Komentarz do Zawim 3:7

הזב והטהור. או באסדא – large pieces of wood tied together and they place them on the sea or on the river and place upon them a banner/flag and leads/carries them by wind to the harbor of their desire. And in the language of Scripture, they are called דוברות: (I Kings 5:23 – the text citation in Bartenura is incorrect): “and at the sea I will make them into floats”/"ואני אשימם דברות בים". And they are also called רפסודות/floats: (II Chronicles 2:15): “and deliver them to you as rafts by sea to Jaffa; [you will transport them to Jerusalem].”/"ומביאם לך רפסדות על-ים יפו [ותה תעלה אתם ירושלם]" (see also Tractate Berakhot, Chapter 4, Mishnah where the term אסדא /raft is also used).

A zav and a clean person who sat together in a boat, or on a raft, or rode together on a beast, even though their garments did not touch, behold they are impure through midras. In this case the zav and a clean person are traveling together on a boat, raft or animal. The clothes of the pure person are defiled by the zav even if they didn't touch. There are two possible explanations for why. First of all, since these things are all moving, it is possible and even likely that the zav did indeed lean upon the clean person's clothing. Alternatively, the clean person could have caused the ship, raft or animal to lean in his direction which would cause the zav to go up. This is "hanging" explained in yesterday's mishnah.

או שרכבו על גבי בהמה – an undefined bent animal underneath the rider, therefore, it doesn’t matter whether it cannot endure pressure nor if it can endure pressure. The ritually pure person and his clothing are defiled. But that which the animal is shaking with its foot, is not shook on account of the rider, unless it cannot endure pressure, as is brought in the last (i.e., 18th) chapter of [Tractate] Ahilot [Mishnah 6].

If they sat together on a plank, on a bench or on a bed-frame, or on a beam, when these were not fixed tightly, [Or] if they had both climbed a weak tree, or [were swaying] on a weak branch of a strong tree; Or if they were both [climbing] on an Egyptian ladder which was not secured by a nail; Or if they sat together on a bridge, rafter or door, not secured by clay, they are unclean. Rabbi Judah says that they are clean. In all of these cases, the zav and the clean person sit on something loose. Since the zav's moving would cause the clean person to move as well, the clean person is defiled. This is called defilement through shifting. An alternative explanation is that this is the same as the case in section one. The clean person might cause the zav to go up and this is considered "hanging."

אע"פ שאין בגדיהן נוגעים – the clothing of the ritually clean person does not touch the clothing of the person with gonorrhea, nevertheless, they are ritually impure imparted through treading, that the small ship is similar to a raft and they sink, for sometimes, that the person with gonorrhea outweighs the clean person and his clothing and they are defiled through movement/shaking (without actually coming in contact with it, like by means of a lever). And we derive the defilement of movement/shaking from what is written (Leviticus 15:11): “If one with a discharge [without having rinsed his hands in water], touches another person,”/"וכל אשר יגע-בו הזב" and it is written (Leviticus 6:21): “An earthen vessel in which it was boiled shall be broken; [if I was boiled in a copper vessel – the vessel – shall be scoured and rinsed with water].”/ "וכלי-חרש אשר תבשל-בו ישבר [ואם-בכלי נחשת בשלה ומרק ושטף במים]." Just what is stated further on from the hollow/airspace of the vessel, even here [also] in the hollow/airspace of the vessel, for an earthenware vessel is not defiled through the contact of a person with gonorrhea unless he came in contact in it from its hollow/airspace, but if he came in contact with it from behind it he did not defile it, and since after we learned that he (i.e., the person with gonorrhea) does not defile it other than from its airspace/hollow, what does the inference teach us [from the Biblical text]:"אבל נגע בו" /”that it touches another person” (Leviticus 15:11), contact with it is like all of it, this is shaking/movement of it. For we have learned that that a person with gonorrhea defiles through movement/shaking. But if it was ritually pure on one end of the board and the person with gonorrhea shook/moved the board on the second edge until it shakes/moves the pure person that is on the first edge, the pure person has already been defiled through shaing/movement, and his clothing has been ritually defiled through treading if they are clothing appropriate for lying and sitting.

