A tampa de uma chaleira que está conectada a uma corrente, Beit Shammai diz: ela é unida por impureza, mas não por aspersão; Beit Hillel diz: se ele aspergir sobre a chaleira, aspergir sobre a tampa [isto é, a tampa também se tornará pura], mas se ele aspergir sobre a tampa, ele não aspergir sobre a chaleira. Qualquer pessoa é válida para borrifar, exceto um de sexo indeterminado, um hermafrodita, uma mulher e uma criança que não possui entendimento. Uma mulher pode ajudar na aspersão, e ela pode segurar a água enquanto ele mergulha e polvilha. Se ela segurou a mão dele [durante o processo], mesmo no momento da aspersão [e não apenas da imersão], é inválido.
Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
המיחם (vessel for heating water) – a kettle of copper/brass that they heat in it the water.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
The lid of a kettle which is joined to a chain: Bet Shammai say: these are regarded as connected in respect of uncleanness but not in respect of sprinkling. Bet Hillel say: if he sprinkled on the kettle, it is the same as if the lid also was sprinkled upon; but if he sprinkled on the lid only it is not the same as if the kettle also was sprinkled upon. The chain is attached to the lid of the kettle. According to Bet Shammai we rule stringently in this case. If either the chain or the lid becomes impure, the other is impure as well. However, to purify them he must sprinkle on both.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
חוץ מטומטום ואנדרוגינוס – because they are doubtfully female, and a woman is not fit/suitable to sprinkle, as it is written (Numbers 19:18): “A person who is pure [shall take hyssop], dip it in water, [and sprinkle on the tent and on all the vessels and people who were there]; a man, but not a woman, טהור/someone pure, to include the minor. And sprinkling is derived from ritual immersion that is compared to each other.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
Bet Hillel rules that the lid is primary to the chain. Therefore, if he sprinkles on the lid, the chain is made clean. However, if he sprinkles only on the chain, the lid remains unclean.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
האשה מסעדתו (and a woman assists him – i.e., the child, who sprinkles) – assists him, as it is explained in the last clause of this Mishnah - that "אוחזת לו במים"/that she holds the water for him.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
All are eligible to sprinkle, except a tumtum, a hermaphrodite, a woman, and a child that is without understanding. Numbers 19:18 says, “18A person (איש) who is clean shall take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle on the tent and on all the vessels and people who were there.” The rabbis take the word for person “ish” to mean that anyone who is an “ish” can perform this ritual. It is not limited to priests. However it does limit the following people who do not fall under the rabbinic classification of “ish.” A tumtum is a person who lacks the signs of either gender. A hermaphrodite has both male and female organs. A woman is excluded, according to the rabbis, from the category of “ish.” A child who is too young to intend to perform the sprinkling is also not considered an “ish.”
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Parah
ואם אחזה בידו אפילו בשעת הזאה פסול – it is needless to say “at the time of ritual immersion”, for it is written, “a man” but not a woman, it is written regarding ritual immersion (see Numbers 19:18), but even at the time of sprinkling, for it is not written in Scripture “at sprinkling,” even so, if she held his hand, it is invalid, for we derive sprinkling from ritual immersion.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Parah
A woman may assist [a man] while he sprinkles, and hold the water for him while he dips and sprinkles. If she held his hand, even if only at the time of sprinkling, it is invalid. A woman can aid the man while he sprinkles, but she can’t actually hold his hand, neither while dipping the hyssop nor while sprinkling.
