Mishnah
Mishnah

Talmud for Parah 5:5

בְּכָל הַכֵּלִים מְקַדְּשִׁים, אֲפִלּוּ בִכְלֵי גְלָלִים, בִּכְלֵי אֲבָנִים, וּבִכְלֵי אֲדָמָה. וּבִסְפִינָה, מְקַדְּשִׁין בָּהּ. אֵין מְקַדְּשִׁין לֹא בְדָפְנוֹת הַכֵּלִים, וְלֹא בְשׁוּלֵי הַמַּחַץ, וְלֹא בִמְגוּפַת הֶחָבִית, וְלֹא בְחָפְנָיו, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין מְמַלְּאִין וְאֵין מְקַדְּשִׁין וְאֵין מַזִּין מֵי חַטָּאת אֶלָּא בְכֶלִי. אֵין מַצִּילִין בְּצָמִיד פָּתִיל אֶלָּא כֵלִים, שֶׁאֵין מַצִּילִים מִיַּד כְּלֵי חֶרֶס אֶלָּא כֵלִים:

We may sanctify with all vessels, even with vessels made from feces, stone vessels and earthen vessels. And we may sanctify in a boat. We do not sanctify with the sides of [broken] vessels, nor in the crevices of a machatz [a large jug used for drawing water, which had hollow crevices], nor with a barrel lid [which had hollow indentations for handles], nor with cupped hands; for we only fill, sanctify, and sprinkle <i>chatat</i> water in a vessel. [Similarly,] a tight seal only saves [from impurity the contents of] vessels [but it does not save the contents of things not considered vessels]; and only vessels can save from [the impurity of] earthenware vessels [in which they are contained]. [Earthenware vessels have the property that they can only become impure from their inside however if something impure is placed in such a vessel, anything else inside the vessel and the vessel itself become impure. However, if a vessel which cannot become impure or an earthenware vessel are tightly fitted with a cover, or 'tight seal,' the inside is considered protected from the outside and thus things inside cannot become impure. Similarly, if a sealed vessel is inside an earthenware vessel, despite the fact that a ritually impure object placed in the earthenware vessel makes everything inside it impure, the contents of a tightly sealed vessel which is incapable of becoming impure nonetheless remain pure. Our mishnah states that in order for these applications of 'tight-seal' to apply, the container must qualify as a vessel.]

Jerusalem Talmud Shabbat

HALAKHAH: 7. “A potsherd (of any size) to put between one half brick,”121 etc. Rebbi Joḥanan said, one may use it to sanctify; Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish says, one may not use it to sanctify. Rebbi Eleazar asked, in Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish’s opinion, why may one not use it to sanctify? Because it is impervious to impurity 122By definition, a vessel is a product of manufacture. Materials in their original state always are impervious to impurity (unless they are derived from animals). A first tentative opinion is that “vessel” is only a manufactured product susceptible to impurity.. But are not vessels made of cow dung, stone vessels, earthen vessels impervious to impurity and one may use them to sanctify123Mishnah Parah 5:5.! But because it does not contain a quartarius124Which everywhere is the minimum of a substantial volume of fluid.. But does not Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish agree that one may sanctify using an arbitrarily small complete clay vessel? It is that the only reason is that it does not have the appellation “vessel”125Which is required by the verse and, therefore, cannot be dispensed with.. Then it is difficult for Rebbi Joḥanan. It is not enough to disqualify the body126Mishnah Meˋilah 4:5 states that ingesting a quartarius of impure fluid disqualifies a body from any activity requiring purity. It is difficult to see why this should be relevant to the topic at hand. S. Liebermann, following Noˋam Yerushalaim of R. Joshua Eizik of Slonim, suggests to change “body” into “miqweh”. The argument for this is that a miqweh may not be filled with water drawn by a vessel; in this context a “clay vessel” is defined by Mishnah Miqwa’ot 4:3 as one which may contain a minimum volume of one quartarius. but one may use it to sanctify? But this follows Rebbi Yose, for “Rebbi Yose said, also the most minute amount of clay vessel127In Mishnah Miqwa’ot 4:3 he states that a clay vessel of any size is a “vessel”; the criterion of one quartarius applies only to potsherds..” Did not Rebbi Yose say this only for a complete one, and do we not deal here with a broken one? What Rebbi Ḥiyya stated128Tosephta Kelim Bava qamma 7:17. supports Rebbi Joḥanan; what Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥai129This baraita has not come down to us. stated supports Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish.
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