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Mishnayos Pesachim Perek 1 Mishnah 6

פסחים פרק א׳ משנה ו׳

6

Apropos the removal of leaven on Passover eve, including the consecrated loaves of thanks-offerings and teruma, the mishna cites a related halakha. Rabbi Ḥanina the deputy High Priest says: In all the days of the priests, they did not refrain from burning meat that became ritually impure by coming into contact with a secondary source of ritual impurity, i.e., an object that had come into contact with a primary source of impurity, together with meat that became ritually impure by contact with a primary source of impurity. They would do so even though they would thereby add a degree of impurity to the impurity of the first piece of meat, which was previously impure to a lesser degree. Rabbi Akiva added to the statement of Rabbi Ḥanina the deputy High Priest and said: In all the days of the priests, they did not refrain from lighting teruma oil that was ritually disqualified by coming into contact with one who immersed himself during that day and who does not become completely purified until nightfall in a lamp that became ritually impure with first-degree impurity through contact with one who became ritually impure with impurity imparted by a corpse. They did so even though they would thereby add impurity to the impurity of the oil. A person who immersed himself during that day assumes the status of second-degree ritual impurity. His contact renders the oil ritually impure with third-degree ritual impurity. The lamp with first-degree ritual impurity renders the oil ritually impure with second-degree impurity.

רַבִּי חֲנִינָא סְגַן הַכֹּהֲנִים אוֹמֵר, מִימֵיהֶם שֶׁל כֹּהֲנִים לֹא נִמְנְעוּ מִלִּשְׂרֹף אֶת הַבָּשָׂר שֶׁנִּטְמָא בִוְלַד הַטֻּמְאָה עִם הַבָּשָׂר שֶׁנִּטְמָא בְאַב הַטֻּמְאָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמּוֹסִיפִין טֻמְאָה עַל טֻמְאָתוֹ. הוֹסִיף רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וְאָמַר, מִימֵיהֶם שֶׁל כֹּהֲנִים לֹא נִמְנְעוּ מִלְּהַדְלִיק אֶת הַשֶּׁמֶן שֶׁנִּפְסַל בִּטְבוּל יוֹם בְּנֵר שֶׁנִּטְמָא בִטְמֵא מֵת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמּוֹסִיפִין טֻמְאָה עַל טֻמְאָתוֹ:

ו׳
Bartenura

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.

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.

השמן – of priest’s due.

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.

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.

מימיהם של כהנים לא נמנעו. משום דבעי למתני סיפא מדבריהם למדנו ששורפין תרומה טהורה עם הטמאה [נקט] לה הכא:

מלשרוף את הבשר שנטמא בולד הטומאה. בולד של ולד קאמר. כלומר הבשר שהוא שלישי שנטמא בשני לטומאה, שהוא ולד של ולד, לא נמנעו מלשרפו עם הבשר שנטמא באב הטומאה שהוא ראשון לטומאה. וכשנוגע זה הבשר שהיה מתחלתו שלישי בבשר שנטמא באב הטומאה חוזר להיות שני, שהרי נגע בראשון ונעשה שני, ונמצא שהוסיפו לו טומאה על טומאתו, דמעיקרא שלישי והשתא שני. ואעפ״כ לא נמנעו מלשורפו עם חמור ממנו, דהואיל ואף זה הקל לשריפה עומד לא חשו אם מטמאין אותו יותר ממה שהיה. ואע״פ שאין אוכל מטמא אוכל מן התורה שנאמר בטומאת אוכלין (דברים י״ד) טמא הוא, הוא טמא, ואינו מטמא אוכל כיוצא בו, מ״מ רבנן גזרו שיהיה אוכל מטמא אוכל:

השמן. של תרומה:

שנפסל בטבול יום. הוא שלישי לטומאה, דטבול יום פוסל את התרומה מן התורה ועושה אותה שלישי לעולם, לא שנא אוכלין ולא שנא משקין:

בנר שנטמא בטמא מת. האי נר של מתכת הוא. וכל כלים חוץ מכלי חרס שנגעו בטומאת מת נעשו כמותה, אם אב אב, אם ראשון ראשון, דכתיב (במדבר י״ט:ט״ז) בחלל חרב, ודרשינן חרב הרי הוא כחלל, שהחרב שנגע במת נעשה אבי אבות כמת עצמו, וכשנגע בטמא מת שהוא אב נעשה ג״כ החרב אב, והוא הדין לכל שאר כלים חוץ מכלי חרס. נמצא הנר של מתכת שנגע בטמא מת, נעשה אב הטומאה. והשתא הוסיף ר״ע על דברי ר׳ חנניה סגן הכהנים, שר׳ חנניה לא התיר אלא להחזיר הג׳ שני, ור׳ עקיבא התיר להחזיר הג׳ ראשון, שהשמן שנפסל בטבול יום שהוא שלישי, כשמדליקין אותו בנר שנטמא בטמא מת, שהנר עצמו נעשה אב כמו שאמרנו, נמצא שחוזר השלישי להיות ראשון ואעפ״כ לא נמנעו, דהואיל ויש שם טומאה עליו לא חיישינן ליה ומותר להוסיף בידים: