פירוש על חגיגה 3:1

חומר בקודש. שמטבילין כלי בתוך כלי – when both of them are ritually impure.

Introduction In the previous two mishnayot we learned that the rules regarding eating “sacred things,” namely sacrifices, are more stringent than the rules regarding eating terumah. Our mishnah teaches several more aspects in which eating sacred things is treated more stringently.

אבל לא לקודש – since we say that the heaviness of the inner utensil which weighs upon the outside which is placed within it, leaves a space before the defilement (tit must say, “before the water, and so it is in Rashi and in the Gemara – Tractate Hagigah 21a), for Ritual immersion is not effective for either one (i.e., Terumah/Priest’s due or Holy things).

Greater stringency applies to sacred things than to terumah, that they may immerse vessels within vessels [together] for terumah, but not for sacred things. When it comes to immersing impure vessels in order to purify them, if they are going to be used to hold terumah, one vessel may be immersed inside another vessel. If the vessel is going to be used for sacrifices, then the vessels cannot be immersed one inside the other.

אחוריים ותוך ובית הצביטה לתרומה – a utensil that is appropriate to use inside it and at its back/outside and its handle. Each and every usage with it is considered a utensil in and of itself with regard to Terumah/priest’s due, for if one part became defiled, the other part did not become defiled. And we are speaking of Rabbinic defilements, for if the back/outside became defiled win ritually impure liquids, the inside is not defiled, nor the handle, but if the handle was defiled, the back and insides were not defiled. And the explanation of בית הצביטה – is something you grab hold of, such as the language of (Ruth 2:14): “He handed her roast grain, [and she ate her fill and had some left over].” But there are those who have the reading "בית הצביעה" – from the language for a finger – that they for the utensil a handle to place one’s finger inside it. When he drinks, in order that he not place hand inside the utensil proper.

The outside and inside and handle [of a vessel are regarded as separate] for terumah, but not for sacred things. When it comes to terumah, each part of the vessel is considered as being separate. So if an impure thing touches the handle of the vessel, only the handle is impure and the contents inside the vessel are still pure. If something touches the outside of the vessel, only the outside is impure and not the inside. Finally, if something impure touches the inside only the inside is impure. When it comes to sacred things, if one part of the vessel is impure, the whole vessel is impure and will cause other things to become impure as well.

אבל לא לקודש – for if one of them became ritually defiled in Rabbinic defilements, it is entirely impure for Holy things.

One that carries anything possessing midras-uncleanness may carry [at the same time] terumah, but not sacred things. I explained “midras-impurity” in yesterday’s mishnah. Today’s mishnah teaches that if someone is holding an object that had become impure through midras (someone sat, stood, lied or applied pressure on it) he can hold in his other hand terumah. The vessel does not make him impure such that he makes the terumah impure. However, he cannot hold sacred things at the same time.

הנושא את המדרס – [A person who comes in contact with] the shoe of the individual with a flux.

The garments of those who eat terumah posses midras-uncleanness for [those who eat] sacred things. This is the exact same halakhah as that found in section three of yesterday’s mishnah.

נושא את התרומה – [he can carry priest’s due] if he wants in an earthen wine-jug, which does not touch its airspace.

The rule [for the immersion of garments] for [those who would eat terumah is not the same as the rule for [those who would eat] sacred things: for in the case of sacred things, he must [first] untie [any knots in the unclean garment], dry it [if it is wet, then] immerse it, and afterwards retie it; but in case of terumah, it may [first] be tied and afterwards immersed. When one wants to immerse something to be used for sacred things must first untie all of the knots, dry them all off, then he may immerse it and then once it’s been immersed he may retie the knots. In contrast, if a vessel is going to be used for terumah, the knots don’t have to be taken out before it is immersed.

אבל לא את הקודש – because of an incident that had taken place with an individual who had been carrying a jug of wine of drink-offerings, and his sandal-strap of his shoe broke that had Levitical uncleanness arising from an individual with a flux’s immediate contact by treading/leaning against, etc., and he took it in his hand and as a result, it fell into the atmosphere of the jug, and the Holy thing was ritually defiled; at that hour they said that whomever carries Levitical uncleanness arising from an individual with a flux’s immediate contact by treading/leaning against, should not carry any Holy thing, and because I was an incident that happened with something that was considered a Holy thing. Therefore, they did not make a decree other than with something that was Holy and not priest’s due.

לא כמדת הקדש – with the interposition (of an intervening object) of his ritual immersions, is the measure of the priest’s due.

שבקדש – if there is a ritually impure cloth and he comes to ritually immerse it, if it is tied, he releases the knot, because it is similar to an interposition [of an intervening object].

ומנגב – if it is moist, he dries it first for the fatty, oily substance that is upon it is like an interposition [of an intervening object] of his ritual immersion.

ובתרומה – if he desires, he can tie it up and afterwards he immerses it while it is tied and it has no effect.