Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day - Daily Torah Study

1When the contents of any implement that is sealed close are protected from impurity, all of the contents are protected: food, liquids, clothes, and keilim that can be purified in a mikveh. This is the Scriptural Law.אכָּל הַכֵּלִים הַמַּצִּילִים בְּצָמִיד פָּתִיל, מַצִּילִין עַל כֹּל מַה שֶּׁבְּתוֹכָן - בֵּין אֹכָלִין, בֵּין מַשְׁקִין, בֵּין בְּגָדִים וּכְלֵי שֶׁטֶף. זֶהוּ דִּין תּוֹרָה.

According to Rabbinic Law, however, earthenware containers1 which are sealed close protect only foods, liquids, and other earthenware containers inside of it.אֲבָל מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים, שֶׁכְּלִי חֶרֶס הַמֻּקָּף צָמִיד פָּתִיל אֵינוֹ מַצִּיל אֶלָּא עַל הָאֹכָלִין וְעַל הַמַּשְׁקִין וְעַל כְּלֵי חֶרֶס אֲחֵרִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בְתוֹכוֹ.

If, however, keilim that can be purified in a mikveh or garments were in an earthenware container that was sealed close, they are impure.2אֲבָל אִם הָיוּ בְּתוֹךְ כְּלִי חֶרֶס הַמֻּקָּף כְּלֵי שֶׁטֶף, אוֹ בְּגָדִים - הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ טְמֵאִים.

Why did the Sages decree that they do not protect everything like other containers that protect their contents from impurity? Because the other containers that protect their contents do not contract impurity and earthenware containers do contract impurity, and an impure container does not intervene in the face of impurity3 and all of the containers of the common people can be assumed to be ritually impure,4 as will be explained.5וּמִפְּנֵי מָה אָמְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא יַצִּיל עַל הַכֹּל כִּשְׁאָר כֵּלִים הַמַּצִּילִין? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁשְּׁאָר הַכֵּלִים הַמַּצִּילִין, אֵין מְקַבְּלִין טֻמְאָה, וּכְלִי חֶרֶס מְקַבֵּל טֻמְאָה, וּכְלִי טָמֵא אֵינוֹ חוֹצֵץ, וְכָל כְּלֵי עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ בְּחֶזְקַת טֻמְאָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר.

Why did the Sages not decree: an earthenware container of a common person does not protect anything from impurity, but a container belong to a chaver6 does protect everything because it is pure? Because a common person does not consider himself as impure. He will say: Since an earthenware container that is sealed close protects all its contents, there is no difference between me and a chaver. Therefore the Sages decreed that the seal should not protect everything.וְלָמָּה לֹא אָמְרוּ: כְּלִי חֶרֶס שֶׁל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ לֹא יַצִּיל עַל הַכֹּל, וְשֶׁל חָבֵר יַצִּיל עַל הַכֹּל, שֶׁהֲרֵי הוּא טָהוֹר? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין עַם הָאָרֶץ טָמֵא בְּעֵינֵי עַצְמוֹ, שֶׁאוֹמֵר׃ הוֹאִיל וּכְלִי חֶרֶס מַצִּיל עַל הַכֹּל, אֶחָד אֲנִי וְאֶחָד הֶחָבֵר; וּלְפִיכָךְ חָשׁוּ [הִשְׁווּ] וְגָזְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא יַצִּיל עַל הַכֹּל.

Why did they say that it protects food, liquids, and earthenware containers from impurity?7 Because these three types of entities are impure because they come from a common person regardless, before they were in an ohel where a corpse is located or after they were though they were in a container that was sealed close. A chaver will never borrow food, liquids, or earthenware containers from a common person except under the assumption that they are impure, for these entities can never be purified. Thus a stumbling block will never arise.וְלָמָּה אָמְרוּ: מַצִּיל עַל הָאֹכָלִין וְעַל הַמַּשְׁקִין וְעַל כְּלִי חֶרֶס? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵלּוּ הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה טְמֵאִים הֵן עַל גַּב עַם הָאָרֶץ, בֵּין קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בְּאֹהֶל הַמֵּת, בֵּין אַחַר שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שָׁם תַּחַת צָמִיד פָּתִיל, וּלְעוֹלָם לֹא יִשְׁאַל הֶחָבֵר מֵעַם הָאָרֶץ לֹא אֹכָלִין וְלֹא מַשְׁקִין וְלֹא כְּלֵי חֶרֶס אֶלָּא עַל דַּעַת שֶׁהֵן טְמֵאִין, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵין לָהֶן טָהֳרָה לְעוֹלָם, וְלֹא יָבוֹא בָּהֶן לִידֵי תַּקָּלָה.

