Kommentar zu Mikvaot 1:1
שֵׁשׁ מַעֲלוֹת בַּמִּקְוָאוֹת, זוֹ לְמַעְלָה מִזּוֹ, וְזוֹ לְמַעְלָה מִזּוֹ. מֵי גְבָאִים, שָׁתָה טָמֵא וְשָׁתָה טָהוֹר, טָמֵא. שָׁתָה טָמֵא וּמִלֵּא בִכְלִי טָהוֹר, טָמֵא. שָׁתָה טָמֵא וְנָפַל כִּכָּר שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה, אִם הֵדִיחַ, טָמֵא. וְאִם לֹא הֵדִיחַ, טָהוֹר:
Es gibt sechs Ebenen von Mikvaot [Ansammlungen von Wasser, die auf natürliche Weise gesammelt und zur Reinigung eingetaucht wurden], wobei jede [nachfolgende] höher als die andere ist: [Die erste und niedrigste Ebene ist] Wasser, das in flachen Becken [im Boden] gesammelt wird. Wenn eine unreine Person [von einem] und eine reine Person [danach] getrunken hat, ist sie unrein. Wenn eine unreine Person trank und jemand ein reines Gefäß [danach aus diesen Gewässern] füllte, ist es [das Gefäß] unrein. Wenn eine unreine Person trank und dann ein Laib Terumah hineinfiel , wenn man [den Laib] spülte, ist es unrein; und wenn man es nicht gespült hat, ist es rein.
Bartenura on Mishnah Mikvaot
SIX LEVELS OF MIKVAHS: the places where water has entered have six levels, each greater than the prior
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English Explanation of Mishnah Mikvaot
Introduction
Mikvaot begins with a list of "six degrees" of the purity of mikvaot. [We should note that many tractates begin with numbers. For instance, Shabbat, Shevuot, Kiddushin, Ohalot, etc. It seems that the tannaim liked starting mishnayot in this way].
"Mikveh" here refers to any water gathered in the ground.
Our mishnah deals with laws concerning water gathered in pools that don't have forty seah in them. This shall be the topic of the first five mishnayot of the chapter.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Mikvaot
POOLED WATER: a hole in the earth into which non-flowing water enters and which contains less than forty seah, which is the requisite amount for a mikvah
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English Explanation of Mishnah Mikvaot
There are six degrees of mikvaot, each superior to the other. This is the introduction to the entire first chapter.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Mikvaot
POOLED: derived from "puddled water" (Isiah 30:14)
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English Explanation of Mishnah Mikvaot
The water of pools [smaller than 40 seah] if an unclean person drank of it and then a clean person drank of it, he becomes unclean; If an unclean person came and drank from a pool of water, and then a clean person came and drank from the same water, the clean person becomes unclean. This is because it is possible that the clean person drank from the exact water that the unclean person touched. Although water that is still "connected to the ground" by virtue of it being in a pool cannot become impure (see Leviticus 11:36) the mishnah considers the water that was removed from the pool and then put back in by the unclean person to be separate from the other water. This already-defiled water does not mix back in with the pool and become nullified. When the clean person removes some water, this water is now detached from the ground and since there will be some of the unclean water with it, all of the water is defiled. The water then defiles the clean person by contact.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Mikvaot
AN IMPURE PERSON DRANK AND A PURE PERSON DRANK, [he becomes] IMPURE: if an impure person drank from this water first, and afterward a pure person cam and drank from it, the pure person is rendered impure. Since a drop fell from the mouth of the impure person into the puddle, and lest the pure person drinks and becomes impure; for he who drinks impure water renders the Terumah invalid. [----]. And even though he doesn't invalidate the Terumah unless he drinks a revi'it, he does in any case become impure once the drop comes to his mouth and renders impure all the water in his mouth with it. And this droplet is not considered Hashokah (osculation) in that there is not forty se'ah, as taught in the end of our Mishna. But through the contact with the impure, the puddle does does not contract impurity until any of its contents are separated from it. And this is as in the Tosefta
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English Explanation of Mishnah Mikvaot
If an unclean person drank of it and then drew water from it in a clean vessel, [the vessel] becomes unclean; Similarly, a clean vessel is defiled by contact with this water. Again, the water inside does not become nullified.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Mikvaot
...FILLED WITH A PURE VESSEL: from the water of the puddle after an impure person has drunk from it. We are concerned that the droplet which contracted has impurified the vessel, as vessels can be rendered impure via contact with impure fluid.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Mikvaot
If an unclean person drank of it and then a loaf of terumah fell in: If he washed [his hands] in it, it becomes unclean; But if he did not wash [his hands] in it, it continues clean. In this case a loaf of bread falls in and then someone takes it out. If the person who took it out first washed his hands off in the water, then he hands are unclean and he will defile the loaf. If, however, he does not first wash his hands off, then the loaf remains clean. The reason is a bit complicated. The water in the pool cannot become impure until it has been removed from the pool. When he removes this water, the clean water is greater in quantity than the unclean water and therefore the unclean water is nullified. In this case, we don't say that the unclean water defiles the clean water, as we said in section two because we hold that the unclean water has been absorbed by the loaf. Since this water cannot be seen, it is considered to be nullified by the clean water. I realize that this is complicated. Just remember I didn't write it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Mikvaot
IF HE RINSES, the morsel: It is rendered impure. And if he does not [rinse] then it is pure; insofar as pooled water does not become caused to receive impurity until it has been separated, the halacha is that if he does not rinse then it is pure. And even if he elevates the morsel (of terumah) we do not consider the water than comes along with it to have received impurity from the droplet, because the droplet is nullified by the pure water. But if he does rinse it, we consider and designate the water in his hand as having received impurity from the droplet and the droplet is not nullified by that water rather, on the contrary, [that water] is considered impure and therefore renders the morsel impure
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