פירוש על טהרות 2:11

האשה – we are speaking of a ritually pure woman.

Introduction When learning this mishnah it is important to remember that produce is not susceptible to impurity until it has been made wet.

שהיתה כובשת ירק (that was pickling/pressing vegetables) – of heave offering in a pot and that vegetable was not susceptible to receive ritual defilement, but rather in the manner of those who pickle that they cut/sever the vegetable without liquid and salt it and place them in a pot or in a jar and afterwards place upon them wine or vinegar or oil (and that leaf is made susceptible to receive ritual defilement).

A woman who was preserving vegetables in a pot and touched a leaf outside the pot on a dry spot, even though the leaf had an egg's bulk of volume, it alone becomes unclean while all the rest remains clean. The woman is preserving some vegetables that are either terumah or are regular vegetables whose purity she wishes to preserve as if they had the sanctity of terumah. She is preserving the vegetables in either vinegar or salt. Note that the only reason a woman and not a man is mentioned is that it seems that women were more likely to do this work than men. The same laws would apply to men. Before the pickling, the vegetables had not come into contact with liquid to make them susceptible to impurity. The vegetables and the leaf sticking out of the pot did become susceptible when she poured liquid on them to begin the preserving process. If she touches the leaf at a dry spot the leaf becomes impure with third degree impurity because hands have second degree impurity. In this case it doesn't matter how big the leaf is, only the leaf will be impure. The leaf doesn't convey impurity to the attached vegetables because things with third degree impurity don't defile terumah.

ונגעה – with unwashed hands which make the heave-offering/priest’s due unit/invalid.

If she touched it at a wet spot: If there was an egg's bulk in the leaf, everything becomes unclean. If there was not an egg's bulk in it, it alone becomes unclean but all the rest remains clean. If it is returned into the pot, everything becomes unclean. In this case the leaf was wet when she touched it. If the leaf is the size of an egg, then it will convey its impurity to other things. The liquid on it now has first degree impurity, and it conveys second degree impurity back to the leaf. The leaf will convey third degree impurity to the vegetables in the pot. However, if the leaf is smaller than the size of an egg, while it is impure because there is no minimum size for produce to receive impurity, it will not convey uncleanness because food needs to be the size of an egg to convey impurity. If the leaf goes back into the pot, then the liquid on the leaf will convey its impurity to the liquid in the pot and everything will be impure. There is no minimum amount for liquids for them to convey impurity.

בעלה – [on the leaf] of a vegetable that is half in the pot with the liquids and half outside of the pot dry, and she touched it in the dry place.

If the woman was unclean due to contact with one who had corpse uncleanness, and she touched the leaf either at a wet spot or at a dry spot: If there was an egg's bulk in the leaf, everything becomes unclean; If there was not an egg's bulk in it, it alone becomes unclean but all the rest remains clean. In the previous two sections the woman's hands had second degree impurity, as do all hands unless they have been ritually cleansed. In this section, she had contact with something (either a person or a vessel) that had been defiled by a corpse. The woman has first degree uncleanness. The difference here is that the leaf will have second degree uncleanness even if it is not wet. Again, if it is large enough it will convey its impurity back into the pot.

אע"פ שיש בו כביצה – which is the measurement to defile foods.

If a woman who was a tevulat yom emptied out the pot with unwashed hands, and she observed some liquid on her hands, and it is uncertain whether it was splashed from the pot or whether a stalk had touched her hands, the vegetables are invalid but the pot remains clean. A "tevulat yom" is one who has been to the mikveh but has not yet had the sun set. She has second degree impurity. She pours out the pot while her hands also have second degree impurity. While doing so she notices that some water has gotten onto her hands. If the water sprayed out of the pot, then it doesn't affect the contents of the pot. But if her hand touched the stalk of one of the vegetables in the pot, then the liquid on it would be impure and it would convey impurity back into the pot. The rule is that in cases of doubt with regard to a tevul yom, they do disqualify terumah. Therefore, the vegetable(s) itself is impure and if it is terumah will not be able to be eaten. However, the pot itself remains pure for a tevul yom does not defile liquids causing them to have first degree impurity (see Parah 8:7).

