Yadayim 3

הַמַּכְנִיס יָדָיו לְבַיִת הַמְנֻגָּע, יָדָיו תְּחִלּוֹת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, יָדָיו שְׁנִיּוֹת. כֹּל הַמְטַמֵּא בְגָדִים בִּשְׁעַת מַגָּעוֹ, מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם לִהְיוֹת תְּחִלּוֹת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, לִהְיוֹת שְׁנִיּוֹת. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, הֵיכָן מָצִינוּ שֶׁהַיָּדַיִם תְּחִלָּה בְכָל מָקוֹם. אָמַר לָהֶם, וְכִי הֵיאַךְ אֶפְשָׁר לָהֶן לִהְיוֹת תְּחִלָּה אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן נִטְמָא גוּפוֹ, חוּץ מִזֶּה. הָאֳכָלִין וְהַכֵּלִים שֶׁנִּטְמְאוּ בְמַשְׁקִין, מְטַמְּאִין אֶת הַיָּדַיִם לִהְיוֹת שְׁנִיּוֹת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֶת שֶׁנִּטְמָא בְאַב הַטֻּמְאָה, מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. בִּוְלַד הַטֻּמְאָה, אֵינוֹ מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. אָמַר רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל, מַעֲשֶׂה בְאִשָּׁה אַחַת שֶׁבָּאָת לִפְנֵי אַבָּא, אָמְרָה לוֹ, נִכְנְסוּ יָדַי לַאֲוִיר כְּלִי חֶרֶשׂ. אָמַר לָהּ, בִּתִּי, וּבַמֶּה הָיְתָה טֻמְאָתָהּ, וְלֹא שָׁמַעְתִּי מָה אָמְרָה לוֹ. אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים, מְבֹאָר הַדָּבָר. אֶת שֶׁנִּטְמָא בְאַב הַטֻּמְאָה, מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. בִּוְלַד הַטֻּמְאָה, אֵינוֹ מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדָיִם:

If one's hand enters into a blighted house [i.e. a leperous house], the hands are [rendered to be of a] primary [degree of impurity], according to Rabbi Akiva. And the Sages say: the hands are [rendered with a] secondary [degree of impurity]. Anything that renders garments impure instantly upon contact, renders the hands to be of a primary [degree of] impurity, according to Rabbi Akiva. And the Sages say: [it renders the hands] to be [of a] secondary [degree of impurity]. They said to Rabbi Akiva, "Where is there any place that we find that the hands are [rendered impure in a] primary [degree]?" He said to them, "And how [else] is it possible that they can be rendered [impure in a] primary [degree] without one's body having been rendered impure, except in this instance!" Food items and vessels which were rendered impure by liquids, render the hands to be of a secondary [degree of] impurity, according to Rabbi Yehoshua. And the Sages say: that which was rendered impure by an Origin of impurity renders the hands impure; [and that which was rendered impure] by a derivative impurity does not render the hands impure. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said, "It happened that a woman came before my father, and said to him, 'My hands entered into the air-space of an [impure] earthenware vessel.' He said to her, 'My daughter, through what was its impurity [caused]?' But I did not hear what she said to him." The Sages said, "The matter is elucidated: that which was rendered impure by an Origin of impurity renders the hands impure; [and that which was rendered impure] by a derivative impurity does not render the hands impure."

כֹּל הַפּוֹסֵל אֶת הַתְּרוּמָה, מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם לִהְיוֹת שְׁנִיּוֹת. הַיָּד מְטַמְּאָה אֶת חֲבֶרְתָּהּ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵין שֵׁנִי עוֹשֶׂה שֵׁנִי. אָמַר לָהֶם, וַהֲלֹא כִתְבֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ שְׁנִיִּים מְטַמְּאִין אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אֵין דָּנִין דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים, וְלֹא דִבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים מִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, וְלֹא דִבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים:

Anything that invalidates <i>terumah</i> [a portion of a crop which must be given to a priest, and can only be consumed by priests or their household] renders the hands to be of a secondary [degree of] impurity. One hand renders its fellow [hand] impure, according to Rabbi Yehoshua. And the Sages say: something [of a] secondary [degree of impurity] cannot render something to be [of a] secondary [degree of impurity]. He said to them: Are not sacred scriptures [of a] secondary [degree of impurity], and they render hands to be impure [with a secondary degree of impurity]!? They said to him: we cannot infer Words of Torah [i.e. laws in the written Torah] from Words of Scholars [i.e. laws in the oral Torah], nor Words of Scholars from Words of Torah, nor Words of Scholars from Words of Scholars.