A chaver will, however, borrow keilim that can be purified in a mikveh from a common person. He will immerse them in a mikveh to purify them from the impurity they contracted from being touched by a common person, leave them until the evening and then use them for pure food.אֲבָל כְּלֵי שֶׁטֶף, שׁוֹאֵל אוֹתָם הֶחָבֵר מֵעַם הָאָרֶץ, וּמַטְבִּילָן מִפְּנֵי מַגַּע עַם הָאָרֶץ, וּמַעֲרִיב שִׁמְשׁוֹ, וּמִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶן בִּטְהָרוֹת.

Therefore our Sages were concerned that a chaver will borrow keilim that can be purified in a mikveh from a common person that were sealed close in one of his earthenware containers. Now the common person will think that this container was protected,8 when in truth it has contracted the impurity that lasts seven days.9 The chaver will immerse these containers, leave them until the evening and then use them for pure food. Thus a stumbling block will arise.לְפִיכָךְ חָשׁוּ חֲכָמִים, שֶׁמָּא יִשְׁאַל מִמֶּנּוּ כְּלִי שֶׁטֶף, שֶׁכְּבָר הָיָה תַּחַת צָמִיד פָּתִיל בִּכְלִי חֶרֶס שֶׁלּוֹ, שֶׁהֲרֵי עַם הָאָרֶץ הַזֶּה מְדַמֶּה שֶׁנִּצַּל, וַהֲרֵי הוּא טָמֵא טֻמְאַת שִׁבְעָה; וְיַטְבִּיל הֶחָבֵר וְיַעֲרִיב שִׁמְשׁוֹ, וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בּוֹ בִּטְהָרוֹת, וְיָבוֹא לִידֵי תַּקָּלָה.

This is the reason it was decreed that sealing an earthenware container close would not protect the keilim that can be purified in a mikveh which were in it.וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה, גָּזְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא יַצִּיל כְּלִי חֶרֶס עַל כְּלִי שֶׁטֶף שֶׁבְּתוֹכוֹ.

2When a person10 was placed inside a cask that was sealed close, he is pure. This applies even if the cask was made a covering for a grave.באָדָם שֶׁהָיָה נָתוּן בְּתוֹךְ הֶחָבִית וּמֻקֶּפֶת צָמִיד פָּתִיל - טָהוֹר; וַאֲפִלּוּ עֲשָׂאָהּ גּוֹלֵל לַקֶּבֶר.

It appears to me that the Sages did not decree that an earthenware container sealed close would not protect a person from impurity,11 because it is an infrequent situation.12 And our Sages did not enact decrees concerning infrequent situations.וְיֵרָאֶה לִי שֶׁזֶּה שֶׁלֹּא גָזְרוּ עַל כְּלִי חֶרֶס שֶׁלֹּא יַצִּיל עַל הָאָדָם - מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ מָצוּי, וְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ מָצוּי לֹא גָזְרוּ בּוֹ.

3The word of common people is accepted with regard to a container used13 for the ashes of the red heifer or sacred foods if they say they are pure.14 The rationale is that even common people are very careful in this regard. Therefore all entities15 are protected from impurity when their container is sealed close even though it is of earthenware.גכְּלֵי חֶרֶס שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּמְּשִׁין בָּהֶן בְּאֵפֶר הַפָּרָה אוֹ בַּקֳּדָשִׁים - עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ נֶאֱמָנִים עַל טָהֳרָתָם, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן נִזְהָרִים בָּהֶן הַרְבֵּה; וּלְפִיכָךְ יַצִּילוּ עַל הַכֹּל בְּצָמִיד פָּתִיל, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵן שֶׁל חֶרֶס.

