פירוש על אהלות 9:14

היתה פחותה – that it became damaged and it is voided from the category of being a vessel.

When do these rules apply? When [the hive retains the status of] a vessel. As we have done throughout, the mishnah now discusses the case where the hive is not a vessel or it can contain forty seahs, which makes it is not susceptible to impurity.

כדברי חכמים – which is in conflict with the first Tanna/teacher and compares something that holds forty Se’ah to something that is damaged and stuffed with straw.

[In the case of its] being defective, although [the deficiency may be] stopped up with straw, or according to the sages, [in the case of it] containing forty se'ahs, If the uncleanness is below it, within it or above it, the uncleanness cleaves upwards and downwards. Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Shimon say: uncleanness can neither ascend into [the defective hive] nor descend from it. According to the first opinion, the rules here are the same as they were in mishnah thirteen, for this is an "open ohel" and an open ohel does not form a barrier. Therefore, no matter where the impurity is found, it will only go directly up and down. For the first time in this chapter we now hear of a debate. Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Shimon hold that an "open ohel" can form a barrier. Therefore, if the impurity is found below, it stops at the bottom of the hive. If the impurity is found within or above, the bottom of the hive protects the space underneath the hive from becoming impure.

אין טומאה עלוה לה – at the time that the defilement is below it, it does not ascend into it.

If the hive is above the ground and it is not a vessel or it is not susceptible to impurity (because it can contain forty seahs), then the hive acts as a barrier. If there is impurity below, it remains there, although it does spread there to the sides. If there is impurity inside the hive or above it, since the hive is open, it doesn't spread to the sides. It defiles only that which is directly above or below. It also does not defile that which is below.

אף לא יורדת ממנה - at the time that the defilement is within it, it doesn’t descend underneath it.

תחתיה טמא – but inside it/within it and on top of it, it is pure.

כנגדו עד הרקיע טמא – but underneath it is pure.