הוא טמא – that leaf [is impure].

והכל טהור – the rest of the vegetable and the liquids that are in the pot, for this leaf part of which is in the pot does not come defile it, for the hands are second degree [of ritual impurity] and the leaf is third degree [of ritual impurity], but something that is third-degree does not make something fourth-degree in regard to heave-offering.

נגעה – for mere hands are second degree [of ritual uncleanness].

במקום משקה – that is to say, in a place where the leaf is not dried, the liquid that is upon it (i.e., the leaf) becomes first degree [of ritual defilement], for everything that invalidates the heave-offering defiles liquids to become first degree [of ritual defilement], and the liquid makes the leaf second-degree [of ritual defilement. Therefore, when there is on a leaf an egg’s bulk, that is the the measure to defile other things.

הכל טמא – even the pot itself [is ritually impure], for part of the leaf that is in the pot makes the liquid that is in the pot first degree [of ritual defilement] and it (i.e., the leaf) returns and defiles the pot, as is brought in the first chapter of [Tractate] Shabbat [see the Bartenura commentary to Mishnah 4] concerning food and vessels that were defiled by liquids.

אין בו כביצה הוא טמא – that leaf that she touched [is ritually impure].

והכל טהור – for less than an egg’s bulk it does not defile other [things].

חזר לקדירה – that place that liquid touched it (i.e., the leaf).

הכל טמא -even though there isn’t on the leaf an egg’s bulk [of liquid], for the liquid that touched it returned and defiled all that was in the pot, and even the pot itself.

היתה מגע טמא מת – this woman who is pickling the vegetables, for the woman is first-degree [of ritual impurity] and the leaf that she touched is second degree [of ritual impurity], therefore, if there is an egg’s bulk on it, everything is ritually impure.

היתה טבולת יום מנערת את הקדירה (if one who had immersed herself on that same day was emptying (or stirring) the pot) – for now the woman has two defilements: one – that she is someone who had immersed herself that day, and the other – that hands are second-degree of ritual impurity, as it is taught regarding unwashed hands, and both of them are necessary [to teach in the Mishnah] because of the concluding clause. [The word} מנערת – that she empties out what is within the pot (another version), מנערת – she stirs with a spoon that is in her hand that which is in the pot.

ספק מן הקדירה נתזו (doubt whether it – the liquid had splashed from the pot) – and what is within the pot is not defiled.

ספק שהקלח (a doubt whether the jet/the stalk) – which is completely filled with liquid and it is within the pot touched her hand.

הירק פסול – because of doubt of being someone who immersed that day, but not because of doubtfulness of [the status] of her hands, as is taught in the Mishnah in Chapter 2 [Mishnah 2] (regarding the stringency of whether her hands were unclean or not), there is a greater stringency regarding someone who immersed that day for the doubtfulness concerning [whether] a person who immersed that day invalidates the heave offering/priest’s due, but the hands are doubtfully pure.

והקדירה טהורה – because a person who immersed that day did not defile it (i.e., the pot) even it is she certainly touched the liquids, for a person who immersed that day does not make liquids first degree [of ritual impurity], as is taught in the Mishnah [Tractate Parah, Chapter 8, Mishnah 7]: “All who renders the priest’s due/heave offering unit defiles the liquids to be first-degree [of ritual impurity] except for a person who had immersed that day.” But if it is because of [her] hands, she does not defile it, for since there is a doubt lest it (i.e., the liquid from the pot) splashed upon her hands, from doubt the pot is ritually pure, for hands that are doubtfully impure are pure.

האוכל אוכל ראשון – his body is made first degree [of ritual impurity] so that his contact is second-degree [of ritual impurity]. And the person who eats food that is second-degree [of ritual impurity], his body is made second-degree [of ritual impurity], but if he came in contact with heave-offering/priest-due, he invalidated it, these are from the eighteen matters that were decreed on that self-same day (i.e., when Rabban Gamaliel was deposed as President of the Sanhedrin described in Talmud Berakhot 28a – see the Bartenura commentary to Tractate Shabbat, Chapter 1, Mishnah 4 for the full list of the eighteen decrees). And specifically, that he consumed half of a loaf, which is an egg and a half worth according to Maimonides and two eggs’ worth according to Rashi. And this is the measurement of food to make the body unfit.

