The equivalent of an egg [in volume] of a second degree food and the equivalent of an egg [in volume] of third degree food that one mixed with one another, [the mixture] is of a second degree; if one divided them [into two], this one is of a third degree and this one is of a third degree. If one [of these two] fell on its own, and [the other] one [also fell] on its own onto a loaf a <i>terumah</i>, it has not invalidated it [since <i>terumah</i> is not made impure by something of third degree impurity]. If both fell at once they render it to be of a third degree [impurity]. The equivalent of an egg [in volume] of first degree food and the equivalent of an egg [in volume] of third degree food that one mixed with each other, [the mixture] is of a first degree; if one divided them [into two], this one is of a second degree and this one is of a second degree, since even that of a third degree, when it touched that of a first degree, it became of a second degree. The equivalent of two eggs [in volume] of first degree food and the equivalent of two eggs [in volume] of a second degree food that one mixed with each other, [the mixture] is of a first degree; if one divided them [into two], this one is of a first degree and this one is of a first degree; if [one divided them] into three or four, they are [all] of a second degree. The equivalent of two eggs [in volume] of second degree food and the equivalent of two eggs [in volume] of third degree that one mixed with each other, [the mixture] is of a second degree; if one divided them [into two], this one is of a second degree and this one is of a second degree; if [one divided them] into three or four, they are [all] of a third degree.
Bartenura on Mishnah Tahorot
(all of these sections/segments are simple.) And every place where I am able to suspend that there is the bulk of an egg, it is the more severe of this one and that one, we follow after the more severe/stringent. But if not, we follow after the lenient/lighter.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
Introduction
This mishnah continues yesterday's mishnah which discussed quantities of food that have different levels of impurity that were mixed together.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
An egg's worth of food that has second degree uncleanness and an egg's worth of food that has third decree uncleanness that were mixed together are regarded as having second degree uncleanness. If they were then divided, each part is regarded as having only third degree uncleanness. If each part separately fell on a loaf of terumah they do not render it invalid. But if the two fell together they convey to it third degree uncleanness. This section is the same as the last section in yesterday's mishnah, only here the two pieces of food have second and third degree impurity. Food with third degree impurity does not invalidate terumah. But food with second degree impurity does invalidate terumah, although it doesn't defile it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
An egg's worth of food that has first degree uncleanness and an egg's worth of food that has third degree uncleanness that were mixed together are regarded as having first degree uncleanness. If they were then divided, each part is regarded as having only second grade uncleanness, for even the third grade that touched the first has become only a second grade. In this case one piece has first degree and one piece has third degree. When the piece with third degree touches the piece with first degree, it now has second degree impurity. This now becomes a case of one piece with first degree and one piece with second degree, the same case as we had in yesterday's mishnah.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
If two eggs worth of food that have first degree uncleanness and two eggs worth of food that have second degree uncleanness were mixed together they are regarded as having first degree uncleanness. If they were then divided, each part is still regarded as having first degree uncleanness. But if they were divided into three or four parts, each is regarded as having second grade. Here there are two eggs with first degree and two eggs with second degree. The difference between this situation and the previous ones is that even when the piece is divided into two, it still has first degree impurity because there is still an egg's worth that has the higher degree. The pieces go down to the lower degree of impurity only if they are further divided up into three or four pieces.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
If two eggs worth of food having second degree uncleanness and two eggs worth of food having third degree uncleanness were mixed together, they are regarded as having second degree uncleanness. If they were then divided, each part is still regarded as having second degree uncleanness. But if they were divided into three or four parts, each is regarded as having only third degree uncleanness. The same situation as in section three only the two pieces have second and third degree impurity and not first and second.
