Комментарий к Пара 12:1

האזוב הקצר מספקו – he lengthens it in order to make It sufficient:

Introduction Today's mishnah deals with the use of hyssop that is too short to dip into the flask with the hatat waters.

And with a reed used as a spindle. It is the spindle/distaff that the women spin on it.

Hyssop that is too short may be lengthened with a thread and a spindle-reed. It is permitted to lengthen the hyssop by attaching or a spindle-reed onto the end of the hyssop.

וטובל ומעלה – and even though it is written (Numbers 19:18): “A person who is pure shall take hyssop, dip it in the water,” and he takes the spindle that the hyssop was placed on its head, it is well that we call it, “[A person who is pure] shall take hyssop,” that taking by means of another thing which is called “taking.”

He then dips it and brings it up again. He can then dip it by holding onto the string and dipping it into the waters.

ואוחז באזוב ומזה – that with sprinkling we require that he holds the hyssop in his hand.

He grasps the hyssop itself and sprinkles with it. However, when he sprinkles onto the impure person, he must grasp the hyssop and not the string.

ר' יהודה ור' שמעון אומרים כו' – But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Shimon.

Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Shimon say: just as the sprinkling must be done with the hyssop itself so to must the dipping be done with the hyssop itself. Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Shimon disagree with the notion that one can extend the length of the hyssop. He must hold the hyssop itself when dipping it into the flask, just as he must hold it when sprinkling.