Introduction The rabbis decreed that a person who eats unclean food becomes unclean. In our mishnah Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua disagree with regard to his level of uncleanness.

רבי יהושע אומר האוכל אוכל ראשון ואוכל שני נעשה גופו שני – for he holds that we don’t compare for him the one who eats to be like the food itself. For that which compares the person who consumes second-degree [of ritual impurity] food to be second degree [of ritual impurity] and not third-degree [of ritual impurity, because since we found that second degree [of ritual impurity] makes someone second-degree [of ritual impurity] through liquids, for the liquids which were defiled by someone with second-degree [of ritual impurity] are made first degree [of ritual impurity] and a person who comes in contact with them is second-degree [of ritual impurity], but if we would compare to him who consumes food that is second-degree [of ritual impurity] becomes third-degree [of ritual impurity], it would not invalidate the heave-offering/priest’s due, for something that is third-degree [of ritual impurity] does not make something fourth-degree [of ritual impurity] regarding heave-offering/priest’s due, but the Sages decreed on someone who consumes food that is second degree [of ritual impurity] that he would invalidate the priest’s due/heave offering, because sometimes he consumes ritually impure foods and casts liquids of heave-offering into his mouth while the ritually impure foods are in his mouth and invalidates them, therefore, even though that when eating foods that are first-degree [of ritual impurity], we don’t compare him to one who eats like the food itself, that by consuming food that is second-degree [of ritual impurity] we compare him to be second-degree [of ritual impurity] like the food, in order to invalidate the heave-offering/priest’s due.

Rabbi Eliezer says: he who eats food with first degree uncleanness contracts first decree uncleanness; [He who eats food with] second [degree uncleanness contracts] second [degree uncleanness]; With third [degree uncleanness contracts] third [degree uncleanness]. Rabbi Eliezer's system is simple. A person takes on the level of impurity of the food he ate. Literally, you are what you eat.

שלישי שני לקודש – a person who eats food hat is third-degree [of ritual impurity], his body becomes second-degree [of ritual impurity] for Holy Things, and he makes third-degree [of ritual impurity] and fourth degree [of ritual impurity] with Holy Things.

Rabbi Joshua says: he who eats food with first [degree] or with second [degree uncleanness contracts] second [degree uncleanness]; With third [degree uncleanness, he contracts] second [degree uncleanness] in regard to holy things but not in regard to terumah. All this applies to common food that was prepared in condition of cleanness that is appropriate for terumah. According to Rabbi Joshua, if one eats food that has either first or second degree impurity, he gets second degree impurity. This will mean that he will defile terumah. The reasoning is explained by analogy to food. Food with second degree impurity can give other food second degree impurity, if the second food is wet. The food with second degree impurity defiles the liquid, which takes on first degree impurity. The liquid can then defile the other food, giving it second degree impurity. But there are no cases where food with first degree impurity can give other food first degree impurity. Therefore, argues Rabbi Joshua, the same is true with human beings. According to Rabbi Joshua if he eats food with third degree impurity, he gets second degree impurity vis a vis holy things. This means he will defile holy things such as sacrifices. However, he will not defile or even invalidate terumah, because vis a vis terumah he does not have second degree impurity. The mishnah concludes by noting that the previous clause refers not only to terumah, meaning one who ate terumah that had third degree impurity, but even to common food that was prepared with the intent of it being eaten with the sanctity of terumah. This refers to the practice of some pious Jews, including perhaps the Pharisees, who strived to preserve the purity of all of the food that they ate, not just terumah.

ולא שני לתרומה – for if he came in contact with heave-offering, he did not invalidate it, but however, he is prohibited to consume heave-offering, and this is proven in the Gemara in Chapter Two of [Tractate] Hullin [folio 37a].

בחולין שנעשו על הרת תרומה – meaning to say this food is food of first-degree [of ritual impurity] and one who consumes food of second-degree [of ritual impurity] and third-degree [of ritual impurity] that we taught in our Mishnah, we are speaking about unconsecrated produce that was made on the purity of priest-due/heave offering, for mere unconsecrated produce does not have a third-degree [of ritual impurity].

