If one became unclean in the azarah [and knew that he had become unclean], and his uncleanliness became "hidden" from him, and he remembered (that it was) the sanctuary; or if the sanctuary became "hidden" to him, and he remembered his uncleanliness; or if both became hidden from him, and he bowed down [in this interval of hiddenness towards the inside, even if he did not wait], or if he waited the amount of time for bowing down, [i.e., or if he bowed down towards the outside; this, if he waited the amount of time for bowing down, that being the amount of time it takes one to recite the following verse at moderate speed (II Chronicles 7:3): "And they kneeled down with their faces to the ground upon the pavement and prostrated themselves to give thanks to the L rd. For He is good; for His lovingkindness endures forever."]; or if he left the long way, [and not the shorter way, even if he did not wait in the beginning], he is liable. And by the shorter way [when he did not bow down or wait], he is not liable. This is a positive commandment in the sanctuary [(Numbers 5:2): "And they shall send out of the camp … everyone that is unclean"] for which they [beth-din] are not liable [to offer a "bullock of forgetfulness." That is, if they erred in this and instructed him to leave by the longer way, they do not bring for this mistaken ruling a bullock for forgetfulness of the congregation (see Leviticus 4:14)].
Bartenura on Mishnah Shevuot
נטמא בעזרה – and he knew that he was defiled and prostrated himself with this act that escaped him towards the inside, even though he did wait/delay, or prostrated towards the outside, and he who delayed/waited in order to prostrate. But the measure of the prostration is in order that a person can read this Biblical verse in their inhabitable condition (restoration) (II Chronicles 7:12): “they knelt with their faces to the ground and prostrated themselves, praising the LORD, ‘For He is good, for His steadfast love is eternal,” and this is the Biblical verse.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shevuot
Introduction
Mishnah three discusses one who entered the Temple while impure.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shevuot
או שבא לו בארוכה (if he went out by the longer way, he is liable) – hat he left through the longer path, for there is something shorter than It, and even if he did not first wait/delay, he is liable.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shevuot
If he became impure while in the Temple court [and was aware of it], and then forgot that he was impure, though he remembered that he was in the Temple; [Or] he forgot that he was in the Temple, though he remembered that he was impure; [Or,] he forgot both; And he prostrated himself, or waited [in the Temple] the time it takes to prostrate; Or went out the long way, he is liable; [If he went out] the shorter way, he is not liable; This section is similar to the teaching in mishnah one, except it presents a new problem: he is actually in the Temple while he becomes impure. Since it is forbidden to be in the Temple while impure he therefore must leave immediately, and in the shortest possible manner. To remind ourselves, in order for him to be liable for a sliding scale sacrifice for having been in the Temple while impure he must have awareness, forgetting and then afterwards awareness. Our mishnah teaches that the forgetting can either be of the fact he was impure or that he was in the Temple or both. As long as he knew what had happened or where he was and forgot one of those two things or both, and then he worshipped in the Temple by prostrating himself, or even stayed in the Temple long enough to prostrate, or even did not take the quickest way out, he is obligated to bring a sliding scale sacrifice. In other words, should he delay himself at all within the Temple after having become impure he will be obligated for a sliding scale sacrifice. Only if he goes out immediately will he be exempt.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shevuot
ובקצרה פטור – where he didn’t prostrate, and did not wait, and left the shorter route, he is exempt.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shevuot
This is the positive precept concerning the temple for which they [the court] are not liable. Usually, if the court gives a mistaken ruling with regards to a mitzvah that is punishable if done intentionally by kareth and obligates one for a sacrifice if done unintentionally, the court must bring a bullock as a sacrifice (see Leviticus 4:12). However, in this case, if the court told the person who had become impure while in the Temple that it was okay to leave through a longer path, the court is not obligated to bring the sacrifice. We will learn this law again in Tractate Horayoth 2:4, the last tractate in Seder Nezikin.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shevuot
זו היא מצוה עשה שבמקדש – for there is here (Numbers 5:2): “[Instruct the Israelites] to remove from camp…anyone defiled [by a corpse].”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shevuot
שאין חייבין עליה – the Jewish court, the bull for an unwitting communal sin, for if they erred unwittingly and error in this teaching, and taught to him that he should leave by the longer way, hey don’t bring on the inadvertent error of this teaching a bull for an unwitting communal sin.
