Alle Meere sind wie eine Mikwe [eine Ansammlung von Wasser, in die man eintauchen kann, um bestimmte rituelle Unreinheiten zu entfernen], wie es heißt (Genesis 1:10): "Und die Ansammlungen [wörtlich: Mikwe] des Wassers, er Meere genannt, "das sind die Worte von Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda sagt: [Nur] das große Meer [dh das Mittelmeer] ist wie eine Mikwe . Es heißt nur "Meere" [im Plural] in Bezug auf etwas, das viele Arten von Meeren enthält [dh den Ozean, in den viele Gewässer fließen]. Rabbi Yose sagt: Alle Meere reinigen [als Mikwe] mit [sogar nur] einem allmählichen Wasserfluss, aber sie sind ungültig für einen Zav [eine Person, die rituell unrein ist, weil sie eine Art Samenemission hatte, und der im Rahmen des Reinigungsprozesses in natürlich fließende Gewässer eintauchen muss], eine Metzora [ eine Person, die aufgrund einer Hautkrankheit rituell unrein ist und die im Rahmen ihres Reinigungsprozesses einen Vogel über fließenden Gewässern opfern muss], und das Wasser eines Chatats zu heiligen [das Ritual der roten Färse, das auch aus fließendem Wasser kommen muss; Rabbi Yossi sagt, dass die Meere keine gültige Quelle für diese drei Rituale sind, die die Verwendung von natürlich fließendem Wasser erfordern.
Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
כל הימים כמקוה – for all of these words as it is taught at the conclusion [of this Mishnah]. (And also) they do not render clean when running like springs, for a Mikveh does not purify in running/moving waters, but rather in collected waters, as is written (Leviticus 11:36): “However, a spring/אך מעין [or cistern in which water is collected shall be pure,]” a spring purifies in moving/running waters but a Mikveh does not purify in moving/running waters.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
Introduction
Today's mishnah returns to the topic of the preparation of the red cow. It discusses whether the seas can be used as the "living water" required for this and other purification rituals.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
ופסולין לזבין – for a man with gonorrhea/flux requires living waters, as it is written (Leviticus 14:9): “and bath his body in water; [then he shall be pure].” (see also Leviticus 16:26 and 16:28), and for the leper [as it is written (Leviticus 14:5): “[The priest shall order one of the birds slaughtered over] fresh water in an earthen vessel/אל-כלי-חרש על-מים חיים” [and for the waters of the sin offering], as it is written (Numbers 19:1): “and fresh water shall be added to them in a vessel.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
All seas are equivalent to a ritual bath (, for it is said, "And the gathering ( of the waters He called the seas" (Genesis 1:10), the words of Rabbi Meir. According to Rabbi Meir the seas are considered to be like a mikveh and not like a flowing spring, which can be used for the red cow, for zavim (those with unusual genital discharge) and for metzoraim (those with scale disease), all of whom require "living waters." In contrast to the rules governing a spring, for a mikveh to purify the water must be gathered into one place and it cannot be running. The seas are treated like a mikveh and therefore its waters purify only when they are gathered in one place. Rabbi Meir learns this from a midrash on the word "gathering" which is in Hebrew, mikveh. Genesis calls the seas a mikveh and therefore they are subject to the same rules as a mikveh and not to the rules of a live spring.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
הים הגדול כמקוה – Scripture did not call a Mikveh other than the Great Ocean, for in it Scripture refers in the Creation Story for there all the waters of Creation were gathered, and it doesn’t state “seas”/ימים – in the plural, other than because many seas are mixed in together in it, for all the streams travel to it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
Rabbi Judah says: only the Great Sea is equivalent to a ritual bath, for it says "seas" only because there are in it many kinds of seas. In contrast, Rabbi Judah limits this to the ocean, which in his case is the Mediterranean. Other seas are treated like springs and purify even when they are running. He explains that Genesis states "seas" not because it refers to all seas as a mikveh. Rather the Mediterranean is "seas" because it contains many different seas. One interpretation of this is that a fish that is caught in Akko does not have the same taste as a fish that is caught in Sidon!
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
ר' יוסי אומר – all the seas and the Great Ocean have the status of a spring upon them regarding the fact that they purify in moving/running waters, because the streams go and flow upon them. But they are invalid regarding the status of living waters, for Scripture calls them Mikveh. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yossi.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
Rabbi Yose says: all seas afford cleanness when running, and yet they are unfit for zavim and metzoraim and for the preparation of the hatat waters. Rabbi Yose says that all seas can purify when they are running none have the same restrictions as do a mikveh. However, the seas are not considered to be "living waters" as would be a spring. Therefore, none of the seas can be used for any of the rituals that requires "living waters" the red cow, zavim and metzoraim.