הראשון שבחולין טמא ומטמא – [defiles] heave-offering/priest’s due, that a loaf of heave-offering that came in contact with first-degree [of ritual impurity] of unconsecrated foods, becomes second-degree [of ritual impurity] and makes third-degree [of ritual impurity] unfit/invalid.

Introduction Our mishnah provides some basic rules as to the implications of the levels of impurity in common food, meaning non-sacred food, neither terumah nor sacrifices.

והשני שבחולין – makes heave-offering unfit/invalid but does not defile, for third-degree [of ritual defilement] of heave-offering does not make something fourth-degree [of ritual defilement], therefore third-degree [of ritual defilement] of heave-offering is not considered defiled, but rather unfit/invalid.

First [degree uncleanness] in common food is unclean and conveys uncleanness; Hullin (regular or common food) that has first degree uncleanness can defile other foods, giving them second degree uncleanness.

והשלישי של חולין – this is what he said and if there is in those unconsecrated foods third-degree [of ritual impurity] as, for example, that they became through the purification of heave-offering/priest’s due.

Second [degree uncleanness] invalidates but does not convey uncleanness. Hullin that has second degree uncleanness invalidates other food. If the other food is terumah, the terumah is invalid. If the other food is hullin which the person wishes to eat with the sanctity of terumah, then it is invalid. But it doesn't give other food third degree impurity.

נאכל בנזיד הדמע (is consumed in a pottage of Holy Things)- in a cooked dish [that heave-offering] is mixed in, for the heave-offering/Terumah is called דמע/Holy Things (i.e., another name for Terumah) , as it is stated (Exodus 22:28): "מלאתך ודמעך לא תאחר [בכור בניך תתן-לי]"/You shall not put off the skimming of the first yield of your vats. [You shall give to Me the first-born among your sons],” and in the second chapter of [Tractate] Hullin (folio 34b), it proves that specifically, when there isn’t in the pottage of Holy Things an olive’s bulk of heave offering incidentally for consuming a certain quantity of bread (i.e., a piece, which is defined by the Tosefta Negaim, Chapter 7, Halakha 10 as half a loaf of which three make a Kab) that permits him to eat food which is third-degree [of ritual impurity], but if there is an olive’s bulk of heave-offering incidentally for consuming a certain quantity of bread (i.e., half a loaf), it is prohibited, for we hold that a person who consumes that which is third-degree [of ritual impurity] from unconsecrated food, that was made through the purification of Terumah/heave-offering, his body is made unfit from consuming heave-offering.

And third [degree uncleanness] may be eaten in a dish mixed with terumah. Basically, there is no such thing as hullin with third degree impurity. If food came into contact with other hullin food with second degree impurity, that food can be eaten in a dish with terumah because it is not all impure.

הרביעי נאכל בנזיד הקודש (And [heave offering] in the fourth degree of ritual impurity is eaten in a pottage of Holy Things) – that is to say, that if there is in that heave offering fourth degree [of ritual impurity], as, for example, that was prepared in conditions of cleanness pertaining to Holy Things, and similarly the fifth degree [of ritual impurity] that is eaten in a pottage of Holy things, as is taught further on (in Mishnah 5 of this chapter) , this is how what he said: and if there is that Holy Thing fifth-degree [of ritual impurity] as, for example, that it was prepared in conditions of cleanness of a sin-offering of the ashes of the Red Heifer, as we stated, the clothing of those who consume Holy Things are [ritual impurity imparted] through treading (usually by someone with gonorrhea, a woman with an issue, a woman after childbirth and/or a menstruating woman) for a sin-offering is eaten in a pottage of Holy Things, it is permissible to combine in it a cooked dish of pure Holy Things.

Introduction Today's mishnah is the same pattern as yesterday's mishnah, except it deals with terumah. As we shall see, the rules governing terumah are one degree stricter than those governing common food.

First [degree] and second [degree uncleanness] in terumah are unclean and convey uncleanness; When it comes to terumah, even something with second degree uncleanness can defile other terumah.

