Commentaire sur Sotah 2:4
אֵינוֹ כוֹתֵב לֹא עַל הַלּוּחַ וְלֹא עַל הַנְּיָר וְלֹא עַל הַדִּפְתְּרָא, אֶלָּא עַל הַמְּגִלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) בַּסֵּפֶר. וְאֵינוֹ כוֹתֵב לֹא בְקוֹמוֹס וְלֹא בְקַנְקַנְתּוֹם וְלֹא בְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁרוֹשֵׁם, אֶלָּא בִדְיוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) וּמָחָה, כְּתָב שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהִמָּחֵק:
Il ne peut pas écrire sur la tablette et non sur le papyrus et non sur la peau de l'animal [non transformé] plutôt sur le rouleau, comme il est dit, "dans un livre" (Nombres 5:23). Et il ne peut pas écrire avec de la gomme, ou avec du vitriol, ou avec quoi que ce soit qui laisse une impression, plutôt avec de l'encre, comme il est dit: "et effacer" (Nombres 5:23) une écriture qui peut être effacée.
Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah
לוח – of wood.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sotah
Introduction
This mishnah teaches upon what material the priest writes the curses and with what type of ink.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah
נייר – of grasses–herbs that they pound–crush them and make them like a kind of leather.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sotah
He writes neither on a [wooden] tablet nor on papyrus nor on rough parchment but on a [parchment] scroll, as it is said, “In a scroll” (Numbers 5:23). The Torah states “sefer” which means a scroll made of parchment (animal hide). Hence other materials cannot be used.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah
דפתרא – a hide which is not worked completely through which is prepared with salt and flour but not with gall-nut [juice].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sotah
Nor does he write with a [preparation of] gum or sulphate of copper or with anything which makes an impression [on the parchment] but with ink, as it is said, “And he will blot it out” (ibid.) writing which is capable of being blotted out. The writing on the scroll will eventually be rubbed out into the water. Hence, he cannot use permanent types of ink, which can’t be rubbed out. He also cannot use something which scratches/indents the scroll for then even after being erased, the curses will be left on the scroll.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah
בספר – on parchment.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah
קומוס – resin of the tree which is melted in water.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah
קנקנתום – IRMINT and in the foreign language “vitriol.”
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sotah
ולא בכל דבר שהוא רושם – and it is absorbed in the parchment and one cannot erase it for gum and vitriol make a lasting impression.
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