Commentary for Parah 8:7

כָּל הַפּוֹסֵל אֶת הַתְּרוּמָה, מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַמַּשְׁקִין לִהְיוֹת תְּחִלָּה לְטַמֵּא אֶחָד וְלִפְסֹל אֶחָד, חוּץ מִטְּבוּל יוֹם. הֲרֵי זֶה אוֹמֵר, מְטַמְּאֶיךָ לֹא טִמְּאוּנִי וְאַתָּה טִמֵּאתָנִי:

Anything which [is sufficiently impure such that it] invalidates <i>trumah</i> [a portion of produce which must be given to a priest and is not allowed to become ritually impure] upon contact makes liquids impure [to the extent] that they become a 'primary' [source of impurity] to make one thing impure, and [then] to invalidate another. [The intensity of ritual impurity depends on how many steps removed it was from the original source. Our Mishnah teaches that when a liquid becomes impure by coming into contact with something impure, it is considered 'primary' to the source of impurity, meaning that any liquid or food it comes into contact with then becomes impure as a 'secondary' source of impurity, which in turn is sufficient to impurify and therefore invalidate <i>trumah</i> with which it comes into contact.] The exception to this is one who immersed [for purification] that day and is yet to have the sun set [for such an individual invalidates <i>trumah</i> upon contact but does not make liquids he touches into 'primary' sources of impurity]. Behold it [is as though the food] says [to the liquid]: That which renders you impure [i.e. something of a 'secondary' level of impurity] does not impurify me, yet you [the liquid, after becoming impure through contact with that impurity of a 'secondary' level] have rendered me impure!"

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