R. Chanina, o sumo sacerdote auxiliar, diz: Desde os dias dos Cohanim, eles nunca deixaram de queimar a carne que se tornara impura por meio de um v'lad (derivado) de tumah (impureza) junto com a carne que tornar-se impuros por meio de av hatumah (proto-impureza), mesmo acrescentando impureza à sua impureza. [Isto é afirmado aqui por causa do que se segue (1: 7): "Das palavras deles aprendemos que o terumah limpo é queimado junto com o terumah impuro." ("de queimar a carne que se tornara impura através de um v'lad hatumah" :) Estamos falando de um v'lad de um v'lad. Isto é, carne que é de impureza de terceiro grau, que se tornou impura por imundície de segundo grau, de modo que é um v'lad de um v'lad. Eles não se contiveram de queimá-lo com carne que se tornara impura por meio de av hatumah e que assumira imundície de primeiro grau. Quando essa carne, que no começo é de impureza de terceiro grau, entra em contato com a carne que se tornara impura através do av hatumah, ela volta ao seu estado de impureza de segundo grau, tendo tocado a impureza de primeiro grau. Surge, então, que eles acrescentaram impureza à sua impureza. Pois no começo era de impureza de terceiro grau, e agora é de impureza de segundo grau—apesar de não se impedirem de queimá-lo com uma variedade mais rigorosa. Pois, mesmo que a variedade menor fosse destinada à queima, eles não estavam preocupados em transmitir a ela um maior grau de impureza. E, embora pela lei da Torá o alimento não transmita impureza ao alimento, está sendo escrito em relação à impureza alimentar (Levítico 11:38): "É impuro"— É impuro, mas não torna um alimento imundo como ele —ainda assim, os rabinos decretaram que os alimentos deviam dar imundície aos alimentos.] R. Akiva acrescentou: Desde os dias dos Cohanim, eles nunca se detinham em acender o óleo [de terumah] que se tornara pasul (inapto) através de um t'vul yom (alguém em estado de impureza, que havia mergulhado durante o dia e que não estava limpo até o pôr do sol) (eles nunca se detinham de acender esse óleo) em uma lâmpada que se tornara impura por alguém com impureza de corpo morto, até embora acrescentassem impureza à sua impureza. [("de acender o óleo que havia se tornado pasul através de um t'vul yom") :) Esse óleo pressupõe impureza de terceiro grau, t'vul yom fazendo terumah pasul pela lei da Torá, e conferindo-lhe sempre impureza de terceiro grau, seja seja comida ou líquido. ("em uma lâmpada que se tornou impura por alguém com impureza de corpo morto") :) Esta lâmpada é de metal. Todos os vasos (exceto vasos de barro) que tocam a impureza do corpo morto se tornam assim—se um av, um av; se em primeiro grau, primeiro grau, está sendo escrito (Números 19:16): "o morto da espada", que é exposto: a espada se torna semelhante ao morto, ou seja, a espada que toca o corpo morto se torna avi-avoth ("o pai dos pais da impureza"), como o próprio corpo morto. E se a espada toca alguém com impureza de corpo morto, que é um av, a própria espada se torna um av. O mesmo se aplica a todos os navios, exceto os de barro. Vê-se, então, que se uma lâmpada de metal toca alguém com impureza de corpo morto, ela se torna um av-hatumah. R. Akiva, então, acrescentou às palavras de R. Chanina, o sumo sacerdote ajudante. Para R. Chanina, permitia apenas a reversão da impureza de terceiro grau para a impureza de segundo grau, enquanto R. Akiva permitia a reversão da impureza de terceiro grau para primeiro grau. Para o óleo que se tornou pasul através de um t'vul yom e que é de impureza de terceiro grau— quando esse óleo é acendido em uma lâmpada que se tornou impura por uma com impureza de corpo morto; nesse caso, a própria lâmpada se torna av-hatumah, como indicado —o óleo da impureza de terceiro grau reverte para a impureza de primeiro grau, apesar de não se conterem (de elevar o nível de impureza). Pois, como já é denominado "impureza", eles não estavam preocupados (com o grau particular de impureza) e é permitido adicionar diretamente (ao seu nível de impureza).]
