Commentary for Parah 4:2
שְׂרָפָהּ חוּץ מִגִּתָּהּ, אוֹ בִשְׁתֵּי גִתּוֹת, אוֹ שֶׁשָּׂרַף שְׁתַּיִם בְּגַת אַחַת, פְּסוּלָה. הִזָּה וְלֹא כִוֵּן כְּנֶגֶד הַפֶּתַח, פְּסוּלָה. הִזָּה מִשִּׁשִּׁית שְׁבִיעִית, חָזַר וְהִזָּה שְׁבִיעִית, פְּסוּלָה. מִשְּׁבִיעִית שְׁמִינִית וְחָזַר וְהִזָּה שְׁמִינִית, כְּשֵׁרָה:
If it was burnt outside its pit [region designated for burning], or in two pits, or if two were burnt in one pit, it is invalid. If it was sprinkled but not directed towards the opening [of the temple], it is invalid. If the sixth [sprinkling] was used to [also] perform the seventh sprinkling, [even] if he went back [and dipped] and sprinkled a seventh, it is invalid. If the seventh [sprinkling] was used to [also] perform the eighth, if he went back [and dipped] and sprinkled an eighth, it is valid.
Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
חוץ מגיתה – the place that they make for its burning, like a species of a marked off place (i.e., selected for this purpose) which is corresponding to the opening of the hall containing the Golden Altar, but if he slaughtered it where it was not corresponding to the opening of the hall containing the Golden Altar, it is invalid.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
Introduction
Our mishnah continues to list things that can disqualify the validity of the burning of the red cow.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
או בשתי גיתות – as for example, that he divided it into two and burned half of it in this marked off place and half of it in that marked off place.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
If it was burnt outside its pit, or in two pits, or if two cows were burnt in the same pit, it is invalid. In 3:10 we learned that they would make a pit in which to burn the red cow. If it was burned outside of this pit, or if they made two pits, it is invalid. Similarly, they can't make two red cows in one pit. This is similar to the prohibition of not using one cow to prod out another in 3:7.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
או ששרף שתים בגת אחת – even though he removed each one on its own/separately we invalidate them because of the labor, that this one invalidates the other one. But with that one after this one, it is fit/kosher.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
If [the blood] was sprinkled but not in the direction of the entrance of the Holy of Holies, it is invalid. The blood must be sprinkled in the correct direction for it to be valid (see 3:9).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
ולא כיון כנגד הפתח פסולה (and he did not aim at the door – of the Holy of Holies – it is invalid) – for it is written (Numbers 19:4): “[Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger] and sprinkle it [seven times] toward the front of the Tent of Meeting.”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
If he made the seventh sprinkling out of the sixth and then sprinkled again a seventh time, it is invalid. If the priest dips his finger into the blood and sprinkles a sixth time, and then with the remaining blood sprinkles a seventh time, it is invalid, even if he goes back and sprinkles another "seventh" time. The problem is that he sprinkled once without dipping and we learned in 3:9 that for every sprinkle he needs to redip his finger.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
מששית שביעית – for seven times (Numbers 19:4) is written in their natural order, but he counted the seventh prior to the sixth, and went back and sprinkled for the seventh [time], it is invalid, for we require that he would call for the sixth, “the sixth,” and for the seventh, “the seventh.” But from the seventh for the eighth, it is fit/kosher, for there isn’t an eighth [time] in sprinklings of [the blood] of the cow/heifer, and this one erred in mere speech.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
If he sprinkled an eighth time out of the seventh and then sprinkled again an eighth time, it is valid. In this case he sprinkled correctly seven times and then with the remains of the seventh sprinkle he performed an eighth sprinkling and then again dippied his finger and did another eighth sprinkling. Since he did seven proper sprinklings, the fact that he added more does not invalidate the act.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
וחזר והזה שמינית – not exactly, for in each matter it is fit/kosher, whether he went back and sprinkled or whether he didn’t go back and sprinkle. But on account of/subsidiary to the first clause [of the Mishnah), it (i.e., the Mishnah) took it. Alternatively, it surely teaches us that even though he added in the sprinklings, he did not invalidate it, for when he completed the seven sprinklings, its Mitzvah was completed, and furthermore we don’t concern ourselves to what he adds.
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