4The following laws apply when there is an aperture between a home and a loft and there is an earthenware dish placed over the aperture.16 If the dish has a hole large enough to allow liquids to seep in,17 the dish is impure,18 but the loft is pure.19דאֲרֻבָּה שֶׁבֵּין בַּיִת לַעֲלִיָּה, וְטֻמְאָה בַּבַּיִת, וּקְדֵרָה נְתוּנָה עַל פִּי הָאֲרֻבָּה, וּנְקוּבָה בְּכוֹנֵס מַשְׁקֶה - הַקְּדֵרָה טְמֵאָה, וְהָעֲלִיָּה טְהוֹרָה.

If the dish is intact, everything in the loft — food, liquids, and earthenware containers — is pure, but a person and keilim that can be purified in a mikveh are impure, for an earthenware container intervenes in the face of impurity only for food, liquids, and earthenware containers. Everything in the loft is pure,20 as if it is in an earthenware container that is sealed close. A person in the loft was deemed impure, because that is a common situation.21הָיְתָה שְׁלֵמָה - כֹּל שֶׁבָּעֲלִיָּה מֵאֹכָלִין וּמַשְׁקִין וּכְלֵי חֶרֶס, טָהוֹר; אֲבָל אָדָם וּכְלֵי שֶׁטֶף שֶׁבָּעֲלִיָּה טְמֵאִים; שֶׁאֵין כְּלִי חֶרֶס חוֹצֵץ אֶלָּא עַל הָאֹכָלִין וְעַל הַמַּשְׁקִין וּכְלֵי חֶרֶס, וְכֹל שֶׁבָּעֲלִיָּה טָהוֹר, כְּאִלּוּ הוּא תַּחַת צָמִיד פָּתִיל בִּכְלִי חֶרֶס. וְטִמְּאוּ הָאָדָם שֶׁבָּעֲלִיָּה זוֹ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא דָּבָר הַמָּצוּי.

Therefore if there was a metal container or the like filled with liquids in this loft, the container contracts the impurity that lasts seven days,22 but the liquids are pure.23לְפִיכָךְ אִם הָיָה בַּעֲלִיָּה זוֹ כְּלִי מַתְּכוֹת וְכַיּוֹצֵא בוֹ מָלֵא מַשְׁקִין - הַכְּלִי טָמֵא טֻמְאַת שִׁבְעָה, וְהַמַּשְׁקִין טְהוֹרִין.

If there was a woman kneading dough in a wooden kneading trough in this loft, the woman and the kneading trough contract the impurity that lasts seven days, but the dough is pure as long as the woman is kneading it.הָיְתָה בָּהּ אִשָּׁה לָשָׁה בַּעֲרֵבָה שֶׁל עֵץ - הָאִשָּׁה וְהָעֲרֵבָה טְמֵאִין טֻמְאַת שִׁבְעָה, וְהַבָּצֵק טָהוֹר כָּל זְמַן שֶׁעוֹסֶקֶת בּוֹ.

If she ceased24 and then touched it again, she imparts impurity to it.25 Similarly, if one moved the dough or the liquids to another one of the keilim that can be purified in a mikveh that were in the loft, they become impure due to contact with the other container.פֵּרְשָׁה, וְחָזְרָה וְנָגְעָה בּוֹ - טִמְּאַתּוּ. וְכֵן אִם פִּנָּה הַבָּצֵק אוֹ הַמַּשְׁקִין לִכְלִי אַחֵר מִכְּלֵי שֶׁטֶף שֶׁבָּעֲלִיָּה - נִטְמְאוּ בְּמַגַּע הַכְּלִי הָאַחֵר.

If the k’li covering the aperture was one that was not susceptible to impurity and which protect their contents when sealed close, as we explained,26 in which instance, contact with a common person does not render them impure, or the k’li was an earthenware container that was pure and intended to be used for the ashes of the red heifer or for consecrated foods, in which instance everyone’s word is accepted with regard to their purity,27 it protects everything in the loft.הָיָה עַל פִּי אֲרֻבָּה זוֹ שְׁאָר כֵּלִים הַמַּצִּילִים בְּצָמִיד פָּתִיל, שֶׁאֵין מְקַבְּלִין טֻמְאָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ, וּלְפִיכָךְ אֵין מַגַּע עַם הָאָרֶץ מְטַמֵּא, אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה כְּלִי חֶרֶס הַטָּהוֹר לְפָרָה אֲדֻמָּה אוֹ לְקֹדֶשׁ, שֶׁהַכֹּל נֶאֱמָנִין עַל טָהֳרָתָן - הֲרֵי זֶה מַצִּיל עַל כֹּל מַה שֶּׁבָּעֲלִיָּה.

