Si l'on rincait des paniers d'olives ou des paniers de raisins dedans [dans un mikvé ] et qu'ils en changeaient d'aspect, c'est valable. Rabbi Yossi dit: les eaux colorées invalident s'il y a trois log d'entre eux, mais ils n'invalident pas en raison d'un changement d'apparence. Si du vin ou du jus d'olive y sont tombés et qu'ils ont changé d'apparence, il est invalide. Que doit-on faire [dans un tel cas]? Il faut attendre qu'il pleuve et que son aspect redevienne celui de l'eau. Si elle contenait quarante se'ah [d'eaux valables], on peut remplir [l'eau] par l'épaule [c'est-à-dire les eaux tirées que l'on a emportées] et les y ajouter, jusqu'à ce que son apparence revienne à celle de l'eau.
Bartenura on Mishnah Mikvaot
ושינו את מראיו כשר – that the rinsing of utensils is not considered a change in appearance (i.e., color).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Mikvaot
Introduction
Our mishnah deals with various ways in which a change in the color of the water of the mikveh can render it invalid.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Mikvaot
ואין פוסלים אותו בשינוי מראה – because color does not have substance in it.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Mikvaot
If he rinsed in the mikveh baskets of olives or baskets of grapes and they changed its color, it remains valid. Changing the color of the water renders it invalid only if something of substance falls into the mikveh, such as grapes or olives. However, the color from the baskets that are rinsed in the mikveh does not count as a substance and therefore it does not render the mikveh invalid.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Mikvaot
ומוחל (thin secretion)– water that comes forth from olives.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Mikvaot
Rabbi Yose says: dye-water renders it invalid by a quantity of three logs, but not merely by changing its color. Dye water is treated like drawn water. It renders the mikveh invalid but only if there are three logs of it. A smaller amount does not render the mikveh invalid, even if it changes the color of the water
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Mikvaot
ימתין עד שירדו גשמים – that to fill it [by drawing water in buckets] with one’s shoulder is impossible, for we are dealing with that which is lacking, and it would be invalidated with three LOGS [of drawn water].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Mikvaot
If wine or the sap of olives fell into it and changed its color, it becomes invalid. Since these do count as substances, they do render the mikveh invalid if there is enough to change the color of the water.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Mikvaot
ממלא בכתף – for a complete/filled Mikveh, the drawn [waters] do not invalidate it (i.e., the Mikveh) ever.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Mikvaot
What should one do [to make it valid again]? One should wait until the rain falls and the color reverts to the color of water. This section teaches how one can "fix" a mikveh that became invalid because it was colored. This mikveh does not have forty seahs of water. One can wait until the rain falls and enough water goes in so that the color returns to the normal color of water. Note that this might take a while in Israel, where rain does not fall for about half of the year (May-October).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Mikvaot
If it contained forty seahs, water may be drawn and carried on the shoulder and put into it until the color reverts to that of water. If the mikveh already has forty seahs it is even easier to fix it if the color has changed. One can simply fill up a bucket with drawn water and add it to the mikveh, because drawn water does not invalidate a mikveh that already has forty seahs of valid water.
