Commentary for Oholot 9:15

אָרוֹן שֶׁהִיא רְחָבָה מִלְּמַטָּן וְצָרָה מִלְמַעְלָן וְהַמֵּת בְּתוֹכָהּ, הַנּוֹגֵעַ בָּהּ מִלְּמַטָּן, טָהוֹר. וּמִלְמַעְלָן, טָמֵא. רְחָבָה מִלְמַעְלָן וְצָרָה מִלְּמַטָּן, הַנּוֹגֵעַ בָּהּ מִכָּל מָקוֹם, טָמֵא. הָיְתָה שָׁוָה, הַנּוֹגֵעַ בָּהּ מִכָּל מָקוֹם, טָמֵא, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, מִטֶּפַח וּלְמַטָּן, טָהוֹר. מִטֶּפַח וּלְמַעְלָן, טָמֵא. הָעֲשׂוּיָה כְמִין קַמְטְרָא, הַנּוֹגֵע בָּהּ מִכָּל מָקוֹם, טָמֵא. כְּמִין גְּלוֹסְקוֹס, הַנּוֹגֵעַ בָּהּ מִכָּל מָקוֹם, טָהוֹר, חוּץ מִמְּקוֹם פְּתִיחָתָהּ:

A coffin which was wide at the bottom and narrow at the top and a dead body is inside it, one who touches it from the bottom is pure, but from the top becomes impure. If it was wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, one who touches it in any place is impure. If it was even, one who touches it in any place is impure, says Rabbi Eliezer. But Rabbi Yehoshua says, from a handbreadth and down is pure and from a handbreadth and up is impure. If it was made like a type of chest, one who touches it in any place becomes impure. If it was made like a type of case, one who touches it in any place is pure, except for the place of its opening.

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