Un pezzo di pasta che era primario [cioè di impurità di primo grado], e uno ad esso attaccato altri pezzi, sono tutti primari; se uno [poi] li separava, [il pezzo originale] è primario e tutti gli altri sono di secondo grado. Se [il pezzo originale] era di secondo grado e uno ne attaccava altri pezzi, sono tutti di secondo grado; se uno [poi] li ha separati, è di secondo grado e tutti gli altri sono di terzo grado. Se era di terzo grado e uno gli attaccava altri pezzi, è di terzo grado e tutti gli altri sono puri, indipendentemente dal fatto che fossero separati o meno.
Bartenura on Mishnah Tahorot
מקרצת – a piece of dough that was first degree [of ritual defilement] and he attached to it other pieces.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
Introduction
Today's mishnah continues to deal with pieces of dough that have different levels of impurity and then become stuck together.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Tahorot
כולן תחילה – and one who has contact with the others is like one who touches the first degree [of ritual defilement], and it is considered connection/junction. And similarly, also, if it was second degree [of ritual defilement], they are considered connection/junction, for after if they separated, the defilement remains in them. But if it was third degree [of ritual defilement], if they separated, they don’t have defilement, for [something] third degree [of ritual defilement] does not make heave-offering fourth degree [of ritual defilement], even if they didn’t separate, they are not considered a connection/junction, and they are ritually pure.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
A piece of dough that had first degree uncleanness, and then others became stuck to it, they all become unclean in the first degree. If they were separated, it still remains unclean in the first degree but all the others are have only second degree uncleanness. The pieces of dough that are stuck to the original piece of dough are considered to become part of the original piece. Therefore they too have impurity in the first degree. If they are subsequently separated, the original piece retains its first degree impurity. The other pieces have second degree impurity because they came into contact with the piece that had first degree impurity.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
If [the original piece] had second degree uncleanness and then others became stuck to it, they all become unclean in the second degree; If they were separated, it still remains unclean in the second degree but all the others are only unclean in the third degree. The same situation as in section one, just the original piece has second degree impurity. [This tractate seems to enjoy doing this repeating the same scenarios over and over again with foods that have different levels of impurity.]
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English Explanation of Mishnah Tahorot
If [the original piece] had third degree uncleanness, and then other became stuck to it, it remains unclean in the third degree but all the others remain clean, whether they were subsequently separated from it or whether they were not separated. Something that has only third degree impurity does not defile other things, even if the other thing is attached to it. It only invalidates holy food and the bread referred to here is probably terumah.
