי מְקַבֶּלֶת טֻמְאָה. מִשֶּׁתִּקָּנֵב, וְהִיא גְמַר מְלַאכְתָּהּ:
Eine Matte, in der Schilf der Länge nach läuft, ist nicht anfällig für Verunreinigungen. Die Weisen sagen nur, wenn sie in Form von [dem griechischen Buchstaben] Chi vorliegen. Wenn sie durch ihre Breite geführt wurden und sich nicht vier Tefachim [Handbreiten] zwischen jedem Schilf befanden , ist es nicht anfällig für Verunreinigungen. Wenn es entlang seiner Breite geteilt würde, ist Rabbi Yehuda [sagt], es ist nicht anfällig für Verunreinigungen. Auch wenn die Endknoten [der Schilfmatte] gelöst sind, ist sie nicht anfällig für Verunreinigungen. Wenn es entlang seiner Länge geteilt wurde und drei Knoten von sechs Tefachim darauf belassen wurden, ist es anfällig für Verunreinigungen. Eine Matte - wann wird sie anfällig für Verunreinigungen? Wenn es getrimmt wird, ist damit seine Produktion abgeschlossen.
Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
לארכה טהורה – the length of the reed corresponding to the length of the matting [of straw], is pure, but it is not appropriate for lying, for the reeds damage the person lying down, but they are not appropriate for anything other than interlacing.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kelim
Introduction
A mat for lying upon was normally made in the following way: reeds would be placed across its breadth every four handbreadths. Lengthwise they would weave straw and other such material. People would lie between the reeds, because it was not comfortable to lie on the hard reeds. Our mishnah deals with mats made in an unusual manner.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
כמין כי – the Greek [letter]. That is akin to the reverse of our [letter] "כ". Meaning to say, it is always impure util he pulss the reeds from three sides. And the Halakha is according to the Sages.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kelim
A mat whose reeds stretched lengthwise is insusceptible to uncleanness; But the sages rule: only if they lay in the shape of [the Greek letter] chi. According to the first opinion, since the reeds were laid lengthwise, the mat is not susceptible for impurity. A mat made in such a way must not have been meant for lying because it would be uncomfortable to lie on the reeds. But the other sages say that even though the reeds were placed lengthwise, one still could lie in between the reeds. It is insusceptible to impurity only if he places the reeds in the shape of the letter x (chi in Greek). Such a mat is certainly not good for lying because the reeds would be unavoidable.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
עשאם לרחבה – the length of the reed to the width of the matting.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kelim
If they were laid along its width and there was a distance of less than four handbreadths between the two reeds, it is insusceptible to uncleanness. If he didn't leave four handbreadths between the reeds, then it is not good for lying and it is not susceptible to impurity.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
ד' טפחים – when there is between each reed four handbreadths, it is appropriate to lie upon between the two reeds.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kelim
If it was divided along its width, Rabbi Judah rules that is clean. If it was divided along its width, it is pure. Eventually the whole mat will fall apart because the straw will come undone.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
נחלקה לרחבה – and its reeds were broken in-half.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kelim
So also, where the end-knots are untied, it is clean. The same is true if he unties the end knots. Since the mat will eventually fall apart, it is pure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
רבי יהודה מטהר – for it is not appropriate for lying. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kelim
If it was divided along its length but three end-knots remained intact across a stretch of six handbreadths, it is susceptible to uncleanness. Ties are usually made every two handbreadths along the mat's width. If the mat is divided along its length, but three end-knots remain on its width, covering a stretch of six handbreadths, that section of the mat is still usable and is still susceptible to impurity. Note that this is the minimum size in which a mat is susceptible to impurity (we will return to this subject in 27:3 I bet you can't wait).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
המתיר ראשי מעדנים (he who loosens the tops of reed matting) – it is custom of those who make matting that when they complete the mat, there remains a kind of border/hem. And they raise it in all two handbreadths a twisted thread and tie it so that the web will not be destroyed. For if it remains, it stands to be destroyed and would be annulled from the notion of being a vessel, and is pure.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kelim
When does a mat become susceptible to uncleanness? When its rough ends are trimmed, this being the completion of its manufacture. Since we're dealing with the purity of mats, the mishnah now answers the question as to when the manufacturing of a mat is complete such that it is susceptible to impurity. The answer is that it is susceptible once its rough ends have been trimmed. These are the ends of the tied knots.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
Reed matting, ties, like (I Samuel 15:32): “Agag approached him (i.e., Samuel) with faltering steps,” meaning to say, it is tied in the manner that forbidden things are tied, and similarly (Job 38:31): “Cast you tie cords to Pleiades.”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
שהם של ששה טפחים – two handbreadths between each reed matting, and a handbreadth from here and a handbreadth from there.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
משתקנב (when it will have been trimmed) – that he will sever/cut and lop off the heads of the protruding membrane, and this is cutting/trimming.
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