Commento su 'Eduyyot 8:1

העיד רבי יהושע על דם נבילות שהוא טהור – from being made impure like a carrion in an olive’s bulk, and it defiles with a quarter [of a log]. For you do not have anything whose blood will become defiled like its skin other than for a reptile alone. And above [at the beginning of Chapter 5 of Tractate Eduyot] where it is taught in the Mishnah: that the blood of carrion – the School of Shammai declares clean and the School of Hillel declares unclean, but not like the carrion which defiles through an olive’s bulk, but through a quarter [of a log].

Introduction Our mishnah contains two testimonies, and an additional law stated by Rabbi Akiva.

שנגע טמא במקצתו שטימא את כולו – they made a preference with Holy things and with the ashes of the sin-offering, for even thouh they themselves are divided if we place them within one utensil and comes in contact with something that defiles holy things in part, all were defiled, for the utensil combines them to be considered as if they are one body, and support is brought for it from the Biblical verse, as it is written (Numbers 7:14,20,26,32,38,44,50,56,62,68,74,80): “One gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense,” as the Biblical verse made all of what is in one ladle.

Rabbi Joshua ben. Bathyra testified concerning the blood of carcasses that it was pure. This law was learned above, chapter five, mishnah one. There we learned that everyone holds that the flesh of a carcass (an animal which was not properly slaughtered) is impure. Beth Shammai held that the blood of a carcass is not like the flesh, and it is not impure, whereas Beth Hillel held that it is impure. In our mishnah Rabbi Judah ben Bathyra testifies that the law is like Beth Hillel.

הוסיף ר' עקיבא – for whereas from the testimony of Rabbi Shimon ben Beterah, we did not hear other than on that which is impure, and Rabbi Akiva came and added that even one who immersed himself on that day – but is not completely pure until sunset which does not defile but is invalid alone, if it came comes in contact with part of it, it invalidates all of it. And Maimonides explained, that from the testimony of Rabbi Shimon, we did not hear that it combines other than a utensil that has an inside [receptacle] but a vessel that does not have an inside [receptacle], we did not hear that it combines, but Rabbi Akiva came and added that even sifted fine flour and incense and frankincense and coals that are not within the utensil, but are collected and placed on a board or plank which has no inside [receptacle], they are considered as if placed within the utensil, and are made as if they are one substance.

Rabbi Shimon ben Bathyra testified concerning the ashes of purification, that if a defiled person had touched part of them he had defiled the whole of them. Rabbi Akiva added in regard to the fine flour, the incense, the frankincense, and the coals, that if a tevul yom had touched part of them he had made the whole of them unfit. The “ashes of purification” are the ashes of the red heifer which are combined with water and then used to purify one who has contracted corpse impurity. According to Rabbi Shimon ben Bathyra if an impure person touches some of these ashes, all of the ashes that are in the same pile have become impure. Even though each ash is its own distinct object and they are not attached to each other, one who touches some, defiles it all. Rabbi Akiva adds several other items that are in truth each individual, separate things, yet if part of them are touched by an impure person the entire pile is impure. This includes flour, incense, frankincense and coals, all of which are used on the altar in the Temple. If these are touched even by a “tevul yom”, someone who as already immersed himself in a mikveh to become clean but the sun has not yet set, will make them impure. Note that the reason that Rabbi Akiva mentions specifically the “tevul yom” is that the Saducees and other Jewish sects (including the Dead Sea sect) held that a “tevul yom” was pure. A person did not have to wait for sundown to become pure after having entered the mikveh. In fact, we know from the Dead Sea Scrolls, that this was one of the major disputes between the Dead Sea sect and those with whom they were arguing, probably the Pharisees.

והגחלים – those that the High Priest on Yom Kippur takes out in a pan, if a person who immersed himself on that day – but is not completely pure until sunset touched part of them, all of them are made in valid, and a preference was made with them, for the coals are not receptacles for defilement.