הגשיש של מטה (the frame on which the couch is spread) – they are like long pieces of wood that they place on the bed of sections, and through them the parts of the bed strike against each other and is connected to the, and therefore, these pieces of wood are called frames/גשישין. Another explanation: pieces of wood that they place under the legs of the bed so that they are not lost due to the moistness of the ground.

שהן מחגירין – like a lame person who is not able to move his two feet at the same time. Such are those when people sit upon them, they tilt this way and that way, and through this, it is found that the person with gonorrhea leans upon the pure person and the pure person upon the person with gonorrhea.

באילן שכוחו רע (on a shaky tree) – and in what case is a tree shaky? All that its root is not wide and thick in order to make hollow a quarter of a Kab.

או שוכה- that is, the bough of a tree.

שכוחה רע – and in what case is a bough shaky? All that is hidden in its being held, that a person who grabs hold of it hides it in the palm of his hand.

על אילן יפה – even the bough stands on a firm tree. And all these that are bent underneath them and the weight of the upper part is upon the bottom part and leans upon it. And whether the person with gonorrhea is the one that leans upon the pure person, or whether the pure person is the one that leans on the person with gonorrhea, he is impure.

שאינו קבוע במסמר – and because of this, it is bent.

על הכבש – on the bridge.

שאינו עשוין בטיט טמאין – because they are bent.

ור' יהודה מטהר – but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.

מגיפין – they (i.e., the ritually pure person and the person with gonorrhea/the Zav) close the door.

Introduction Today's mishnah deals with a series of cases in which a zav and a clean person are jointly performing some action. In each case, there is one opinion that holds that the clean person has been defiled, or might have been defiled, and there is one opinion that holds that only if the act was done under specific conditions is he considered defiled.

או פותחין – [open] the door together – the person with gonorrhea/the Zav and the ritually pure person.

If they were both closing or opening [a door], [the clean person and his clothes are unclean]. But the sages say: [he is not unclean] unless one was shutting and the other opening [it]. According to the first opinion, if they were both either opening or closing a door then the zav has shifted the clean person by applying pressure to the door. The clean person and his clothes are defiled. The sages hold that this is true only if they are pushing against each other. In such a case, it is likely that one has moved the other. But if both are opening or closing, then it is more likely that neither has moved the other, so the clean person remains pure.

עד שיהא זה מגיף – after all there is no defilement here, until there would be this one pull to open [the door] and that one pull to close it, that we don’t allow them each to do it to the other [for it would cause defilement through movement/shaking].

If one was lifting the other out of a pit [the clean person and his clothes are unclean]. Rabbi Judah says: only if the clean person was pulling out the unclean one. According to the first opinion, if the zav and pure person are helping each other climb out of a pit, then it is likely that the zav has lifted or shifted in some way the pure person. Therefore, he is defiled. Rabbi Judah says that the pure person is defiled only if the pure person is helping the zav get out of the pit. In such a case, the zav may have leaned on the pure person and defiled him. But if the zav is helping the pure person out of the pit, he is not defiled. Evidently, Rabbi Judah is lenient and holds that the zav must lean on the pure person to defile him. Simply moving him does not cause defilement. Note that Rabbi Judah was also lenient in yesterday's mishnah.

עד שיהא הטהור מעלה את הטמא – for then the clothes of the ritually pure person would be impure through treading, for the weight of the impure person would be greater than that of the pure ofperson and he would be leaning upon him. And the clothing of the pure person would be impure through treading. But if the impure person raises the pure person [from the pit], the impure person does not lean upon the ritually pure person, and the clothing of the pure person is not impure through treading. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.

If they were twisting ropes together [the clean person and his clothes are unclean]. But the sages say: unless the one pulled one way and the other pulled the other way. Again, the first opinion holds that by twisting ropes together the zav may have leaned upon or shifted the clean person and thereby defiled him. The sages rule that they have to be pulling in opposite directions, as was the case with the door in section one.

מפשלין בחבלין (twisting ropes) – the person with gonorrhea/the Zav and the ritually pure person together are plaiting/twisting a rope. And even if both of them are doing it from one side.

