ב"ה
Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day
Metamme'ey Mishkav uMoshav - Chapter 9
Metamme'ey Mishkav uMoshav - Chapter 9
1The following laws apply when a support is firmly joined to the earth or nailed down. If it is sound and strong and a zav banged upon it and when doing so, a k’li, food, or liquids that were resting on it were moved or caused to fall from the power of his blow, they are pure.1 If the support was not sound or strong, but shaky and a zav banged upon it and caused keilim, food, or liquids to fall or move from the power of his blow, they are impure. It is as if he moved them, because they fell as a result of his power.אדָּבָר שֶׁהָיָה מְחֻבָּר בָּאָרֶץ אוֹ מְסֻמָּר בְּמַסְמְרִים: אִם הָיָה כֹּחוֹ יָפֶה וְחָזָק, וְהִקִּישׁ עָלָיו הַזָּב, וּבָעֵת שֶׁהִקִּישׁ הֵנִיד כְּלִי אוֹ אֹכָלִין וּמַשְׁקִין מִכֹּחַ הַכָּאָתוֹ אוֹ שֶׁהִפִּילָן - הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ טְהוֹרִין. וְאִם לֹא הָיָה כֹּחוֹ יָפֶה וְחָזָק, אֶלָּא מִתְנַדְנֵד, וְהִקִּישׁ עָלָיו הַזָּב, וְהִפִּיל אוֹ הֵנִיד בְּכֹחַ הַכָּאָתוֹ כֵּלִים אוֹ אֹכָלִין וּמַשְׁקִין - הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ טְמֵאִין; וּכְאִלּוּ הֱסִיטָן, שֶׁהֲרֵי מִכֹּחוֹ נָפְלוּ.
This is the general principle: Whatever falls as a direct result of the power of the zav’s movement is impure. Anything that falls due to the trembling of the support is pure.זֶה הַכְּלָל - כָּל שֶׁנָּפַל מִכֹּחַ הֶסֵּטוֹ, טָמֵא; מִכֹּחַ הָרְעָדָה, טָהוֹר.
What is implied? If he knocked on a tree or a booth that were not sturdy, on an Egyptian ladder that was not affixed with nails, on a ramp, a beam, or a door that was not firmly held in place with mortar or he knocked on a doorbolt, a lock, or an oar, and when he knocked upon these entities, he caused food, liquids, or keilim to fall—or even caused them to shake without falling—they are impure.2כֵּיצַד? הִקִּישׁ עַל אִילָן אוֹ סוֹכָה שֶׁכֹּחָן רָע, אוֹ עַל סֻלָּם מִצְרִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ קָבוּעַ בְּמַסְמֵר, אוֹ עַל קוֹרָה וְדֶלֶת וְכֶבֶשׁ שֶׁאֵינָן מְחֻבָּרִין בְּטִיט, אוֹ שֶׁהִקִּישׁ עַל הַנֶּגֶר עַל הַמַּנְעוּל וְהַמָּשׁוֹט, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהִקִּישׁ הִפִּיל אֹכָלִין וּמַשְׁקִין אוֹ כֵּלִים, אֲפִלּוּ הֱנִידָן וְלֹא נָפְלוּ - הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ טְמֵאִין.
If, however, he knocked on a tree or a booth that was strong, or an Egyptian ladder that was nailed down, or a ramp, a beam, or a door that was held in place with mortar, a central building beam or an oven, and when he knocked on that entity, keilim, foods, and liquids on it were moved—and even if they fell—they remain pure.3 Similar laws apply in all analogous situations.אֲבָל אִם הִקִּישׁ עַל אִילָן אוֹ סוֹכָה שֶׁכֹּחָן יָפֶה, אוֹ עַל סֻלָּם מְסֻמָּר, אוֹ עַל כֶּבֶשׁ אוֹ עַל דֶּלֶת אוֹ קוֹרָה הַמְּחֻבָּרִין בְּטִיט, אוֹ עַל הַמָּרִישׁ, אוֹ עַל הַתַּנּוּר, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהִקִּישׁ הֵנִיד כֵּלִים אוֹ אֹכָלִין וּמַשְׁקִין, אֲפִלּוּ הִפִּילָן - הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ טְהוֹרִין. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָאֵלּוּ.
2When there was a loaf of bread attached to the wall of an oven and a zav knocked on the oven and caused the loaf to fall, it is pure,4 even if the loaf is terumah.5בתַּנּוּר שֶׁהָיְתָה הַפַּת דְּבוּקָה בּוֹ, וְהִקִּישׁ עַל הַתַּנּוּר, וְנָפַל כִּכָּר, אֲפִלּוּ הָיָה תְרוּמָה - הֲרֵי זֶה טָהוֹר.
If a shard from the oven is clinging to the loaf that fell, it is impure,6 even if the loaf is ordinary food.וְאִם הָיָה חֶרֶס מִן הַתַּנּוּר מְדֻבָּק בַּכִּכָּר שֶׁנָּפַל, אֲפִלּוּ הָיָה חֻלִּין - הֲרֵי זֶה טָמֵא.
3A surface on which one lies7 or rides that has contracted midras impurity does not impart impurity to keilim, foods, or liquids, unless it touches them.גאֵין הַמִּשְׁכָּב אוֹ הַמֶּרְכָּב מְטַמֵּא כֵלִים אוֹ אֹכָלִין וּמַשְׁקִין, אֶלָּא בַּמַּגָּע בִּלְבָד.