רְצוּעוֹת תְּפִלִּין עִם הַתְּפִלִּין, מְטַמְּאוֹת אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, רְצוּעוֹת תְּפִלִּין אֵינָן מְטַמְּאוֹת אֶת הַיָּדַיִם:

Tefillin straps with the Tefillin render the hands impure. Rabbi Shimon says: Tefillin straps do not render the hands impure.

גִּלָּיוֹן שֶׁבַּסֵּפֶר, שֶׁמִּלְּמַעְלָן וְשֶׁמִּלְּמַטָּן שֶׁבַּתְּחִלָּה וְשֶׁבַּסּוֹף, מְטַמְּאִין אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, שֶׁבַּסּוֹף אֵינוֹ מְטַמֵּא, עַד שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה לוֹ עַמּוּד:

The margins in a book [i.e. a Torah scroll], those at the top and those at the bottom and those at the beginning and at the end [of the scroll], render the hands impure. Rabbi Yose says: that [margin] which is at the end does not render the hands impure until a pole [i.e. a roller] is fashioned for it.

סֵפֶר שֶׁנִּמְחַק וְנִשְׁתַּיֵּר בּוֹ שְׁמוֹנִים וְחָמֵשׁ אוֹתִיּוֹת, כְּפָרָשַׁת וַיְהִי בִּנְסֹעַ הָאָרֹן, מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. מְגִלָּה שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהּ שְׁמוֹנִים וְחָמֵשׁ אוֹתִיּוֹת כְּפָרָשַׁת וַיְהִי בִּנְסֹעַ הָאָרֹן, מְטַמָּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. כָּל כִּתְבֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ מְטַמְּאִין אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים וְקֹהֶלֶת מְטַמְּאִין אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם, וְקֹהֶלֶת מַחֲלֹקֶת. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, קֹהֶלֶת אֵינוֹ מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם וְשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים מַחֲלֹקֶת. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, קֹהֶלֶת מִקֻּלֵּי בֵית שַׁמַּאי וּמֵחֻמְרֵי בֵית הִלֵּל. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן עַזַּאי, מְקֻבָּל אֲנִי מִפִּי שִׁבְעִים וּשְׁנַיִם זָקֵן, בַּיּוֹם שֶׁהוֹשִׁיבוּ אֶת רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה בַּיְשִׁיבָה, שֶׁשִּׁיר הַשִּׁירִים וְקֹהֶלֶת מְטַמְּאִים אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לֹא נֶחֱלַק אָדָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל עַל שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים שֶׁלֹּא תְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם, שֶׁאֵין כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ כְדַאי כַּיּוֹם שֶׁנִּתַּן בּוֹ שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁכָּל הַכְּתוּבִים קֹדֶשׁ, וְשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים. וְאִם נֶחְלְקוּ, לֹא נֶחְלְקוּ אֶלָּא עַל קֹהֶלֶת. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חָמִיו שֶׁל רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, כְּדִבְרֵי בֶן עַזַּאי, כָּךְ נֶחְלְקוּ וְכָךְ גָּמְרוּ:

A book [i.e. a Torah scroll] which was erased leaving only eighty-five letters in it, like the portion of (Numbers 10:35-36), "And it was when the Ark was raised...,"‏ renders the hands impure. A scroll on which are written eighty-five letters, like the portion of, "And it was when the Ark was raised...,"‏ renders the hands impure. All sacred scriptures render the hands impure. The Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes render the hands impure. Rabbi Yehudah says: The Song of Songs renders the hands impure, but there is a dispute regarding Ecclesiastes. Rabbi Yose says: Ecclesiastes does not render the hands impure, and there is a dispute regarding The Song of Songs. Rabbi Shimon says: Ecclesiastes is among the [relative] leniencies of Beit Shammai, and the [relative] stringencies of Beit Hillel. Rabbi Shimon ben Azzai said, "I have a recieved tradition from the mouths of seventy-two elders, on the day they inducted Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria into his seat [as head] at the Academy, that The Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes render the hands impure." Rabbi Akiva said, "Mercy forbid! No one in Israel ever disputed that The Song of Songs renders the hands impure, since nothing in the entire world is worthy but for that day on which The Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the Scriptures are holy, but The Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies! And if they did dispute, there was only a dispute regarding Ecclesiastes." Rabbi Yochanan ben Yehoshua, the son of Rabbi Akiva's father-in-law, said, "In accordance with words of Ben Azzai, thus did they dispute, and thus did they conclude."