Commentary for Kelim 28:8
בִּגְדֵי עֲנִיִּים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם שָׁלֹשׁ עַל שָׁלֹשׁ, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ טְמֵאִין מִדְרָס. טַלִּית שֶׁהִתְחִיל בָּהּ לְקָרְעָהּ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּקְרַע רֻבָּהּ, אֵינוֹ חִבּוּר. הֶעָבִים וְהָרַכִּים, אֵין בָּהֶם מִשּׁוּם שָׁלֹשׁ עַל שָׁלֹשׁ:
Poor people's garments, even if they contain less than three by three [fingerbreadths], can thereby be rendered impure with <i>midras</i> impurity. Regarding a cloak which one began to tear, once the majority of it is torn, it [i.e. its two halves] is not considered a connection. Those [materials] which are coarse or fine are not subject to [the minimum measure of] three by three [fingerbreadths; they are instead subject to the larger minimum of three by three handbreadths].
Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
בגדי עניים – which are made from small individual pieces, and there isn’t in all of them one whole piece that has three [fingerbreadths] by three [fingerbreadths].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kelim
Poor men's clothes, though made up of pieces none of which is three [fingerbreadths] square are susceptible to midras uncleanness. Poor people's clothing is susceptible to midras uncleanness even if each piece is smaller than three fingerbreadths square. This is because poor people settle for whatever clothing they can find and therefore what they consider worthy of wearing might be thrown out by others.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
הרי אלו טמאים מדרס – for since there is in all of the cloth as a whole three handbreadths by three handbreadths or more, the entire cloth is impure with treading uncleanness.;
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kelim
If a cloak began to be torn, as soon as its greater part is torn [the pieces] are not regarded as connected. The two parts of the cloak are considered to be separate once the greater part of the cloak is torn. At this point, if one piece is impure, the other can remain pure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
כיון שנקרע רובה אינו חיבור – but if the one end is defiled, the other end is not defiled.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kelim
Exceptionally thick or thin materials are not governed by the prescribed minimum of three [fingerbreadths] square. If material is exceptionally thin or thick, it is not usable. Therefore, it is not subject to the usual rule that a piece of cloth three fingerbreadths square is susceptible to impurity.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
העבים והרכים – the most thick and huge clothing, such as the thick, full or felted stuff and the large ones. And the most soft and thin, such as that of silk and that which is hatchelled.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
אין בהן משום שלש על שלש – and they are not defiled through corpse defilement nor the rest of the defilements until there they will have three-handbreadths or more, because [less than] three [fingerbreadths] by three [fingerbreadths] is not worth anything.
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