Mishnayos Chullin Perek 9 Mishnah 5
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חולין פרק ט׳ משנה ה׳
With regard to the thigh bone of a human corpse, and the thigh bone of a sacrificial animal that was rendered unfit as piggul, i.e., an offering that was sacrificed with the intent to consume it after its designated time, or notar, i.e., part of an offering left over after the time allotted for its consumption, whether these thigh bones were sealed and there was no access to the marrow, or whether they were perforated and there was access to the marrow, one who touches them is ritually impure. The reason is that a piece of bone of a corpse the size of a barley grain imparts impurity, and the bone of a sacrificial animal that was disqualified in this manner imparts impurity by rabbinic decree via contact. With regard to the thigh bone of an unslaughtered carcass and the thigh bone of a creeping animal, one who touches them when they are sealed remains ritually pure. If one of these thigh bones was perforated at all, it imparts impurity via contact, as in that case contact with the bone is tantamount to contact with the marrow. From where is it derived that even with regard to impurity transmitted via carrying there is a distinction between sealed and perforated thigh bones? It is derived from a verse, as the verse states: “One who touches the carcass thereof shall be impure until the evening; and one who carries the carcass thereof shall be impure until the evening” (Leviticus 11:39–40), indicating: That which enters the category of impurity via contact, enters the category of impurity via carrying; that which does not enter the category of impurity via contact, does not enter the category of impurity via carrying.
קוּלִית הַמֵּת וְקוּלִית הַמֻּקְדָּשִׁים, הַנּוֹגֵעַ בָּהֶן, בֵּין סְתוּמִים בֵּין נְקוּבִים, טָמֵא. קוּלִית נְבֵלָה וְקוּלִית הַשֶּׁרֶץ, הַנּוֹגֵעַ בָּהֶן סְתוּמִים, טְהוֹרִים. נְקוּבִים כָּל שֶׁהוּא, מִטַּמֵּא בְמַגָּע. מִנַּיִן שֶׁאַף בְּמַשָּׂא, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (ויקרא יא), הַנֹּגֵעַ וְהַנֹּשֵׂא, אֶת שֶׁבָּא לִכְלָל מַגָּע, בָּא לִכְלָל מַשָּׂא, לֹא בָא לִכְלָל מַגָּע, לֹא בָא לִכְלָל מַשָּׂא:
Bartenura
קולית. כל עצם שיש בו מוח קרוי קולית. וקולית המת הנוגע בה בין סתומה בין נקובה טמא, דהא עצם כשעורה במת מטמא במגע ובמשא, כדכתיב (במדבר י״ט:ט״ז) או בעצם אדם:
וקולית המוקדשים. שהפיגול והנותר מטמאין הידים. דגזרו בהו רבנן משום חשדי כהונה ועצלי כהונה, וגזרו אף בעצמות ששמשו את הנותר:
קולית נבלה. נבילה אין עצמותיה מטמאין, דכתיב בנבלתה, ולא בעצמות. וכן שרץ. הלכך סתומים טהורים אף מלטמא במשא, וכל שכן במגע דאי אפשר לו ליגע במוח שבפנים. ואף על גב דשומר מכניס ומוציא טומאה, הני מילי בדבר שאפשר ליגע בטומאה עצמה ואפילו לא נגע בה אלא בשומר, טמא, אבל היכא דאי אפשר ליגע בטומאה עצמה אין שומר מטמא:
נקובים כל שהוא. אפילו כחוט השערה שאפשר להכניס בו חוט השערה של ראשו או זקנו והרי הוא מיטמא בכך:
מנין שאף במשא. אקולית דנבלה קאי, דשרץ אינו מטמא במשא:
קולית (marrow-bone) – every bone that has in marrow is called a marrow-bone. And the marrow-bone of a corpse, one who touches it, whether it is stopped up or whether it is hollowed out, is ritually impure, for a bone like a barley corn of a corpse defiles through contact and carrying, 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].”
וקולית המוקדשים – the sacrifice that is rejected in consequence of improper intention in the mind of the officiating priest and the portions of the sacrifices left over beyond the legal time and bound to be burnt defile the hands, for the Rabbis decreed regarding them because of suspected Kohanim (of willfully unfitting a sacrifice in order to spite the owner) and–or Kohanim who shirked their duties, and they decreed even with the bones hat were used for the portions of the sacrifices left over beyond the legal time.
קולית נבלה – the marrow-bone of a carrion – its bones do not defile, as it is written (Leviticus 11:39): “[If an animal that you may eat has died, anyone who touches] its carcass [shall be impure until evening],” and not the bones, and similarly for the moving creatures–reptiles. Therefore, those that are stopped up are pure, even from being defiled by carrying, and all the more so, through contact, for it is impossible for it to touch the bone-marrow that is inside. But even though the guard brings in and removes defilement, these words refer to a thing where it is possible to touch the defilement itself, even if only the guard touched it, it is impure, but where it is impossible to touch the defilement itself, the guard does not defile it.
נקובים כל שהוא (hollowed out in any amount whatsoever) – een like the thread of hair where it is possible to bring into it a thread of hair of his head or his beard, for he becomes defiled through thins.
מנין שאף במשא – it is referring to the bone-marrow of a carrion, for a moving creature–unclean reptile does not defile through carrying.