A bone the size of a grain of barley that is divided into two: Rabbi Akiva declares it [makes others] impure, but Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri declares it [does not change them from being] pure. Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri says: they did not say "bones" the size of a grain of barley, but "bone" the size of a grain of barley. A <i>Rova</i> of bones that were crushed into small pieces, and there is not a single one of them that is the size of a grain of barley: Rabbi Shimon declares it [does not change others from being] pure, but the Sages declare them impure. A limb [severed] from a living person that was divided into two [does not change others from being] pure. Rabbi Yose declares it [makes them] impure; but he agrees that if it was taken by halves that it [does not change others from being] pure.
Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
שנדקדקו (that were crushed/powdered) – that were ground. It is the language of (Exodus 30:36): “Beat some of it into powder, [and put some before the Pact in the Tent of Meeting].”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Oholot
A bone the size of a barley-corn that is divided into two: Rabbi Akiva declares it unclean But Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri declares it clean. Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri says: they did not say 'bones’ the size of a barley-corn, but ‘bone’ the size of a barley-corn. For a bone to convey impurity in an ohel it must be the size of a barley-corn. Rabbi Akiva says that even two bones can combine together to add up to this size. This is consistent with his opinion in yesterday's mishnah. Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri disagrees. From the statement in mishnah three that "a bone the size of a barley-corn" conveys impurity he derives that there must be a single bone that size. The rabbis said "a bone" and not "bones." Therefore, one bone must be the size of a barley-corn.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
ר' שמעון מטהא – from all defilement. And they do not defile neither through contact nor through carrying nor through overshadowing in a tent.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Oholot
A quarter [of a kav] of bones crushed fine, and there is not a single [bone] the size of a barley-corn: Rabbi Shimon declares it clean But the sages unclean. In this case bones have been crushed up and there is no single bone the size of a barley-corn. Rabbi Shimon says that they are clean. Even though there is a quarter of a kav, \the minimum measure in which multiple bones convey impurity, since they are crushed up they no longer defile. The other sages disagree and hold that they do convey impurity since there is a quarter kav.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
וחכמים מטמאין – with all of them [they defile], as there is a quarter [of a LOG].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Oholot
A limb [severed] from a living person which has been divided into two is clean. Rabbi Yose declares [it] unclean; But he agrees that if it is taken from a living person by halves it is clean. A whole limb severed from a living person is unclean. Rabbi Yose says that if it is divided in two, it still defiles. The other sages disagree and are consistent with their opinion concerning the bone in section one. Rabbi Yose agrees that if the limb is removed from the person in halves, then it is clean because it was never a "full limb from a living person."
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
אבר מן החי שנחלק לשנים טהור – and even if he went back and reconnected them, but the connections of a man are not a connection/attachment.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
שניטל חצאים (if it was taken away by halves) – that it was taken from the living person by halves, but not taken from him a complete limb as one, for there was never a measurement for it. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yossi.
