Si può versare [acqua per lavarsi] sulle mani da tutti i [tipi di] vasi, anche da vasi di sterco bovino, da vasi di pietra o da vasi di terra. Non si può versare [acqua per lavarsi] sulle mani dai lati dei vasi [cioè dai frammenti dei vasi], né usare il fondo [rotto] di una grande brocca, né usare il tappo di una botte, né si può versare [acqua] sulle [mani di] suo compagno fuori dall'incavo della sua [propria] mano, poiché si possono solo riempire, santificare o cospargere le acque di chatat [le acque che contengono le ceneri della giovenca rossa, usate come parte di il rituale di purificazione] con una nave, né si possono prendere in mano. E nulla può essere preservato [dall'essere reso impuro, in caso di impurità causata dall'essere oscurato da un'area chiusa contenente un'origine di impurità] per mezzo di un sigillo stretto [che a volte può proteggere da un'impurità oscurante], a meno che non sia [contenuto in] una [intera] nave. E qualcosa può essere preservato da [essere reso impuro da un oggetto impuro contenuto al suo interno] di una nave di terracotta se è essa stessa una nave.
Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
בכלי גללים – vessels/utensils that are made from the dung of cattle, but they are not considered vessels regarding the matter of defilement.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
Introduction
Today's mishnah deals with what kind of vessel can be used to pour water over one's hands.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
לא בדפנות הכלים ולא בשולי המחץ (not with the sides of [broken] utensils nor with the sides of a broken ladle) – because they are broken vessels.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
Water may be poured over the hands out of any kind of vessel, even out of vessels made of animal dung, out of vessels made of stone or out of vessels made of clay. Any kind of vessel can be used for the ritual washing of hands, even vessels that are not susceptible to impurity such as vessels made of dung or stone (see Kelim 10:1). In other words, one might have thought that since these vessels are not susceptible to impurity they do not count as vessels, therefore the mishnah teaches that they do count as vessels and can be used for handwashing.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
ולא במגופת החבית (nor with the bung/stopper for utensils) – for it is not used within it other than as a cover for the barrel.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
Water may not be poured from the sides of [broken] vessels or from the bottom of a ladle or from the stopper of a jar. All of these objects do not count as "vessels" and therefore cannot be used for handwashing.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
בחפניו (with his cupped hands) – that he should not fill his cupped hands with water and pour on the hands of his fellow.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
Nor may one pour [water] over the hands of his fellow out of his cupped hands. Cupped hands are also no good (I'll fess up I've tried this a few times when I couldn't find a cup).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
שאין ממלאים -drawing potable running spring water to sanctify with them the waters of purification of the ashes of the Red Heifer, for a vessel is required, as it is written (Numbers 19:17): “[Some of the ashes from the fire of cleansing shall be taken from the unclean person,] and fresh water shall be added to them in a vessel” (see Tractate Parah, Chapter 5, Mishnah 5).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
Because one may not draw, nor sanctify, nor sprinkle the water of purification, nor pour water over the hands except in a vessel. The mishnah now lists water rituals that require a vessel. Most of these involve the purification ritual of the red heifer ashes. The first is drawing water from a live spring to be used in the red heifer ritual. The second is putting the ashes into the water this must be done in a vessel. The third is sprinkling the waters of purification (the water which has the ashes of the red heifer) on the impure person. The fourth is handwashing.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
ואין מקדשין – placing the ashes on top of the water.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
And only vessels closely covered with a lid protect [their contents from uncleanness]. If an earthenware vessel with a tight-fitting lid is found in a tent with a corpse in it, the vessels contents are not defiled (neither is the vessel). However, only a real vessel acts in this manner.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
ואין מזין – that the hyssop is immersed in a vessel in order to sprinkle it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Yadayim
And only vessels protect [their contents from uncleanness] inside earthenware vessels. Furthermore, if there is a vessel with food in it and it is in an earthenware vessel in which there is also a sheretz (a creepy crawly defiling thing) the vessel protects the food inside it from becoming impure (see Kelim 8:3). But this protection is only if the inside vessel is really a vessel.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
צמיד פתיל – the shards of an earthenware vessel that he surrounded with a closely covered lid and placed in the tent of a corpse, they don’t save what is inside them.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
שאין מצילין – like, “and they do’ save,” and its example is in the first chapter of [Tractate] Betzah [8a], that the ashes of a portable stove on feet [with caves for two pots] is ready. And they explained in the Gemara {Tractate Betzah 8a), this is what he said: that the ashes of the portable stove on feet are ready.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Yadayim
מיד כלי חרס- if an unclean reptile fill within an earthenware vessel, everything that is in its airspace is defiled except for the utensils and a human being which are not defiled from the airspace of an earthenware vessel, as it is written (Leviticus 11:33-34): “[And if any of those falls into an earthen vessel,] everything inside it shall be unclean [and -the vessel – itself you shall break]. As to any food that may be eaten, [it shall become unclean if It came in contact with water],” food and liquids become are defiled from the airspace of an earthenware vessel, but human beings and vessels are not defiled from the airspace of earthenware vessels. But if shards of vessels are placed in an earthenware oven and an unclean reptile is in the oven, the shards do not save the foods that are within it (see also Tractate Kelim, Chapter 8, Mishnah 3).
