Con respecto a una sandalia Imki [una sandalia del valle de Imki, que consiste en una pieza de cuero con correas adjuntas], y una bolsa de cordón, el rabino Yehudah dice: también una canasta egipcia, el rabino Shimon ben Gamaliel dice: también una sandalia Ladiki [ de Ludkia], cualquier cosa similar a ellos se puede hacer [susceptible o no susceptible de volverse] impura o pura sin [la ayuda de] un artesano. El rabino Yose dijo: ¿pero no son todos los vasos capaces de volverse [susceptibles o no susceptibles de volverse] impuros o puros y sin un artesano? Por el contrario, estos, incluso cuando no están atados, son [susceptibles de volverse] impuros, ya que un laico puede restaurarlos. Dijeron esto [que desatar algo puede hacer que no sea susceptible a la impureza] solo con respecto a una canasta egipcia que incluso un artesano no puede [fácilmente] restaurar.
Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
סנדל עמקי (sandals worn in valleys) – Sandals that are made in a valley village.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kelim
Introduction
Chapters 26-28 deal with vessels made of leather and cloth. The general rule with regard to these vessels was stated in 2:1 if they are simple, they are clean but if they form a receptacle they are susceptible to impurity.
Today's mishnah lists four vessels that are either laced or tied up.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
כיס של שנצות (a bag which is closed by means of laces) – like a species of straps inserted in loops at the rim of the pouch and we pull them this way and that and the pouch/bag is closed from itself.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kelim
An Imki sandal and a laced-up bag, Rabbi Judah says: also an Egyptian basket; Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says: also to a Lattakian sandal can be made susceptible to uncleanness and again be made insusceptible without the aid of a craftsman. The "Imki sandal" seems to have been made in a village called Imki. We don't really know much more about how this sandal was formed. Assumedly, it was a distinct enough brand that it would have been known to all by name. An "Egyptian basket" is woven from branches of palm trees. Lattakian sandals come from the town with that name in Syria, and assumedly they were distinctive as well. The commonality of all of these vessels is that even a lay person, one who is not a craftsman, can make these vessels and cause them to be susceptible to impurity. Such a person can also undo the vessels so that they are no longer susceptible to impurity. For instance, a non-expert can put the laces into a laced bag and thereby make it susceptible to impurity. He can also remove the laces and flatten the bag out such that the bag is no longer susceptible (we will learn more about the lace-bag in particular in tomorrow's mishnah).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
כפיפה מצרית (an Egyptian basket made of palm twigs) – a basket made from the bands made of palm-bark. They bring willows and palm-leaves and tear them and make from them threads and make from them a basket of osier and rope.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Kelim
Rabbi Yose said: But can't all vessels be made susceptible to uncleanness and again insusceptible without the aid of a craftsman? Rather, these, even when they are unlaced are susceptible to uncleanness since a layman is able to restore them. They spoke only of an Egyptian basket which even a craftsman cannot [easily] restore. Rabbi Yose disagrees and holds that all vessels can be made by a non-expert, if he knows how to do so. In other words, if a non-expert succeeds in making any vessel, the vessel is susceptible to impurity. And if he succeeds in taking it apart, it is no longer susceptible. In this respect, these four vessels are not unique. While Rabbi Yose disagrees with the previous halakhah, he does acknowledge that these vessels are in some ways distinct from others. They were indeed "mentioned" in an older list and moreover, this list is connected to the distinction between acts performed by a craftsman and acts performed by a layman. The distinctiveness of these vessels is that even when they are untied, they are still susceptible to impurity because even a non-expert can retie and refashion them into a vessel. Of the vessels mentioned in section one, only the Egyptian basket is clean when it is untied because even an expert has trouble retying this vessel. Since this vessel is so hard to tie once it has been untied, it differs from the other vessels, and it is pure when untied.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
סנדל לדיקי (a Laodicean sandal) – that the people of Laodicea make.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Kelim
הרי אלו מיטהרין ומיטמאין שלא באומן – because all of thee have straps and there is no need to tie them, but he stretches them and they are closed from on their own, and similarly, they open from on their own through other straps that pull them. Like the kind that they make for purses in our places. But if those straps were left over, then they are further not appropriate to close and open with, they are pure. But Rabbi Yossi holds that even though they are permitted, they are impure, since a non-specialist can restore them. Except for the basket of osier, for even the artisan is not able to restore them. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yossi.
