Kommentar zu Oholot 15:8
חֲצַר הַקֶּבֶר, הָעוֹמֵד בְּתוֹכָהּ טָהוֹר, עַד שֶׁיְהֵא בָהּ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת, כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית שַׁמַּאי. בֵּית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, אַרְבָּעָה טְפָחִים. קוֹרָה שֶׁעֲשָׂאָהּ גּוֹלֵל לְקֶבֶר, בֵּין עוֹמֶדֶת בֵּין מֻטָּה עַל צִדָּהּ, אֵין טָמֵא אֶלָּא כְנֶגֶד הַפֶּתַח. עָשָׂה רֹאשָׁהּ גּוֹלֵל לְקֶבֶר, אֵין טָמֵא אֶלָּא עַד אַרְבָּעָה טְפָחִים. וּבִזְמַן שֶׁהוּא עָתִיד לָגֹד, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, כֻּלָּהּ חִבּוּר:
Der Hof eines Friedhofs, der darin steht, ist rein, bis er vier Quadratmeter groß ist, sagt Beit Shammai. Aber Beit Hillel sagt, es müssen nur vier quadratische Handbreiten sein. Ein Balken, der zu einer Grabdecke gemacht wurde, egal ob er steht oder sich auf die Seite lehnt, nur was sich gegenüber der Öffnung befindet, ist unrein. Wenn er sein Ende in eine Grabdecke verwandelt hat, wird [einer, der es berührt] nur bis zu vier Handbreiten unrein, und wenn es dazu bestimmt ist, abgeschnitten zu werden. Aber Rabbi Yehuda sagt, dass alles miteinander verbunden ist [und daher verunreinigt].
Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
חצר הקבר – he courtyard that surrounds from its four directions four caves of graves.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Oholot
[With regard to] the courtyard of a tomb: A person standing in it remains clean as long as there is a space of four cubits square, according to the words of Bet Shammai. Bet Hillel says: four handbreadths. The courtyard described here is at the entrance to a tomb. According to Bet Shammai, the courtyard must be at least four cubits square to be considered its own space. If it is this size, a person standing there will not be defiled by the tomb because he is not considered to be in the "tomb". Bet Hillel provides a smaller measure. If the courtyard is at least four handbreadths square, it is its own space.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
טהור עד שיהא בה ארבע אמות – all the while that there are four cubits the person who stands in its midst is ritually pure. But less than four cubits, the person who stands in its midst is impure, but if there aren’t there other than three caves from three directions and the fourth direction of the courtyard is open to the airspace of the world, even if he isn’t is not distanced from the opening of the cave other than whatever the amount, he is pure, as long as he doesn’t touch the lintel of the opening of the cave. And these words [apply] when the courtyard of the grave is marked with a partition, but for a mere corpse [it takes only] four cubits for defilement.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Oholot
[With regard to] a roof beam which had been used as a covering stone for a tomb, whether it is standing upright or lying on its side, nothing becomes unclean except what [touches] opposite the opening of the grave. A roof beam was used to close up a burial grave. Typically, this was done with a stone. A person who touches the part of the beam that is opposite the stone is impure; but if he touches it elsewhere, he is pure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
גולל לקבר – a covering on the opening of the burial cave.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Oholot
If the end [of the beam] were made the covering stone of a grave, only [that part] up to four handbreadths [from the grave] becomes unclean. In this case he puts the end of the beam up against the cave, with the beam extending out from the grave. The first four handbreadths of the beam are considered to be covering the grave and are impure and defile one who touches them. After that, the beam is pure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
אלא כנגד הפתח (only the part directly opposite the opening) – of the burial crave. But a person who touches the end that is placed outside of the grave, is ritually pure.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Oholot
[This applies] when [the beam] is going to be cut. Rabbi Judah says: all the beam is connected. The above is true if he intends to cut off the beam and leave only the four handbreadths that cover the grave. If he intends to leave the entire beam there, it all defiles. Rabbi Judah rules more strictly. The whole beam is connected to the part that covers the grave and therefore, even if he intends to cut it off, it is still impure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
עשה ראשה גולל לקבר – and behold it stands over the burial cave like a tree. A person who comes in contact with it at four handbreadths near the burial cave is impure because of the stone placed on top of a burial cave/top stone, but from four [handbreadths] and above, he is pure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
בזמן שהוא עתיד לגוד – to cut it off. And even though he did not cut it yet. [The word] לגוד is like (Daniel 4:20): “[The holy Watcher whom the king saw descend from heaven and say,] Hew down the tree [and destroy it].”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
כולו חיבור – all he while that he did not cut it, and even though he will ultimately cut it down. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.
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