Third [degree uncleanness] causes invalidity but does not convey uncleanness. Terumah with third degree impurity is invalid but it does not convey uncleanness to other terumah with which it comes into contact.

And fourth [degree uncleanness] may be eaten in a dish containing holy food. Basically, there is no such thing as fourth degree uncleanness when it comes to terumah. Something that has been in contact with third degree uncleanness can be eaten in a dish with holy food.

Introduction Today's mishnah is the same as the previous two mishnayot except it discusses holy food, such as sacrifices. Again, the purity rules are one degree stricter.

First, second and third [degrees of uncleanness] in holy foods are unclean and convey uncleanness; When it comes to holy food, even food with third degree uncleanness can convey impurity.

Fourth [degree of uncleanness] is invalid and causes no uncleanness; Food with fourth degree uncleanness is invalid but doesn't convey uncleanness onward.

And fifth [degree of uncleanness] may be eaten in a dish containing holy food. There is no such thing as fifth degree uncleanness. Such food can be eaten together with other holy food.

השני שבחולין מטמא משקה חולין – for all that invalidates/renders unfit the heave-offering/priest’s due defiles liquids to become first-degree [of ritual impurity] (see Tractate Parah, Chapter 8, Mishnah 7).

Introduction Today's mishnah builds on the three previous mishnayot but adds in the factor of liquids, which as we have seen on many occasions, amplify impurity.

מטמא משקה קודש – that all which invalidates/renders unfit Holy Things defiles (holy) liquids to be first degree [of ritual impurity] for Holy Things.

Second [degree uncleanness] in common food conveys uncleanness to unconsecrated liquids and causes invalidity to terumah food. We learned before that food with second degree impurity invalidates terumah. This mishnah teaches a rule: anything that invalidates terumah also conveys impurity to non-sacred liquids, even if the food wouldn't defile common food. So common food (hullin) with second degree impurity defiles all liquids, but when it comes to food, it only disqualifies terumah.

שנעשו על טהרת הקודש (that was prepared in conditions of cleanness pertaining to Holy Things) – meaning to say, that which we said, that heave offering of third-degree [of ritual purity] makes unfit/invalidates but does not defile foods of Holy Things, these words apply when they were prepared in conditions of cleanness pertaining to Holy Things. But if it they were prepared in conditions of cleanness pertaining to heave offering/priest’s due, that it was not protected/guarded in conditions of cleanness pertaining to Holy Thins, the third-degree [of ritual impurity] defiles the second degree and makes unfit/invalidates first-degree [of ritual impurity] of Holy Things. For the ritual purity of heave-offering is impure next to Holy Things, for it is considered third-degree [of ritual impurity] of heave offering next to the Holy Things as if it was defiled by a moving creature/unclean reptile itself.

Third [degree of uncleanness] in terumah conveys uncleanness to consecrated liquids and causes invalidity to holy food that was prepared in conditions of cleanness appropriate to holy food; But if it was only prepared under conditions of cleanness appropriate to terumah, it conveys uncleanness at a first and at a second remove, and causes invalidity to holy food at one additional remove. The same is true with terumah food that has third degree uncleanness. It conveys first degree impurity to holy liquids, because terumah with third degree uncleanness does invalidate holy food. The mishnah now adds a caveat to this previous rule. If the terumah food was prepared in order to have the sanctity of holy food, then if it has third degree impurity it disqualifies holy food but doesn't cause it to be defiled. But if it was prepared under the conditions of purity appropriate to terumah, it is not considered to have been guarded for the purpose of being used with holy food. Therefore, it is treated as if it has first degree impurity. It will defile the first thing it touches, and that will defile something else, giving it third degree impurity. The third thing will invalidate holy food.

ר' אליעזר אומר שלשתן שוין – as he explains further on, for Rabbi Eliezer does not hold the purity of heave-offering which is Levitical uncleanness next to Holy Things.

Introduction In today's mishnah Rabbi Eliezer presents his version of exactly how defilement works. The disagreement between Rabbi Eliezer and the other sages is brought at the end of this mishnah.

