Комментарий к Келим 20:11

הכרים (mattresses) – made to be filled with wool or feathers/down, a a person places them underneath his head.

Pillows, bed coverings, sacks and packing cases that were damaged are still susceptible to midras uncleanness. All of these items were originally made for two purposes to contain something within, and to lie or sit upon. Pillows and bed coverings contain feathers, but they are mostly made for lying or sitting upon. Therefore, they are susceptible to midras impurity (impurity conveyed by sitting, lying or leaning). Sacks and packing cases are mostly for containing things, but from the outset they also are intended to serve as seats or ground coverings. Therefore, even if they are damaged and cannot be used to hold the things that they originally held, they are still susceptible to midras impurity.

והכסתות (cushions) – they ae like mattresses, but they are long and large, and the entire body of a person lies on them.

A fodder-bag that can hold four kav, a shepherd's bag that can hold five kav, a traveling bag that can hold a se'ah, a skin that can hold seven kav, Rabbi Judah adds: also a spice-bag, and a food wallet that can hold the smallest quantity are susceptible to midras uncleanness. The mishnah now lists a number of types of bags, and provides a minimum amount that each must hold in order for it to be susceptible to impurity. If it cannot hold this amount, it is not useful and therefore is clean. In addition, since these things can also be used as a seat, they are also susceptible to midras impurity.

מרצופין (packing bags, leather bags, sacks – adapted for ship-loads) – like a species of large leather sacks that they place in them goods that they take on ships.

If any of them was damaged it becomes clean, since if the primary function ceases the secondary function also ceases. In contrast with the bags listed in section one, these bags have a main purpose to carry things inside them. Sitting is only a secondary function. Therefore, if they are damaged and can no longer carry things, they are no longer susceptible to impurity.

הרי אלו טמאים מדרס – fo all of these are used also for lying.

קלוסטור (basket – fodder basked used instead of a muzzle) – a kind of folded basket that they suspend in the mouth of an animal, and they put in it fodder and barley-corn and the animal eats when it is walking.

תורמל – a large leather pocket that the shepherd places there all of his belongings.

כריתית (a leather bag containing one Se’ah) – a small leather bag.

רבצל (small bag for perfumes, spices) – small leather bag that they place spices in.

מזודה (traveling bag containing provisions) – a vessel that they place in it food/provisions for travel. The Aramaic translation of "צידה" – is "זוודין" – travel bag.

הרי אלו טמאים מדרס – all of these that are taught in the Mishnah, if each of them has the measurement that is explained with them or more, they defile through treading/Midras, and they are used for lying with their work/task. But not with less than the defined measure [of the Mishnah].

נפחתו טהורין – for all of these are made to receive/hold things, that the receptacle prepares them and designates them to be fit for lying and sitting, and when it becomes damaged/worn out, the primary purpose which is reception is annulled , and for that purpose it was called a vessel.

ובטלה הטפלה – which is defilement by treading.

חמת חלילין (bagpipe) – a bag that is full of wind and they place the flutes in he mouth of the bag and the wind exits through the incisions/holes and produces from the flutes a sound of song.

A bagpipe is not susceptible to midras uncleanness. A bagpipe is not intended for sitting, and therefore it is not susceptible to midras uncleanness.

טהורה מן המדרס – for it is not fit for lying.

A trough for mixing mortar: Bet Shammai says: it is susceptible to midras uncleanness , And Bet Hillel says it is susceptible to corpse uncleanness only. According to Bet Shammai, a trough meant mainly for mixing mortar is also used for sitting and therefore it is susceptible to midras impurity. But Bet Hillel holds that it is not meant for sitting and therefore it is susceptible only to other types of impurity, such as corpse uncleanness. It is not susceptible to midras uncleanness.

עריבת פיסונות (a trough for mixing mortar) – a trough that they bring into it small stones and clods of earth in order to provide a mold filled with earth or rubble of ethe building. And [the word] פיפוסנות is the language of “he took up a lump [of brittle stone] and threw it at it (the idolatrous statue)” as we state in the Gemara in [Tractate] Sanhedrin 64a concerning Mercurius (name of the Roman divinity, identified with the Grecian Hermes).