Bartenura on Mishnah Pesachim
מימיהם של כהנים לא נמנעו – because it was necessary to teach the conclusion (the next Mishnah, Mishnah 7), “from their opinions,” we learned that we burn the pure priest’s due with the impure [he used the phrase] here.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Pesachim
Introduction
This mishnah deals with burning impure sacrificial meat of a low degree of impurity with impure sacrificial meat of a higher degree of impurity, a potential problem since it causes the less impure meat to become more impure. The mishnah is brought here because of the mishnah which follows it, which deals with burning unclean chametz with clean chametz.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Pesachim
מלשרוף את הבשר שנטמא בולד הטומאה – the offspring of an offspring is stated, that is to say, the meat which is third [level of impurity] which was defiled with something of second-level impurity, which is the offspring of an offspring, they did not prevent from burning it with the meat that was defiled by something of a direct cause of Levitical uncleanness, which is first level of impurity. And when this meat that was at first third-level of impurity comes in contact with this meat that was defiled by something of a direct cause of Levitical uncleanness, it goes back to become second-degree [of impurity/uncleanness], for it came in contact with first-degree and became second [degree] and it is found that they added to it a degree of impurity upon its [initial] impurity , for that which was initially third-degree and is now second-degree. And even though they could not prevent from burning it with something that is is more severe than it, for since, even this which is the lesser for burning stands, they did not suspect if they would make it more impure than it already was. And even though that one does not consume something that defiles food from the Torah, as it states regarding the defiling of food (Deuteronomy 14:8,14): “it is impure [for you].” It is impure, but it does defile [other foods] that are like it. Nevertheless, the Rabbis decreed that it would be food that does defile other food.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Pesachim
Rabbi Hanina the vice-chief of the priests said: during all of the days of the priests they never refrained from burning [sacrificial] meat which had been defiled by an offspring of uncleanness with meat which had been defiled by a father of uncleanness, even though they add uncleanness to its uncleanness. Rabbi Hanina, a rabbi who served in the Temple, testifies that the priests did not refrain from burning meat which had become unclean with other meat that had become unclean, even if the levels of uncleanness were different. When what is called a “father of uncleanness” (av hatuma) comes into contact with something that is receptive to impurity it renders it impure in the first degree; something impure in the first degree renders that which it comes into contact with impure in the second degree, and so on (up to four degrees). Everything besides the “father of uncleanness” is called an “offspring of uncleanness”. Meat which has come into contact with an “offspring” is at most impure in the second degree, since the “offspring can be no higher than a first degree. This meat is nevertheless rendered ineffective as a sacrifice. Rabbi Hanina teaches that they would burn this type of meat with meat that had come into contact with a “father of impurity”, even though this meat was of first degree uncleanness and hence it would add to the uncleanness of the other meat by making it of second degree uncleanness. Since both pieces of meat were impure in any case, they did not refrain from burning them together.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Pesachim
השמן – of priest’s due.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Pesachim
Rabbi Akiva added and said: during [all] the days of the priests they did not refrain from lighting oil which had been rendered unclean by a tevul yom in a lamp which had been made unclean by one who had contracted corpse impurity, even though they add uncleanness to its uncleanness. Rabbi Akiva adds that the same halakhah is also true with regard to oil. A “tevul yom” is someone who was impure, immersed in a mikveh but because the sun has not set, thereby ending the day, he is still impure. Until the sun sets he is considered to be of second degree impurity. If he comes into contact with oil that is terumah he renders it of third degree impurity. Rabbi Akiva teaches that this oil may be put into a lamp that is of first degree impurity, because it (the lamp) had been in contact with someone who had contracted corpse impurity (the corpse is the “granddaddy of all uncleanness, and one who comes into contact with a corpse is a “father of uncleanness). The lamp renders the oil of second degree impurity, bumping it up one level.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Pesachim
שנפסל בטבול יום – which is third-level of impurity, for a person who has ritually bathed but must wait for sunset to be perfectly clean (Leviticus 22:7), defiles the priest’s due from the Torah and makes it third-level of impurity forever, and there is not difference between food or liquids.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Pesachim
בנר שנטמא בטמא מת – this metallic candle, and all utensils outside of an earthenware vessel which came in contact with the defilement of the dead become like it, if it is a principal level of impurity, it is a principal level of impurity, if first-level of defilement, it is a first-level of defilement, as it is written (Numbers 19:16): “[And in the open, anyone who touches a person] who was killed [or who died naturally, or human bone, or a grave, shall be impure seven days].” And they (i.e., the Rabbis) expound upon “who was killed” he is like someone who was slain, for the sword that came in contact with the dead became one of the original causes of Levitical uncleanness like the dead person himself, and when it (i.e., the sword) came In contact with the person defiled by the dead who is a principal cause of Levitical uncleanness, the sword also became a principal form of Levitical uncleanness and the same law applies to all utensils except for an earthenware vessel. It is found, therefore, that the metallic candle that came in contact with someone defiled by contact with the dead became one of the principal forms of Levitical uncleanness, and now Rabbi Akiva added to the words of Rabbi Hananiah the Assistant Priest, for Rabbi Hananiah did not permit other than to restore something that had been third-level uncleanness to something second-level uncleanness. But Rabbi Akiva permitted to restore something third-level of uncleanness to first-level, for the oil that had been defiled by contact with a person who has ritually bathed but must wait for sunset to be perfectly clean, who is third-degree level of impurity, when he kindles it (i.e., the oil) with the candle that had been defiled through contact with the dead, the candle itself becomes a primary form of Levitical uncleanness as we have stated. It is found that the third-level of Levitical impurity becomes first, and even though they did not prevent it, for since there is the title of impurity upon it, we do not suspect him and it is permissible to add with ones hands.