If there was a tent erected in the loft and a portion of its fabric was draped over the aperture between the house and the loft, it protects everything in the loft28 even though its roof is not positioned over the loft. The rationale is that a tent protects when it covers, as we explained.29הָיָה אֹהֶל נָטוּי בָּעֲלִיָּה, וּמִקְצָתוֹ מְרֻדָּד עַל הָאֲרֻבָּה שֶׁבֵּין בַּיִת לַעֲלִיָּה - הֲרֵי זֶה מַצִּיל, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין גַּגּוֹ עַל הָאֲרֻבָּה, שֶׁהָאֹהֶל מַצִּיל בְּכִסּוּי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ.

Footnotes

As mentioned in Chapter 21, Halachah 1, not only earthenware containers, but containers that do not contract impurity, e.g., stone containers, oversized containers, and bone containers, protect their contents from ritual impurity. As the Rambam proceeds to explain, this decree was instituted only with regard to earthenware containers and not the other containers.

Because of their presence under a shelter where a human corpse is present.
As Eduyot 1:14 relates, originally, this was the position of the School of Shammai, while the School of Hillel maintained that Scriptural Law should be followed. Nevertheless, after hearing the reasoning of the School of Shammai, the School of Hillel accepted their position.

See Chapter 16, Halachah 5, et al.

Thus even though an earthenware vessel belonging to a common person will be sealed close, its contents will not be protected and they will contract impurity. As the Rambam proceeds to explain, the common person will not be aware of this and think that they are pure.

Hilchot Mitamei Mishkav UMoshav 10:1.

A person who accepts the stringencies of the laws of ritual purity and impurity upon himself (ibid.).

Seemingly, if there was a need for a decree, it should encompass these entities as well.

Because, as explained above, he does not consider himself as impure.

Because an impure container does not intervene in the face of impurity even when sealed close. Thus to be purified, the implement would have to have the ashes of the red heifer sprinkled upon it on the third and seventh days. See the Rambam's Commentary to the Mishnah (Keilim 10:1) where he elaborates on the concepts mentioned here.

10.

Regardless of whether he is a chaver or a common person.

11.

The explanation that follows is necessary, because the same rationale that applies with regard to metal keilim in an earthenware container also applies with regard to humans. For humans also can regain purity through immersion.

12.

How often are humans found in sealed containers?

13.

I.e., intended to be used for these substances, even if they are not contained inside these vessels at that time.

14.

Since the common people are extremely cautious with regard to these substances, they will not make the errors of which they were suspected of making in the previous halachah. See Hilchot Parah Adumah 13:12; Hilchot M’Tamei Mishkav UMoshav 11:1.

15.

I.e., garments and other keilim that could be purified through immersion. The ashes of the red heifer, the water used for it, and sacrificial foods, however, do contract impurity in such a situation, as stated in Hilchot Parah Adumah 14:3-4.

16.

Covering it in its entirety.

17.

As stated in Chapter 22, Halachah 3, in such a situation, a container no longer protects against impurity even when sealed close.

18.

Because the impurity enters it.

19.

Because the impurity will not enter the loft unless there is an aperture the size of a handbreadth by a handbreadth.

20.

I.e., food, liquids, and earthenware implements, as mentioned above.

21.

The situation is similar to that described in Halachot 1-2. Our Sages decreed that an earthenware container would not separate between the loft and the house out of concern that the container might belong to a common person who would not be aware that it is impure. Moreover, in this instance, the leniency granted in Halachah 2 does not apply.
[As in Halachah 1, this halachah reflects the position of the School of Shammai that was later accepted by the School of Hillel.]

22.

As if it were in an ohel where a corpse was found.

23.

Thus a unique situation is brought about: the container is impure, but the contents are pure.

24.

Removing both her hands from the dough [the Rambam's Commentary to the Mishnah (Ohalot 5:4)].

25.

For this is considered as a new circumstance, not included in the initial decree.

26.

As mentioned in Chapter 21, Halachah 1, this refers to stone containers, oversized containers, bone containers, and the like.

27.

As stated in Halachah 3.

28.

The fabric of the tent is considered to have created a separation. The tent itself, however, is impure.

29.

Chapter 21, Halachah 1. The Ra’avad offers a slightly different rationale. The fabric is considered as part of the tent even though it is not extended. Diagram

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