If a trough of a capacity from two log to nine kav is split, it becomes susceptible to midras uncleanness. A trough that is large enough to hold between two logs of liquid (1/2 of a kav) and nine kav and then is split, is subsequently susceptible to midras impurity because it can be used for sitting. Note that when it was used to hold liquids it would not have been used as a seat and therefore it would not have been susceptible to midras impurity.

בית שמאי אומרים מדרס – for they hold that they use it for lying with their work. But the School of Hillel holds that they don’t use it.

If he left it out in the rain and it swelled it is susceptible to corpse uncleanness alone. If he leaves it out in the rain, it will swell and the split will be repaired. It will now be possible to again fill it with liquids. At this point it will be susceptible to corpse uncleanness, but not to midras uncleanness because it won't be used as a seat.

שנסדקה טמאה מדרס (which was split is impure through treading) – but if it was not split, it not impure through treading, for we say to him: “Stand and let us do our work.” But when it was split and liquids come out, it is not worthy other than for lying. But less than two LOG or more than nine Kab, is not ritually impure through treading and even if it was split.

[If he left it out] during the east wind and it split, it is susceptible to midras uncleanness. If he again leaves it out and a dry east wind comes along, the split will again prevent it from holding liquids. At this point, it will go back to being able to be used as a seat and it will be susceptible to midras uncleanness.

ונתפחה (and it swelled up) – on account of the rains the wood swells and the split is closed up.

In this respect the law is stricter in the case of remnants of wooden vessels than in [that of such vessels] in their original condition. The mishnah now notes an oddity with regard to the impurity of the remnant of wooden vessels. In their original condition, they would not have been susceptible to midras uncleanness, but when they are cracked they become susceptible.

טמאה טומאת מת – as it was at the outset before it became split, because it has a receptacle. But it is not impure from treading, for it is not designated to lie upon it, for they use it in kneading.

It is also stricter in regard to the remnants of wicker vessels than [to such vessels] as are in their original condition, for when they are in their original condition they are insusceptible to uncleanness until their rim is finished, but after their rim has been finished, even though their edges fell away leaving only the slightest trace of them, they are unclean. The mishnah notes another case where the law is stricter with vessels later in their existence than it is when they are first produced. The manufacturing of a wicker vessel is not considered complete until its rim is finished (see 16:2). But once their manufacturing is complete , their outer edges can completely wear away and the vessel will still be susceptible to impurity. When we think about it, this makes sense. When we buy something new, we expect it to be in mint shape. We wouldn't buy a pair of shoes with worn-out soles. However, once we own a pair, we will hold onto them even after the soles, or other parts of the shoe show considerable wear.

בקדים ונסדקה – after the wood had swelled up and the split had closed up, he placed it in an east wind and it split.

טמאה מדרס – that it returned to being fit for lying but not to knead with it.

זה חומר בשיירי כלי עץ – that at their outset they are not impure through treading, but when they are split, they are impure through treading.

כלי נצרים – baskets made of wickerwork of willows and of similar things.

עד שיתחסמו (until they be sealed/glazed) – when their upper rim/lip is completed.

אע"פ שנשרו שפתותיהן כל שהן – that their lips fell and there doesn’t remain anything of their lips to any degree at all, they are ritually impure.

מקל – merely [a wooden] staff that a handle/heft for a hatchet according to the time [of use], but did not fit it [permanently] within it.

If a stick was used as a handle for a hatchet, it is regarded as connected for uncleanness at the time of use. When the hatchet is in use, its handle is considered connected to it with regard to impurity. This means that if either piece, the handle or the hatchet, is defiled, both are defiled.

