Vessels which were finished in cleanliness require immersion for kodesh, but not for terumah. [If a chaver (a Torah scholar) finishes them, and he took special care with them when they came close to being finished when they are susceptible of acquiring uncleanliness — in spite of this they require immersion for kodesh; for we fear that spittle from the mouth of an am ha'aretz may have fallen upon them when the chaver was holding them. And even though at that time the vessel had not yet been finished and did not acquire uncleanliness, perhaps after it was finished and was susceptible of acquiring uncleanliness, the spittle was still wet and imparted uncleanliness. For we learned in Niddah: (The issue of a) niddah, zov (the issue of a zav), and spittle impart uncleanliness when wet.] The vessel combines all that is in it in respect to kodesh, but not in respect to terumah. [If there were many pieces of food in one vessel and a t'vul yom (one who had immersed in the daytime), who invalidates terumah, touched one of them, the vessel combines all of them to be considered as one piece and all of them are unfit, viz. (Numbers 7:14): "One spoon of ten shekels of gold" — Scripture rendered all that is in the spoon one. ("but not for terumah":) Only the piece that he touched is unfit, but the others are clean.] Fourth-degree uncleanliness is unfit [but does not render (another object) unfit] in kodesh, but (only) third-degree uncleanliness in terumah. And with terumah, if one of his hands became unclean [with rabbinical uncleanliness, such as unclean foods and liquids and the like, which make only the hands unclean but not the body], the other hand is clean. But with kodesh, he must immerse both [This, when wetness remained on the hand that became unclean at the time it became unclean, but if not, the other hand does not become unclean until touched by it.], for one hand renders the other unclean with kodesh, but not with terumah.
Bartenura on Mishnah Chagigah
כלים הנגמרים בטהרה – that were completed by a Haver/a member of the order for the observance of Levitical laws in daily intercourse and he was careful with them when they came close to being completed, for they would susceptible to receive ritual defilement; and despite this, they require ritual immersion for Holy Things, for we suspect lest spittle flew off the mouth of an ignoramus on the utensil at the time that the Haver was holding it. But even if at that time,, the utensil was not completely finished, and would not receive defilement lest it was after it had been completed, and it was worthy of receiving defilement, still the spittle was moist and it defiles as is taught in the Mishnah of Tractate Niddah (Chapter 7, Mishnah 1) that flux and spittle defile when moist.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Chagigah
Introduction
This mishnah continues to provide aspects of purity/impurity in sacrifices are treated with greater stringency than terumah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Chagigah
הכלי מצרף מה שבתוכו – there many pieces of food in one utensil, and someone who had immersed but must wait for sunset to be perfectly clean/Tevul Yom came in contact with it, who defiles the Terumah with one of them, the utensil combines them so that all of them are considered like one piece and all if is defiled, as it is written (Numbers 7:14 and eleven other examples throughout the chapter): “One gold ladle of ten shekels [filled with incense].” The Biblical verse makes it like everything that is in the ladle.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Chagigah
Vessels that have been finished in purity require immersion [before they are used] for sacred things, but not [before they are used] for terumah. Once the production of a vessel has been completed the vessel can now receive impurity. Even if the artisan was careful not to defile the vessel it still requires immersion before it can be used with sacred things. In contrast, if the vessel is going to be used with terumah then it doesn’t need to be immersed unless it has been defiled.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Chagigah
אבל לא לתרומה – but only that piece which touched it is impure, while the rest are pure.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Chagigah
A vessel unites all its contents [for impurity] in the case of sacred things, but not in the case of terumah. If there are a bunch of separate food items in a vessel, say some fruit or separate pieces of meat, and one becomes impure, then all of them are impure, if they are sacred things. The vessel causes the impurity to travel from one piece to the other. However, if they are terumah, then the vessel does not convey the impurity from one to the other.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Chagigah
הרביעי בקודש פסול – but does not defile.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Chagigah
Sacred things become invalid [by impurity] of a fourth degree, but terumah [only by impurity] of a third degree. There are different levels of impurity, the higher the number the closer the item is to the source of impurity, which is called a “father of impurity.” A “father of impurity” that touches something give it first degree impurity, and a first degree conveys second degree impurity, and so on. Sacred things can become invalid through contact even with a third degree of impurity, meaning that these things cannot be put on the altar, because they have “fourth degree” of impurity. There is no such thing as fifth degree of impurity. Terumah becomes disqualified only by something with a second degree of impurity. If something of third degree impurity touches terumah it does not affect it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Chagigah
אם נטמאת אחת מידיו – through the Rabbinic defilements such as with impure food-stuffs and liquids and similar things that do not defile anything other than the hands, but not the body.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Chagigah
In the case of terumah, if one hand of his hands became impure, the other remains clean, but in the case of sacred things, he must immerse both [hands], because the one hand defiles the other for sacred things but not for terumah. If one of one’s hands becomes impure, he cannot use the other hand to touch a sacred thing, even if one hand didn’t touch the other. But when it comes to terumah, if one of one’s hands is impure he can use the other hand to touch terumah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Chagigah
ובקדש מטביל את שתיהן – it is dealing when it remains moist in the defiled hand at the time that it was defiled. But if it there was no moistness in the impure hand, the other hand does not become defiled until it touches it.
