Commentary for Makhshirin 5:4
הַמּוֹדֵד אֶת הַבּוֹר בֵּין לְעָמְקוֹ בֵּין לְרָחְבּוֹ, הֲרֵי זֶה בְכִי יֻתַּן, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, לְעָמְקוֹ, בְּכִי יֻתַּן. וּלְרָחְבּוֹ, אֵינוֹ בְכִי יֻתַּן:
[If] one is measuring either the depth or the width of a cistern [the water on his measuring tape which drips on food] achieves <i>BeKhi Yutan</i>, these are the words of Rabbi Tarfon. Rabbi Akiva says: [If he was measuring] its depth that achieves <i>BeKhi Yutan</i>, but [if he was measuring] its width that does not that does achieve <i>BeKhi Yutan</i>.
Bartenura on Mishnah Makhshirin
לעמקו בכי יותן ולרחבו אינו בכי יותן – when a person measures the depth of a cistern with a reed, the mark/trace of the water is recognized until what point they reach, and through this, one knows its depth, therefore, he desires the liquid that is on the marking/trace. But regarding its width, he does not want the liquid that is in the marking. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Akiba, and Rabbi Tarfon retracted [his opinion] to teach according to his (i.e., Rabbi Akiba’s) words.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Makhshirin
Introduction
Our mishnah discusses one who uses a stick to measure a cistern. Does the water that comes up with the stick cause produce to be susceptible to impurity?
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Makhshirin
One who measures a cistern whether for its depth of for its breadth, it comes under the law of ‘if water be put' the words of Rabbi Tarfon. Rabbi Tarfon says that since the stick will likely get wet, even if he is only measuring the breadth, in essence he wanted it to get wet. Without getting it wet, he would not have been able to measure the cistern. Therefore, no matter whether he is measuring the length or the depth, the water causes susceptibility.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Makhshirin
But Rabbi Akiva says: if [it was measured] for its depth, it comes under the law of ‘if water be put’; but if for its breadth, it does not come under the law of ‘if water be put’. Rabbi Akiva says that only if he is measuring for depth does the water cause susceptibility for in this case he needs to see the mark that the water makes on the stick, i.e. how high it goes. When measuring for breadth, even though it gets wet, he doesn't need to see the mark and therefore it doesn't cause susceptibility.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy