Commentary for Kelim 17:17

תַּחְתִּית הַצּוֹרְפִים, טְמֵאָה. וְשֶׁל נַפָּחִין, טְהוֹרָה. מַשְׁחֶזֶת שֶׁיֶּשׁ בָּהּ בֵּית קִבּוּל שֶׁמֶן, טְמֵאָה. וְשֶׁאֵין בָּהּ, טְהוֹרָה. פִּנְקָס שֶׁיֶּשׁ בָּהּ בֵּית קִבּוּל שַׁעֲוָה, טְמֵאָה. וְשֶׁאֵין בָּהּ, טְהוֹרָה. מַחֲצֶלֶת הַקַּשׁ וּשְׁפוֹפֶרֶת הַקַּשׁ, רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא מְטַמֵּא, וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי מְטַהֵר. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, אַף שֶׁל פַּקּוּעוֹת כַּיּוֹצֵא בָהֶן. מַחֲצֶלֶת קָנִים וְשֶׁל חֵלֶף, טְהוֹרָה. שְׁפוֹפֶרֶת הַקָּנֶה שֶׁחֲתָכָהּ לְקַבָּלָה, טְהוֹרָה, עַד שֶׁיּוֹצִיא אֶת כָּל הַכָּכָי:

The base of the goldsmiths’ anvil is susceptible to impurity, but that of the blacksmiths is pure. A sharpening-board which has a receptacle for oil is susceptible to impurity, but one that has none is pure. A writing-tablet that has a receptacle for wax is susceptible to impurity, but one that has none is pure. A straw mat or a tube of straw: Rabbi Akiva declares it is susceptible to impurity, but Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri declares it pure. Rabbi Shimon says: the hollow stalk of colocynth is subject to the same law. A mat of reeds or rushes is pure. A reed-tube that he cut for receiving anything remains pure until he removes all the pith.

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