חיבור לטומאה בשעת מלאכה (is a connector for uncleanness at the time of its use) – even though that on its own, it is a plain wooden vessel, it does not receive ritual uncleanness; but here it is a sleeve, and handles increased through the Torah of the defilement of the vessel or the food, and if the ax/hatchet became defiled, the handle became defiled, and similarly, if the defilment came in contact with the handle, it is defiled, and the ax/hatchet became defiled with it. And specifically, at the time of work there is a connector/attachment to defilement, but not during the time when not working., for when it is not the time of work, a person generally would throw them among the wood.

A yarn winder is regarded as connected for uncleanness at the time of its use. A "yarn winder" is a small stick with a nail attached to it which was used for weaving. While it is in use, the nail is considered connected to the stick for issues of impurity.

דיוסטר (the transverse staff of the upright loom/pole reaching from end to end) – a vessel that one uses for two sides. [The word דיוסטר – is now broken down into its component parts. "דיו" is “two;” "סטר" is “sides,” as we translate in Aramaic, “to one side.” And it is a staff that has two incisions, one from the bottom and the other from the top, and two handles are inserted in them, one from the east to the west and one from the north and the south, and the women roll the yarn that is in the spindle, and we call it NASPA in the foreign language. And sometimes they make these handles from iron and they receive ritual impurity.

If it was fixed to a pole it is susceptible to uncleanness, but it is not considered connected to it. If he fixed the yarn winder to a pole, the yarn winder remains susceptible to impurity, but it is not considered connected to the pole, which remains clean.

קבעו בכלונס (if he inserted the transverse staff of the loom in the beam/yarn winder) – if he inserted the transverse staff of the pole reaching from end to end), that is the staff with its two handles/pegs in the beam, which is a long and large piece of wood that is fastened into the ground.

If the pole itself was converted into a yarn winder, only that part which is needed for use is susceptible to uncleanness. In this case he makes the end of the pole into a yarn winder. The part that is used as a yarn winder is susceptible, but the remainder of the pole stays clean, because it is a simple wood vessel.

טמא – the traverse staff of the upright loom reaching from end to end is impure from this side and that, if the defilement came in contact with it, for it is an attached staff to the handles/pegs whether at the time of work or not at the time of work, since it was affixed, a person is not likely to throw it among the wood, but the traverse staff of the loom in the beam, it is not attached to it, and the rest of it whether above or below is ritually pure, for the staff of the loom in the beam is long and large.

A seat that was fixed to the pole is susceptible to uncleanness, but the latter is not regarded as connected to it. If one fixed a seat to the end of a pole, the seat (like the yarn winder) is susceptible to impurity, but it is treated separately from the pole.

If the pole itself was turned into a seat, only the place of the seat is susceptible to uncleanness. This is the same as section four, just with regard to the seat.

A seat that was fixed to the beam of an olive-press is susceptible to uncleanness, but it is not connected to it. The same rule as found in section three and section six.

כסא – that is made, and it is affixed into the traverse staff of the loom in the beam, the chair is impure through treading, but the traverse staff of the loom in the beam is not attached to it to be made impure through treading like it.

If the end of a beam was turned into a seat it remains clean, because people would tell him, "Get up and let us do our work." If the end of an olive press beam is turned into a seat, even the seat part remains pure. People won't let another person sit there because that would prevent them from doing their work. Therefore, it's a dysfunctional seat and not susceptible to impurity.

עשה בו כסא –from the traverse staff of the loom in the beam, he made a chair.

אין טמא אלא במקומו – that is, the need of the sitting. But the rest of the traverse staff of the loom in the beam is pure.