השלישי שבכולן – third-degree of [ritual defilement] is not found with unconsecrated foods unless they were made through the purity of heave-offering. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Eliezer.

Rabbi Eliezer says: the three of them are equivalent.
The first degree of uncleanness in holy food, in terumah or in common food: conveys uncleanness at two removes and causes invalidity at one additional remove in the case of holy food; conveys uncleanness at one remove and causes invalidity at one additional remove in the case of terumah; and causes invalidity in common food. Food that has first degree impurity, no matter what it is (hullin, terumah or holy food), conveys impurity in the same way. This will now be explained. If any food with first degree impurity comes into contact with holy food it conveys uncleanness in two removes. What this means is that if it touches something it gives it second degree impurity and the second degree food conveys third degree. The third degree only invalidates the holy food this food will not convey any other impurity down the line. In the case of terumah it conveys second degree impurity and the second degree invalidates the terumah that it touches. And if it touches common food it invalidates it (in reality it gives it second degree impurity) but such food will not convey any impurity onward.

The second [degree of uncleanness] in the case of all of them: conveys uncleanness at one remove and causes invalidity at one additional remove in the case of holy food; it conveys uncleanness to common liquids and causes invalidity of terumah food. Food that has second degree impurity cause holy food to have third degree impurity and this holy food will invalidate other holy food that it touches. It will defile common liquids, giving them first degree impurity. Note that it will not defile common food, just liquid. And it will invalidate terumah food.

The third degree of uncleanness in the case of all them: conveys uncleanness to holy liquids and causes invalidity to holy food. Something that has third degree impurity will not defile anything common or terumah. But it will cause holy liquids, such as sanctified wine or oil, to have first degree impurity and it will invalidate holy food. This is where Rabbi Eliezer disagrees with the other sages. He holds that terumah that has third degree impurity does not convey uncleanness at two removes and invalidity at one extra remove, as does the opinion in mishnah six. Furthermore, he holds that even common food that has third degree impurity can defile holy food, whereas the previous opinion said it needed to have second degree impurity to do so.

האוכל אוכל שני לא יעשה בבית הבד – he should not engage in the making of [olive] oil in the olive press, for Rabbi Yehoshua above (in Mishnah 2 of our chapter) agrees with Rabbi Eliezer that a person who consumes food that is second degree [of ritual impurity] he himself becomes second degree [of ritual impurity and invalidates the heave offering and defiles liquids to be first degree [of ritual impurity] (that is the oil).

If one eats food with second [degree uncleanness he must not work in an olive-press. A person who eats food with second degree uncleanness gets second degree uncleanness, as we learned in mishnah two. Therefore, he shouldn't work in an olive press because when he touches the olive oil, he will convey to it first degree uncleanness, because it is a liquid.

על גב הקודש – on the purification of Holy Things.

Common food that was prepared under conditions proper to the cleanness of consecrated food is still regarded as common food. Rabbi Elazar bar Zadok says: it is regarded as terumah to convey uncleanness at two removes and to render terumah invalid at one additional remove. The mishnah again makes reference to common food (hullin) that was prepared under the conditions of purity that are normally used for holy food. Such food is still considered to be hullin, and therefore there is no such thing as third degree impurity. Food that had contact with such food that had second degree impurity can still be eaten. Rabbi Elazar bar Zadok says that it is like terumah. First and second degree are impure, third degree is invalid but doesn't convey impurity onward. In other words, by treating this common food as if it was holy, it does attain added holiness.

הרי אלו כחולין – and they don’t come into the category of third-degree [of ritual impurity].

הרי אלו כתרומה – and they do have a third degree [of ritual impurity]. And these Tannaim/Mishnaic teachers both of them (see the previous Mishnah) hold that unconsecrated foods that were made through the purification of Holy Things are not similar to Holy Things, for there isn’t anything that makes fourth degree [of ritual impurity] other than Holy Things from Holy Things alone. And they dispute with the Mishnah above (i.e., the previous Mishnah) that teaches that “third degree [of ritual impurity] spoils foods of Holy Things”/"השלישי שבכולן ...פוסל לאוכלי קודש".