If they were both weaving together, whether they were standing or sitting, or grinding wheat, [the clean person and his clothes are unclean]. Rabbi Shimon says [the clean person] in every case is pure, except where they [both] were grinding with a hand-mill. The first opinion holds that weaving or grinding together causes the zav to defile the clean person, either because he leans on him or he shifts him. Rabbi Shimon rules more leniently. The only case of defilement is when they grind together with a hand-mill.

זה מושך הילך וזה מושך הילך – this one stands to the east and pulls towards him and the other stands to the west and pulls towards him.

If they [both] were unloading or loading a donkey, they are unclean if the load was heavy, but clean if the load was light. If they are both unloading a donkey and the load is heavy, then the zav would likely have leaned on the pure person and defiled him. But if the load is light, they could both unload independently and one has not leaned on the other.

בין עומדין – there are things that are woven while standing and there are those [that are woven] while sitting, and the ritually impure person and the ritually pure person weave together, or grind [wheat].

In all cases, however, they are clean for members of the synagogue, but are unclean for terumah. In all of these cases, we can't be certain that the pure person is defiled. Therefore, he can sit with other members of the synagogue who are eating their non-sacred food in a state of purity. Since this behavior is only a stringency, and is not required by law, we can be lenient and let him eat with them. However, the Torah prohibits eating defiled terumah. Therefore, he cannot eat terumah. This last clause basically serves to clarify that in all of these cases the status of his impurity is doubtful, not certain.

ר' שמעון מטהר בכולן – but the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon.

בזמן שמשאן כבד טמאים – for perhaps through the heaviness of the load, the person with gonorrhea leans upon the ritually pure person and it is found that the pure person shakes/moves him or the pure person is moved by him (i.e., the person with gonorrhea).

וכולן – even if their load is heavy.

טהורים לבני הכנסת – that is to say, to those who eat their non-holy produce in a state of ritual purity, for this is not a complete shaking, and all the more so, that there is a doubt [of shaking].

וטמאים לתרומה – from according to the Rabbis, and even with doubt.

כל שאינו יכולה להמיט באדם (a ship which has no staggering effect on man) – it is large enough that when a person ascends on it, a person is not shaking/sinking.

If the zav and the clean person sat together in a large boat: (what is considered a large boat? Rabbi Judah said: one that does not sway with a man's, or if they sat on a plank, bench, bed-frame, or beam when these were firmly secured; Or if they both climbed a strong tree, a firm branch, or a Tyrian ladder, or an Egyptian ladder fixed by a nail; Or if they sat on a bridge, rafter or door, when these were fastened with clay, even if only at one end, they remain clean. In all of these cases, since the things upon which the zav and clean person sat were stable, the zav has not moved the clean person. Therefore, the clean person remains clean. Note that most of this list is simply the opposite of those things listed in mishnah one. Either they were firmly secured, they were fixed by a nail or they were fastened in place by clay. In mishnah one, the opposite was always the case the various items were loose. Therefore the pure person became defiled.

הטהור מכה את הטמא – the person with gonorrhea/a Zav.

If the clean one struck the unclean one, he still remains clean. But if the unclean one struck the clean one, he is impure; for [in that case] if the clean one drew back, the unclean one would have fallen. A clean person who strikes a zav remains clean because the zav has not moved the clean person. While it is possible that when hitting him the clean person leaned on the zav, since this is not certain, he remains clean. However, if the zav strikes the clean person he is in a sense leaning on the clean person, for if the clean person moves when the zav strikes him, the zav would fall down (and be embarrassed). Leaning on the clean person defiles him.

הרי הטמא נופל – for it is the manner of one who hits/strikes his fellow, if his fell was stretched, the person who struck/hit [his fellow] falls. And therefore, the person who strikes/hit [his fellow] (i.e., the person with gonorrhea is the one striking) is considered as one who is leaning on the ritually pure person in. And specifically, we are speaking of the matter of ritual impurity imparted through treading, for the ritually pure person who strikes/hits the impure person is pure from ritual impurity imparted through treading. But he is impure, for he is leaning on the person with gonorrhea/the Zav. And a ritually impure person who strikes the ritually pure person, his clothes are impure through treaiding, for it is as if the person with gonorrhea/the Zav is leaning upon him.