קבע הכסא בקורת בית הבד (if he affixed the chair onto a beam in the olive press) – that gathers/stores away the il from the olives, the chair is ritually impure through treading, but the beam is not attached and is a pure. But if from the wood of the beam itself the chair is made at one end, even the chair is pure, for we say to him: “Stand and let us do our work.” And it is taught in a Baraitha in Torat Kohanim [i.e., the Sifra, the Halakhic Midrash on the Book of Leviticus): “[Any bedding on which the one with the discharge lies shall be unclean, and every object] on which he sits shall be unclean” (Leviticus 15:4) – “it includes even one who sat on a stone or on the beam, the inference teaches us, a vessel, but not a stone nor a beam, and I will not exclude the vessels of stone, the vessels of excrement or vessels of earth, the inference teaches us the vessel, the vessel that is designated to receive impurity, but these vessels do not receive defilement ever (see Sifra Metzora, Parshat Zahav, portion 4, beginning of the seventh chapter, letter 10). I lack all other than a chair or a bench or a chair with a back/soft seat that is designated for sitting , from where is the chest of the bath attendant, a chest that opened from its side, a trough from two LOG until nine Kab that was chipped, he is unable to wash his foot in it, the inference teaches us, “and all the vessel,” which is an extension. It is possible even if he covered a Seah and sat upon it, a field requiring three Kab of seed and he sat upon it, the inference teaches us, “on which he sits” (Leviticus 15:4), that which is designated for sitting, we don’t say to him: “Stand up, and let us do our work” (see Talmud Shabbat 59a).

עד שיקצע (until he smooths/cuts off/trims the rough parts) – that he would cut it off and establish it for sitting. And the Halakha is according to the Sages.

If a large trough was so damaged that it could no longer hold pomegranates and he fixed it to be used as a seat: Rabbi Akiva says that it is susceptible to uncleanness, But the sages say that it remains clean unless its rough parts have been smoothed. According to Rabbi Akiva, although the trough cannot be used for its original purpose, since he set it up to be used as a seat, it is susceptible to impurity. The other sages basically agree with Rabbi Akiva, but add the caveat that the trough is not susceptible unless its rough section has been smoothed to make it fit for a seat.

אע"פ שקבעה בכותל טמאה – through defilement through a corpse or a reptile. But it is not annulled from being a vessel, and we don’t say a vessel that is attached to the ground is like the ground itself, but rather only when it was attached/connected to the ground at its outset, or that it was made in order to serve the ground.

If it was turned into a feeding bowl for cattle, even if it was fixed to a wall, it is susceptible to uncleanness. If he turned it into a feeding bowl, then it is susceptible to impurity even though it is attached to the wall. The vessel is not considered as nullified due to its attachment to something that is attached to the ground.

כופת (a stool/a block with a concave top to sit upon) – a vessel designated for sitting. And it is of date-palm.

A wood block that was fixed to a row on a wall, whether he fixed it and did not built upon it or built upon it but did not fix it, it is susceptible to uncleanness. If he fixed it and also built upon, it is clean. The Rambam explains that the "row on a wall" referred to here is the scaffolding in between which builders make their wall. The "wood block" is a thick piece of wood that the builders attach to the wall and to the building adjacent to the wall in order to keep the wall close to the building. If he fixes it to the wall but does not build upon it, or if he builds upon it but does not fix it to the wall, then the wood block is not considered part of the building and it is still susceptible to impurity. But if he fixes it to the wall and builds upon it, then it is part of the building and it is not susceptible to impurity.

שקבעו בנדבך (that was fixed into a course of the wall, course of bricks/stones) – in the row of the building.

Matting that was spread over the roof-beams, whether he fixed it but did not put on the plasterwork or whether he put on the plasterwork but did not fix it, it is susceptible to uncleanness. If it was fixed and he laid plasterwork over it, it is clean. The matting is used here as a base for the plasterwork which will serve as the ceiling to the house. If the matting has been fixed to the beams but the plasterwork has not yet been put on, or if the plasterwork has been put on, but it has not yet been fixed to the beams, it is not yet part of the building, and it is still susceptible to impurity. The matting is part of the building and therefore clean, only if it has the plasterwork and has been fixed to the building.

בנה עליו ולא קבעו (built upon it but did not fix it) – in the manner that the artisans do when building an arch/doorway over the boards and afterwards sawing them.

