All peels can be rendered impure, and render impurity, and join together [with the food to count towards the measure for impurity]. Rabbi Yehuda says: the onion has three peels; the inner one joins together, whether it is whole or pierced; the middle one joins together when it is whole, and it does not join together when it is pierced; and the outer one is pure [i.e. does not join together, and is considered to serve neither as a handle nor to preserve the food] in either case.
Bartenura on Mishnah Oktzin
כל הקליפין (all the husks/skins) – as for example, the shells of nuts and almonds and pomegranates and shells of eggs, are considered as a protector to the food, and combines/joins with the food to complete to make up the measurement to be susceptible to receive ritual defilement. But however, a moist upper shell that is upon nuts at the time of their harvest, does not combine, for it is not considered a protector, for there is no protector on top of a protector.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Oktzin
All kinds of peels defile and are defiled, and join together. Peels generally protect the fruit that's what they're there for. So they count as part of the fruit, they defile and can be defiled and they join together to add up to the minimal amount.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oktzin
קדורה (perforated) – perforated, it is the language of מקדרים בהרים/estimating the level distance between two places separated by mountains that is taught in the Mishnah in [Tractate] Eruvin (Chapter 5, Mishnah 4 – Talmud Eruvin 58a – measuring Sabbath elevations are considered as cut through). But something cut through/perforated does not combine, because it doesn’t protect when it is perforated and severed/cut.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Oktzin
Rabbi Judah says: an onion has three skins: the innermost one whether it is in its entire state or whether it be pierced with holes joins together; the middle one when it is in a whole state joins together, but when it is pierced with holes does not join together; the outermost skin is in either case insusceptible to uncleanness. Rabbi Judah distinguishes between the different layers of an onion. The inner part is always considered part of the onion. It's probably edible so why shouldn't it be. The middle part is part of the onion when it is whole. But if it has holes, meaning it's not complete, it is not part of the onion. [This is probably the part I always try to keep because I don't like to waste, but sometimes I can't peel the outer part without taking this off as well]. The outer peel is not part of the onion because the onion is protected even without it.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Oktzin
והחיצונה – it is the thin shell that falls on its own, when we handle the onion. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.
