Commentary for Eduyot 2:1

רבי חנינא סגן הכהנים העיד. מלשרוף את הבשר שנטמא בולד הטומאה – the offspring of the offspring is stated. The meat which is third [level of impurity] which was defiled with something of the offspring of an offspring,, that is to say, it came in contact with something of second-level impurity, and it became third-level of impurity, they did not prevent from burning with meat that that was defiled with something of a direct cause of Levitical uncleanness, which is the first level of impurity. And when this meat that was at first third-level of impurity comes in contact with that which was defiled with a direct cause of impurity, it returns to be second-degree of impurity, for it came in contact with first-level of impurity and became second, and it is found they added one level of ritual impurity upon its impurity, for initially it was third-level and now is second, and even though that they didn’t prevent from burning with something more severe than it, for since even that which is the lesser for burning stands, they did not suspect if they would make it more impure than it already was. And even though, according to the Torah, no food can make another food impure, as it states regarding something the defiling of food (Deuteronomy 14:8, 14): “It is impure [for you.” It is ritually impure but it does defile food or something similar. Nevertheless, the Rabbis decreed that foods can make other foods impure.

Introduction The first three mishnayoth contain four things upon which Rabbi Hanina, the chief of the priests testified. The first mishnah discusses burning impure things.

השמן – of Priest’s due/Terumah that was defiled by someone who had bathed [in a Mikveh] but must wait for sunset to be perfectly clean, which is third-level of impurity, for a person who had bathed [in a Mikveh] but is waiting for sunset to be perfectly clean defiles Terumah from the Torah and makes it third-level of impurity.

Rabbi Hanina, chief of the priests, testified concerning four matters:
Through all their days the priests never refrained from burning meat which had been defiled by an “offspring” of impurity with meat which had been made impure by a “father” of impurity, although they were [thereby] increasing its impurity by a [higher] impurity. Rabbi Akiba added: “Through all their days the priests never shrank from lighting oil which had been rendered unfit by a tevul yom in a lamp made impure by one who was made impure by a corpse, although they were [thereby] increasing its impurity by a [higher] impurity.” In order to understand the first “testimony” of Rabbi Hanina we must explain some rules concerning impurity. There are a number of things which are considered to be “fathers” of impurity, including a human corpse. If a “father” of impurity touches something it becomes an “offspring” of impurity. There are several levels of “offspring” of impurity. The “first offspring”, when it touches food or liquids (but not people and things) causes them to be a “second offspring”. “Second offspring” makes only terumah food but not normal food into “third offspring”. “Third offspring” can make holy things such as sacrifices into “fourth offspring”. Rabbi Hanina testifies that the priests did not refrain from burning meat which had been made impure by an “offspring” with meat that had been made impure by a “father” of impurity, even though the latter meat, which is a “first offspring” increases the impurity of the former meat, which according to the Talmud had been a “third offspring”, to the status of “second offspring”. The reason is that all of this meat was going to be burned anyway, since impure sacrifices are forbidden to eat. Although it is generally forbidden to intentionall make sacrifices impure, that refers to already pure sacrifices. It is not a problem to increase the impurity of already impure sacrifices. Rabbi Akiva adds another example. The priests did not refrain from burning oil which had contracted a light form of impurity with oil that had contracted a serious form of impurity, even though this will increase the impurity of the oil. The light form of impurity is contracted by coming into contact with a “tevul yom”, one who had already been immersed in a ritual bath and was merely waiting for the sunset to become fully pure. The serious form of impurity is that which is contracted from a corpse.

בנר שנטמא בטמא מת – this is a metallic candle and not of earthenware, for all utensils outside of earthenware utensils that came in contact with the defilement of the dead person become like it, it is principal level of impurity, it is a principle level of impurity, if it is a first level of impurity, it is a first level of impurity, as it is written (Numbers 19:16): “[And in the open, anyone who touches a person] who was killed [or died naturally, or human bone, or a grave, shall be impure seven days].” And they (i.e., the Rabbis) expound upon “who was killed” he is like someone who was slain, for the sword that had come in contact with the dead became like one of the original causes of Levitical uncleanness like the dead person himself. And when it had come in contact with something defiled by contact with the dead, which is a primary [cause of Levitical uncleanness], the sword also became a primary [cause of Levitical uncleanness], and all utensils are like a sword in the law, except for earthenware vessels. It is found that the metallic candle when it came in contact with something defiled by a dead person, it too became a primary [cause of Levitical] uncleanness. And now Rabbi Akiva adds on to the words of Rabbi Hanina the Assistant Priest, for Rabbi Hanina did not permit other than to restore something that had been third-level uncleanness to something second-level uncleanness. But Rabbi Akiva permitted restoring something that was third-level uncleanness to first level, for the oil that had been defiled by contact with a person who has ritually bathed but must wait for sunset to be perfectly clean, who is third-degree level of impurity, when they kindle it with a candle that had been defiled by contact with the dead, the candle itself becomes a primary form of Levitical uncleanness as we have stated and third-level [of impurity] returns to be first-level of impurity. And even though they did not prevent it, for since the title of impurity is upon it, we do not suspect him and it is permitted to add with his hands.