Commentary for Orlah 2:5
דּוֹסְתַּאי אִישׁ כְּפַר יִתְמָה, הָיָה מִתַּלְמִידֵי בֵית שַׁמַּאי, וְאָמַר, שָׁמַעְתִּי מִשַּׁמַּאי הַזָּקֵן שֶׁאָמַר, לְעוֹלָם אֵינוֹ מְטַמֵּא עַד שֶׁיְּהֵא בּוֹ כַּבֵּיצָה:
Dostai, of the village of Yitmah, was one of the disciples of Bet Shammai, and he said, I received a tradition from Shammai the elder who said, it [one of the items mentioned above] never defiles unless it contains [the volume of an] egg.
English Explanation of Mishnah Orlah
Dostai of Kefar Yitmah was one of the disciples of Bet Shammai, and he said, “I received a tradition from Shammai the elder who said: “It never renders unclean unless it contains the volume of an egg.”
In yesterday’s mishnah we learned that Bet Shammai holds that unclean hametz (leaven) or spices can render a mixture unclean, even if there is only the smallest amount of the unclean leaven or spices. Bet Hillel says that there must be the volume of an egg. In today’s mishnah a member of the house of Bet Shammai says that Shammai himself agreed with Bet Hillel, that there needs to be the volume of an egg.
In yesterday’s mishnah we learned that Bet Shammai holds that unclean hametz (leaven) or spices can render a mixture unclean, even if there is only the smallest amount of the unclean leaven or spices. Bet Hillel says that there must be the volume of an egg. In today’s mishnah a member of the house of Bet Shammai says that Shammai himself agreed with Bet Hillel, that there needs to be the volume of an egg.
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