Une auge dans un rocher [dans laquelle l'eau se rassemble de la source voisine], nous n'en remplissons pas [l'eau pour la sanctification], et nous n'y sanctifions pas [l'eau avec des cendres], et nous n'en aspergeons pas, et il n'exige pas un «joint étanche» [pour protéger son contenu contre les impuretés, mais une simple couverture suffit], et il n'invalide pas un mikva [si l'eau s'est accumulée dans la cuvette de roche puis s'est écoulée dans un mikvah, cette eau est toujours considéré comme non tiré, et donc valable pour un mikva, qui doit être rempli d'eau qui n'a jamais été prélevée pour être valable pour une immersion et une purification rituelles]. Si un récipient était attaché [au sol] avec du plâtre, nous pouvons en remplir [de l'eau pour la sanctification], et nous pouvons y sanctifier [l'eau], et nous pouvons en asperger, et cela nécessite un «sceau étanche». [pour protéger son contenu de l'impureté], et il invalide un mikvah [si de l'eau en coulait dans un mikva, il est considéré comme de l'eau tirée et invalide]. Si l'on a percé [le récipient attaché au sol] par le bas et l'a arrêté avec un chiffon, l'eau à l'intérieur est invalide [pour la sanctification pour le rituel] car ils ne sont pas encerclant les navires [c'est-à-dire que l'eau n'est pas entourée de navire]. Si [elle a été percée] par le côté et arrêtée avec un chiffon, l'eau à l'intérieur est valide, puisqu'elles sont encerclées par un vaisseau [note: cela ne fonctionne que si la crevaison est suffisamment élevée du bas]. [S'ils] ont fait pour cela [autour de son bord] une couronne de plâtre [pour le récipient attaché au sol] et l'eau [niveau] y est parvenue, elle [l'eau] est invalide [pour le rituel, puisque la couronne n'est pas considéré comme un navire]. Si [la connexion] est suffisamment solide pour que la soulever [la couronne] amènerait le navire à venir avec elle, elle est valide [puisqu'elle fait partie du navire].
Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
השוקת שבסלע (the trough which [is hewn] in the rock) – A שוקת/trough is a hollowed rock that is on the rim of a spring and the water enters in it through a hole that is in its wall and waters the animals. But here we are speaking of a rock that is attached that was hollowed out, it is not considered a utensil since it didn’t have the designation of a vessel when it was detached. But even that it was detached [other than] that they attached it and at the end hollowed it out.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
Introduction
Today's mishnah deals with a receptacle carved into a rock into which water from a spring would flow. Can this water be used for the red cow ritual?
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
ואינה צריכה צמיד פתיל – if it was in the tent of a corpse it protects on what is within it with the covering alone without the tightly fitted lid, because it is not considered a vessel but rather like a pit or a cistern that protects over what is inside of it with a cover without a tightly fitted lid/stopper, as is taught in Chapter Five of [Tractate] Ahilot [Mishnah 6].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
It is not permissible to collect the water in a trough set in the stone, nor is it permissible to prepare the mixture in it, nor may the sprinkling be done from it, nor does it require a tightly fitting cover, nor does it render a ritual bath invalid. The reason that this receptacle cannot be used is that it is not considered a vessel, and as we have seen, only vessels can be used for to mix the water and for the sprinkling. Similarly, if it is found in a tent (or tent-like structure) with a dead body (or part thereof) it does not need a tightly fitting lid to protect its contents from impurity. It is sufficient for it to be merely covered. If water from it flows into a mikveh, it doesn't render the mikveh invalid, as it would if the water came from a vessel. Water that flows into a mikveh from a vessel does render the mikveh invalid. The bottom-line it doesn't count as a vessel.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
ואינה פוסלת את המקוה – if rain water [fell] from it to the Mikveh/ritual bath, they are not considered drawn water to invalidate the Mikveh.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
If it was first a movable vessel and then was subsequently joined to the ground with lime, it is permissible to collect the water in it, to prepare the mixture in it and to sprinkle from it. And it needs a tightly fitting cover and renders a ritual bath invalid. If one made a vessel out of stone and then attached it with lime to the ground next to the spring, it does count as a vessel. In such a case, he can use it for the hatat ritual, it needs a tightly fitting cover to protect its contents when in a tent with a corpse and if water flows from there into a mikveh it renders the mikveh's contents invalid.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
ופקקה (inserted a stop-gap) – stopped it up.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
If there was a hole in it below, and he stopped it up with a rag, the water in it is invalid since it is not wholly enclosed by the vessel. If the hole was in the side and it was stopped up with a rag, the water in it is valid since it is wholly enclosed by the vessel. This relates to the situation in section two. If there is a hole in that vessel and then he stops it up with a rag, the water cannot be used for the red cow ritual. The reason is not entirely clear and my translation hides the difficulty in the Hebrew. It seems that when the hole is at the bottom the water is drawn toward the hole and the rabbis don't consider the water as being contained by the vessel. To put it another way, the hole below nullifies it from being a vessel. But if the hole was on the upper side of the vessel and there are full walls surrounding it, then the water is considered to be surrounded by the vessel and it can be used for the red cow ritual.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
מפני שאינם עגולים כלי (because it is not wholly enclosed by the vessel) – meaning to say, that the vessel does not surround the water, that the perforation that is from the bottom neutralizes it from the category of a vessel, for the closing up of a rag does not make it into a vessel. But when the perforation/hole is from the side, the category of a vessel is upon it and we mix with the water that is within it, since the vessel surrounds them (i.e., the waters). And that is that the vessel is round.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
If he made a rim of clay for the vessel and the water had risen to that spot, it is invalid; But if it was solid enough for the vessel to be moved with it, the water is valid. This again relates to the situation in which there is a vessel put into the rock. If he made a rim of clay around the top of the vessel and the water rose to that level, the water cannot be used because the clay around the top is not considered to be a vessel. However, if he attaches the clay in such a manner that it would be moved with the vessel, then it is part of the vessel and the water is valid.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
עשה לה עטרה (made for it a molding of mud) – a detached trough that was attached with plaster/lime, which is considered a vessel and made a rim of mud/plaster for its fmoutjh and the trough was filled with water until it also filled the rim, the waters are invalid to mix because the addition is not considered a vessel.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
ואם היה בריא (but if it was firm) – meaning to say, if this rim was strong and attached to the trough until that if he were to take the trough, he would also take the rim with it, they are fit/appropriate.