A dish that was fixed to a chest, box or cupboard: If in such a manner as to hold its contents in the usual way, it is susceptible to uncleanness, But if it was in a manner that it cannot hold its contents in the usual way it is clean. The chest, box or cupboard referred to here are large enough so that they are not susceptible to impurity. If one attaches a dish to one of these things in such a way that the dish can still hold things, that is the mouth of the dish faces up, the dish is still susceptible to impurity. But if he attaches it face down (not sure why one would do such a thing) then it is considered nullified vis a vis the chest, box or cupboard and it is clean.

טמא – if he person with gonorrhea sat on the building that he is upon, the stool/block with a concave top to sit on that is under the building is defiled. For the person with gonorrhea defiles that which he sits upon and that which he lies upon that is under the stone used for closing a pit (which may be over a corpse). And similarly, they fixed it but did not build upon it and the person with gonorrhea sat upon it when it is fixed, it is ritually impure, but it is not nullified in this. But when he fixed it and built upon it, it is nullified in regard to the wall, and it is like a wall.

מפץ (a mat of reeds, bark, the poor man’s mattress) – like the species of matting made from reeds or from bulrushes/reed-grass.

על גבי הקורות – of the attic.

מעזיבה (a concrete of stone chippings, clay) – plaster and pebbles of stones that one places on the room. And all the while that one did not fix the mat of reeds in the walls and the person with gonorrhea sat on the concrete of stone chippings, the mat is defiled that is below it, but it is not annulled from the laws of a vessels, for if he wanted, he could take it. And similarly, if he fixed it but did not place upon it the concrete of stones and the person with gonorrhea sat upon it, it is impure from sitting. But it is not annulled until he fixes it and places the concrete of stone chippings upon it.

כדרך קבלתה – its rims below.

כדרך שלא קבלתה – its rims above.

סדין שהוא טמא מדרס – and it is appropriate to be defiled through treading, as it states, but it is not actually defiled through treading. For if so, as it is taught in the concluding section ‘of the Mishnah] “that is susceptible to uncleanness from corpse uncleanness,” let it be taught “but it is impure through contact with treading, as it is taught in the third chapter of Tractate Menahot (הקומץ רבה) [see also Tosefta Tractate Kelim Bava Metzia, Chapter 11, Halakha 9].

If a sheet that was susceptible to midras uncleanness made into a curtain, it becomes clean from midras uncleanness but it is still susceptible to corpse uncleanness. A sheet used for bedding is susceptible to midras uncleanness because it is laid upon. But if he makes it into a curtain, it is no longer used for lying upon, and therefore it is not susceptible to madras impurity. It will however be susceptible to corpse impurity as are all vessels made of cloth.

ועשאו וילון – a curtain for the opening, or a curtain for a ship. And specifically, when he made it through a change in action, but thought [alone] does not remove it from defilement that it was appropriate for it.

When does it become insusceptible to [midras] uncleanness? Bet Shammai says: when the loops have been tied to it. . Bet Hillel says: when it has been attached. Rabbi Akiva says: when it has been fixed. There are three opinions as to the exact point at which the sheet ceases being a sheet and becomes a curtain. According to Bet Shammai, once loops have been attached to the sheet, it is a curtain. To put it abstractly, it is a curtain if it looks like a curtain even before it functions as such. Bet Hillel says that it must be attached to the opening for it to be a curtain. A curtain must function like a curtain. Rabbi Akiva postpones the time a bit more. It must be fixed to the opening with nails. Abstractly speaking it must be set up as is a normal curtain with loops, attached to the opening with nails. Before that, it is still just a sheet.

אבל טמא טמא מת – because the sun warms it (see Talmud Betzah 14a) it (i.e., the sheet) is wrapped in its rims periodically, therefore, it is not annulled from the laws of a vessel.

מאימתי טהרתו – that the law of treading is annulled from it.

משיתפר – In the Tosefta it is proven that the School of Shammai (see above, Tractate Kelim Bava Metzia 11:6) requires when it is torn and one fixes it to the measure of the opening, and one sews on it loops/couplings to hang it on a curtain or on a ship. But the School of Hillel states: “when he ties it up” and it doesn’t require tearing. But rather, one he ties on it the loops/couplings in order to suspend them upon them. And there are books that have the reading: “The School of Shammai states from when it is broken,” and that this is the reading, meaning to say, that when he breaks it and tears it in order to sew it to the measure of the opening.

