Commentary for Oholot 9:4
הָיְתָה גְבוֹהָה מִן הָאָרֶץ טֶפַח, טֻמְאָה תַחְתֶּיהָ אוֹ בַבַּיִת, תַּחְתֶּיהָ וְהַבַּיִת טָמֵא, תּוֹכָהּ וְגַבָּהּ טָהוֹר. בְּתוֹכָהּ, אֵין טָמֵא אֶלָּא תוֹכָהּ. עַל גַּבָּהּ, כְּנֶגְדּוֹ עַד הָרָקִיעַ טָמֵא:
If it [the basket] was a hand-breadth above the ground and there was impurity beneath it or in the house, beneath it and the house is impure, but its inside and on top of it is pure. [If it was] inside it, only its inside is impure. [If it was] on top of it, opposite it up to the firmament is impure.
Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
תחתיה והבית טמא – for they bring the defilement from this (i.e., underneath the house) to that (i.e., the house).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Oholot
Introduction
Today's mishnah continues to discuss the hive that is either defective or stuck firmly into the doorway of the house. Similar to mishnah two, it adds in the scenario of the hive being slightly above ground level.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
תוכה טהור – that which is inside [the house], since the its walls are outside, and what is on top of it is also pure, for it protects on what is outside, for it is not a vessel.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Oholot
[In the case of such a hive] being [placed] one handbreadth high off the ground:
If there is uncleanness below it or in the house, [the space] below it and the house become unclean, but [the space] above and within remains clean. Since there is the space of a handbreadth beneath the hive, the hive acts as an ohel and conveys the impurity to the sides and it also enters the house. However, the inside of the hive and the space above it remain pure because the ohel acts as a barrier to impurity.
If there is uncleanness below it or in the house, [the space] below it and the house become unclean, but [the space] above and within remains clean. Since there is the space of a handbreadth beneath the hive, the hive acts as an ohel and conveys the impurity to the sides and it also enters the house. However, the inside of the hive and the space above it remain pure because the ohel acts as a barrier to impurity.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
בתוכה – if the defilement is within it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Oholot
[If the uncleanness is] in the hive, nothing is unclean except what is within; If the impurity is within the hive, only the inside is unclean (as in mishnah three).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oholot
אין טמא אלא תוכה – and all the rest is ritually pure.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Oholot
If above [the hive] what is directly above up to the sky becomes unclean. As in yesterday's mishnah, if the impurity is above the hive, the impurity travels up but not down.
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