La mitzvá del hisopo [que la Torá ordenó que se usara para rociar las aguas chatat sobre alguien que es impuro] es tres tallos [agrupados] que contienen tres tallos [centrales] [es decir, un tallo para cada uno]. El rabino Yehuda dice: tres [tallos] cada uno. Un hisopo que tiene tres tallos, uno los separa y luego los une. Si uno se separó pero no se unió, [o] se unió y no se separó, [o] ni se unió ni se separó, es válido [para aspersión, post facto]. El rabino Yose dice: La mitzvá del hisopo son tres tallos que contienen tres tallos [centrales], y dos para el resto [es decir, si parte se cae, debe retener al menos dos tallos para mantenerse válido], y un [ mínimo] para su marco [es decir, si la aspersión hace que los tallos se rompan, al menos debe permanecer un mínimo para que sea válido].
Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
שלשה קלחים ובהן שלשה גבעולים (three stalks and on them are three buds) – one bud on each stalk (see Rashi’s commentary on Talmud Sukkah 13a). But we require three stalks, we derive [by analogy/Gezerah Shavah] "לקיחה לקיחה"/taking, taking from the bunch of hyssop (see Exodus 12:22: "ולקחתם אגדת אזוב וטבלתם בדם אשר-בסף"/Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin) from the Egyptian Passover/פסח מצרים, just as there [it requires] three, and in this it is called an אגודה/bunch, even here, it is called a bunch/אגודה, even here it is three (and see Numbers 19:18: “A person who is pure shall take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle on the tent and on all the vessels and people who were there, or on him who touched the bones or the person who was killed or died naturally or the grave.” – and just as it is a Mitzvah to take them as a bunch for the Exodus from Egypt, so here as well).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
Introduction
Our chapter concludes with a mishnah as to how much hyssop was needed to sprinkle the water.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
מפסגו ואוגדו (he severs the stalks of hyssop and ties them) – he separates it and divides it so that there will the three stalks that are separated one from the other.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
The mitzvah of the hyssop: it should have three stalks bearing three buds. Rabbi Judah says: each stalk should have three buds. Each stalk of hyssop should have at least one budding flower. I would suggest googling "hyssop" to see what this looks like. Rabbi Judah says that each of the three stalks should have three budding flowers.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
ר' יוסי אומר מצות אזוב שלשה – Rabbi Yossi is more stringent that the first Tanna/teacher [of the Mishnah] (see Talmud Sukkah 13a), for according to Rabbi Yossi, at the beginning, two stalks [and two buds] are invalid, but according to the first Tanna/teacher two are fit/appropriate, and it is not invalid until there would be at the outset that its remnants are one. But when the first Tanna/teacher says that the Precept of the hyssop is three stalks, it is for the mere commandment, and it is not to be indispensable. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yossi.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
Hyssop that consists of a growth of three stalks should be cut apart and then bound together. If the stalks were cut apart but were not bound together, or if they were bound together but were not cut apart, or if they were neither cut apart nor bound together, they are nevertheless valid. The hyssop stalks are separated at their base and then bound together. We should note that Numbers 19:18, the verse that prescribes hyssop for sprinkling the hatat waters, does not mention that the hyssop should be bound. However, Exodus 12:22, the verse that describes applying the blood to the doorposts in Egypt, does refer to bound hyssop. It seems that our mishnah applies the notion of binding in that context to our context. In order to bind something, it would first have to be separated. Thus the hyssop should first be separated and then bound. However, if either or even neither of these steps is taken, the sprinkling is still valid.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
וגרדומיו כל שהוא (but its stump is any size at all) – the stumps of the buds is any size at all. But its remnants and stumps are two words, for its remnants are the remnants of the three stalks, which are two stalks, and its stumps is the bud itself, that I comb and is broken and there remains from it just a little bit.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
Rabbi Yose says: the mitzvah of the hyssop is that it should have three stalks, and on them three buds, but its remnants need only have two, while its stumps may be of the smallest size. Rabbi Yose agrees with the opinion in section one. He adds that if one of the stalks fell away, even two are valid. Finally, if all that is left of the stalks or buds is even the smallest measure, it is still valid.