ר' עקיבא אומר משיקבע – from the time that he will hang it on the opening or on the ship. And the Halakha is according to the School of Hillel.

לארכה טהורה – the length of the reed corresponding to the length of the matting [of straw], is pure, but it is not appropriate for lying, for the reeds damage the person lying down, but they are not appropriate for anything other than interlacing.

Introduction A mat for lying upon was normally made in the following way: reeds would be placed across its breadth every four handbreadths. Lengthwise they would weave straw and other such material. People would lie between the reeds, because it was not comfortable to lie on the hard reeds. Our mishnah deals with mats made in an unusual manner.

כמין כי – the Greek [letter]. That is akin to the reverse of our [letter] "כ". Meaning to say, it is always impure util he pulss the reeds from three sides. And the Halakha is according to the Sages.

A mat whose reeds stretched lengthwise is insusceptible to uncleanness; But the sages rule: only if they lay in the shape of [the Greek letter] chi. According to the first opinion, since the reeds were laid lengthwise, the mat is not susceptible for impurity. A mat made in such a way must not have been meant for lying because it would be uncomfortable to lie on the reeds. But the other sages say that even though the reeds were placed lengthwise, one still could lie in between the reeds. It is insusceptible to impurity only if he places the reeds in the shape of the letter x (chi in Greek). Such a mat is certainly not good for lying because the reeds would be unavoidable.

עשאם לרחבה – the length of the reed to the width of the matting.

If they were laid along its width and there was a distance of less than four handbreadths between the two reeds, it is insusceptible to uncleanness. If he didn't leave four handbreadths between the reeds, then it is not good for lying and it is not susceptible to impurity.

ד' טפחים – when there is between each reed four handbreadths, it is appropriate to lie upon between the two reeds.

If it was divided along its width, Rabbi Judah rules that is clean. If it was divided along its width, it is pure. Eventually the whole mat will fall apart because the straw will come undone.

נחלקה לרחבה – and its reeds were broken in-half.

So also, where the end-knots are untied, it is clean. The same is true if he unties the end knots. Since the mat will eventually fall apart, it is pure.

רבי יהודה מטהר – for it is not appropriate for lying. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda.

If it was divided along its length but three end-knots remained intact across a stretch of six handbreadths, it is susceptible to uncleanness. Ties are usually made every two handbreadths along the mat's width. If the mat is divided along its length, but three end-knots remain on its width, covering a stretch of six handbreadths, that section of the mat is still usable and is still susceptible to impurity. Note that this is the minimum size in which a mat is susceptible to impurity (we will return to this subject in 27:3 I bet you can't wait).

המתיר ראשי מעדנים (he who loosens the tops of reed matting) – it is custom of those who make matting that when they complete the mat, there remains a kind of border/hem. And they raise it in all two handbreadths a twisted thread and tie it so that the web will not be destroyed. For if it remains, it stands to be destroyed and would be annulled from the notion of being a vessel, and is pure.

When does a mat become susceptible to uncleanness? When its rough ends are trimmed, this being the completion of its manufacture. Since we're dealing with the purity of mats, the mishnah now answers the question as to when the manufacturing of a mat is complete such that it is susceptible to impurity. The answer is that it is susceptible once its rough ends have been trimmed. These are the ends of the tied knots.

Reed matting, ties, like (I Samuel 15:32): “Agag approached him (i.e., Samuel) with faltering steps,” meaning to say, it is tied in the manner that forbidden things are tied, and similarly (Job 38:31): “Cast you tie cords to Pleiades.”

שהם של ששה טפחים – two handbreadths between each reed matting, and a handbreadth from here and a handbreadth from there.

משתקנב (when it will have been trimmed) – that he will sever/cut and lop off the heads of the protruding membrane, and this is cutting/trimming.