If, however, the keilim, foods, or liquids were above the impure midras8 or the impure midras was above them,9 as long as they do not touch it, even if there is only a paper separating between them, they are pure.10אֲבָל אִם הָיוּ כֵלִים אוֹ אֹכָלִין וּמַשְׁקִין לְמַעְלָה מִן הַמִּדְרָס, אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה הַמִּדְרָס לְמַעְלָה מֵהֶן, אֲפִלּוּ לֹא הִפְסִיק בֵּינֵיהֶם אֶלָּא נְיָר, הוֹאִיל וְלֹא נָגַע בָּהֶן - הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ טְהוֹרִין.
Similarly, if an object on which one sits caused keilim, foods, or liquids to move, they are pure.11וְכֵן אִם הֵסִיט הַמִּשְׁכָּב אֶת הַכֵּלִים אוֹ אֶת הָאֹכָלִין וְהַמַּשְׁקִין, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ טְהוֹרִין.
4When a zav and a pure person were sitting in a small boat that could tip due to the movement of one person, on a dinghy,12 or riding an animal together, even if their clothes are not touching each other, the clothes of the pure person are considered to have contracted midras impurity. This impurity comes as a result of a doubt; perhaps the zav stepped upon them.13דהַזָּב וְהַטָּהוֹר שֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ בִּסְפִינָה קְטַנָּה הַיְכוֹלָה לְהָמִיט בְּאָדָם אֶחָד, אוֹ בְּאַסְדָּא, אוֹ שֶׁרָכְבוּ עַל גַּבֵּי בְּהֵמָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין בִּגְדֵיהֶן נוֹגְעִין זֶה בָּזֶה - הֲרֵי בִּגְדֵי הַטָּהוֹר טְמֵאִין מִדְרָס; וְטֻמְאָתָן בְּסָפֵק, שֶׁמָּא דָּרַס הַזָּב עֲלֵיהֶן
Similarly, if a woman in the nidah state sat together with a woman who is pure on a bed, the other woman’s clothes are impure because of midras impurity,14 with the exception of the cap on her head.15וְכֵן נִדָּה שֶׁיָּשְׁבָה עִם הַטְּהוֹרָה בַּמִּטָּה - בְּגָדֶיהָ טְמֵאִין מִדְרָס, חוּץ מִכִּפָּה שֶׁבְּרֹאשָׁהּ.
Similarly, when a zav was in a small boat, clothes on top of the masthead are pure.16וְכֵן הַבְּגָדִים שֶׁבְּרֹאשׁ הַנֵּס שֶׁבַּסְּפִינָה, טְהוֹרִין.
5When one pushes into a mill in which a gentile,17 a zav, or the like is located, his clothes contract midras impurity.ההַנִּדְחָק בָּרֵחַיִם שֶׁהַגּוֹי בְּתוֹכָם, אוֹ זָב וְכַיּוֹצֵא בוֹ - הֲרֵי בְּגָדָיו טְמֵאִין מִדְרָס.
With regard to which type of mill was this said? One that shakes the ground to the extent that it will raise the person standing there and force him from his place. It is obvious that this impurity was decreed due to a doubt: perhaps the impure person was displaced and stepped on the clothes of the pure person.בְּאֵי זֶה רֵחַיִם אָמְרוּ? בָּרֵחַיִם שֶׁמְּנַדְנְדִין אֶת הַקַּרְקַע, עַד שֶׁעוֹקְרִין אֶת הָעוֹמֵד כַּאן וְדוֹחֲפִין אוֹתוֹ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ. וְדָבָר בָּרוּר הוּא שֶׁטֻּמְאָה זוֹ בְּסָפֵק, שֶׁמָּא נֶעֱקַר הַטָּמֵא וְדָרַס עַל בִּגְדֵי הַטָּהוֹר.
Footnotes
1.
As the Rambam proceeds to explain, since the support was strong, we assume that the article did not fall as a result of the direct influence of the blow of the zav, but as a result of the reverberation of the support.
2.
Since the entity on which they are resting is not strong, banging on that entity wi11 certainly cause them to move. Hence, their movement is a direct result of the zav's deed.
3.
Since the entity on which the item rests is firm. we do not say that it fell as a direct result of the zav's blow. Instead, the zav caused the entity to shake and as a result of that shaking, the article fell.
4.
For, as mentioned in the previous halachah, an oven is considered as a sturdy base. Hence, it is not considered as if the bread fell as a direct result of the zav’s blow.
5.
In wbich instance, the obligation to partake of it only when pure involves a Scriptural commandment, not merely a stringency that a person may have accepted upon himself.
6.
For the zav's blow broke the oven and thus directly caused the loaf to fall.
7.
Or one on which one sits.
8.
And one might think they contract madaf impurity, as described in Chapter 6, Halachah 3.
9.
In which instance, one might think they would contract impurity because they were carrying the Midras.
10.
Because a Midras imparts impurity to humans through these means, but not to other entities. See Chapter 6, Halachah 2.
11.
For causing something to move is equivalent to carrying it.
12.
In his Commentary to the Mishnah (Zavim 3:1), the Rambam translates the Hebrew term as referring to a very small boat used to cross rivers.
13.
In his Commentary to the Mishnah (op. cit.), the Rambam explains that we are alsoconcerned that perhaps one of the persons leaned on the other.
14.
Because of the possibility that the impure woman stepped on her clothes.
15.
Because that was unlikely to have been stepped on.
16.
For it is unlikely that they were stepped on by the zav.
17.
Who is considered like a zav according to Rabbinic decree.
Rabbi Eliyahu Touger is a noted author and translator, widely published for his works on Chassidut and Maimonides.
Published and copyright by Moznaim Publications, all rights reserved.
To purchase this book or the entire series, please click here.
To purchase this book or the entire series, please click here.
The text on this page contains sacred literature. Please do not deface or discard.
Vowelized Hebrew text courtesy Torat Emet under CC 2.5 license.
The text on this page contains sacred literature. Please do not deface or discard.
