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The Rambam · Sefer Taharah

הלכות טומאת מת ט״וDefilement by a Corpse 15

Chapter 15 of 25 in Defilement by a Corpse — 5 halachot

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Halacha 1א׳

חַלוֹן תַּשְׁמִישׁ שֶׁסְּתָמָהּ כֻּלָּהּ אוֹ סְתָמָהּ עַד שֶׁנִּשְׁאַר בָּהּ פָּחוֹת מִטֶּפַח אִם בְּדָבָר הַחוֹצֵץ בִּפְנֵי הַטֻּמְאָה סָתַם הֲרֵי זֶה חוֹצֵץ וְהוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין דַּעְתּוֹ לְפַנּוֹתוֹ. לְפִיכָךְ אִם סָתַם הַחַלּוֹן אוֹ מִעֲטוֹ בָּאֳכָלִין שֶׁאֵינָן מֻכְשָׁרִין אֵינָן חוֹצְצִין שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין מְקַבְּלִין טֻמְאָה וַהֲרֵי הֵן טְהוֹרִין דַּעְתּוֹ לְפַנּוֹתָן. הָיוּ סְרוּחִין הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ חוֹצְצִין. וְכֵן תֶּבֶן סָרוּחַ חוֹצֵץ וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ סָרוּחַ אֵינוֹ חוֹצֵץ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁדַּעְתּוֹ לְפַנּוֹתוֹ. תְּבוּאָה שֶׁגָּדְלָה וְסָתְמָה אֶת הַחַלּוֹן אוֹ מִעֲטַתּוּ אֵינָהּ חוֹצֶצֶת לְפִי שֶׁדַּעְתּוֹ לְפַנּוֹתָהּ שֶׁמָּא תַּפְסִיד הַכֹּתֶל. הָיָה עִקָּרָהּ רָחוֹק מִן הַכֹּתֶל וְנָטָה רֹאשׁוֹ וְסָתַם הֲרֵי זוֹ חוֹצֶצֶת. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה:

A window for use that he stopped up entirely, or that he stopped up until there remained in it less than a handbreadth: if he stopped it with a thing that interposes against the impurity, it interposes — and that is when it is a thing that he does not intend to clear away. Therefore, if he stopped the window or diminished it with foods that have not been rendered susceptible to impurity, they do not interpose; for although they do not receive impurity and are pure, he intends to clear them away. If they were putrid, these interpose. And likewise putrid straw interposes, and straw that is not putrid does not interpose, since he intends to clear it away. Grain that grew and stopped up the window or diminished it does not interpose, since he intends to clear it away, lest it ruin the wall. If its root was far from the wall and its top bent over and stopped it up, this interposes. And so with all that is like this.

Halacha 2ב׳

חָבִית שֶׁהִיא מְלֵאָה גְּרוֹגָרוֹת סְרוּחִין שֶׁאֵינָן מֻכְשָׁרִין וְלֹא רְאוּיִין לַאֲכִילָה וּמֻנַּחַת בְּחַלּוֹן וּפִי הֶחָבִית כְּלַפֵּי הַטֻּמְאָה שֶׁהֲרֵי הֶחָבִית טְמֵאָה. וְכֵן קֻפָּה שֶׁהִיא מְלֵאָה תֶּבֶן סָרוּחַ שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לֹא לְמַאֲכַל בְּהֵמָה וְלֹא לְטִיט וְלֹא לְהַסָּקָה וּמֻנַּחַת בְּחַלּוֹן. אִם יְכוֹלִין הַגְּרוֹגָרוֹת וְהַתֶּבֶן לַעֲמֹד בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן כְּשֶׁיִּנָּטֵל הַכְּלִי שֶׁהֵן בּוֹ הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ חוֹצְצִין וְאִם לָאו אֵינָן חוֹצְצִין. עֲשָׂבִים הַמָּרִים שֶׁאֵינָן רְאוּיִין לִבְהֵמָה. וּמַטְלָנִיּוֹת שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶן ג' עַל ג' שֶׁהָיוּ מְטֻנָּפִים וְקָשִׁים כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ רְאוּיִין אֲפִלּוּ לְקַנֵּחַ הַדָּם מִן הַשְּׂרִיטָה. וְהָאֵיבָר וְהַבָּשָׂר הַמְדֻלְדָּלִים בִּבְהֵמָה טְמֵאָה וְהוּא שֶׁתִּהְיֶה כְּחוּשָׁה שֶׁאֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה לְהִמָּכֵר לְעַכּוּ"ם וּקְשׁוּרָה כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִּבְרַח. וְהָעוֹף טָמֵא שֶׁשָּׁכַן בַּחַלּוֹן וְהוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מְשָׂרֵט שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵינוֹ רָאוּי אֲפִלּוּ לְתִינוֹק לְשַׂחֵק בּוֹ. וְעַכּוּ"ם כָּפוּת שֶׁהוּא מֵאֲסוּרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁאֵין אַחֵר יָכוֹל לְהַתִּירוֹ. וּבֶן שְׁמוֹנָה בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת שֶׁהֲרֵי אָסוּר לְטַלְטְלוֹ. וְהַמֶּלַח הַמְעֹרָב בְּקוֹצִים שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לֹא לַאֲכִילָה וְלֹא לַעֲבָדָה וְהוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מֻנָּח עַל הַחֶרֶשׂ כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַזִּיק אֶת הַכֹּתֶל. כָּל אֵלּוּ מְמַעֲטִין בַּחַלּוֹן שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵינָן מְקַבְּלִין טֻמְאָה וְאֵין דַּעְתּוֹ לְפַנּוֹתָן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינָן רְאוּיִין לִמְלָאכָה. וְכֵן סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה שֶׁבָּלָה וְהָיָה מֻנָּח בַּחַלּוֹן אִם גָּמַר שֶׁתִּהְיֶה שָׁם גְּנִיזָתוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה מְמַעֵט בְּחַלּוֹן. אֲבָל הַשֶּׁלֶג וְהַבָּרָד וְהַכְּפוֹר וְהַגְּלִיד וְהַמַּיִם אֵינָן מְמַעֲטִין בַּחַלּוֹן שֶׁהֲרֵי הֵן רְאוּיִין וּמְקַבְּלִין טֻמְאָה:

A jar that is full of putrid dried figs that have not been rendered susceptible and are not fit to be eaten, and it is set in a window with the mouth of the jar toward the impurity, so that the jar itself is impure; and likewise a basket that is full of putrid straw that is fit neither for animal fodder, nor for clay, nor for burning, and it is set in a window: if the dried figs and the straw are able to stand by themselves when the vessel they are in is taken away, these interpose; and if not, they do not interpose. Bitter herbs that are not fit for an animal; and rags in which there are not three fingerbreadths by three, which were filthy and stiff, so that they are not fit even for wiping the blood from a scratch; and a limb and flesh that hang loose upon an impure animal — and that is when it is lean, so that it is not fit to be sold to a gentile, and it is tied up so that it cannot escape; and an impure bird that has settled in the window — and that is when it claws, so that it is not fit even for a child to play with; and a bound gentile who is among those imprisoned by the king, whom no other can release; and one born at eight months, on the Sabbath day, since it is forbidden to move him; and salt that is mixed with thorns, which is fit neither for eating nor for tanning — and that is when it is set upon a potsherd, so that it should not damage the wall: all these diminish the window, since they do not receive impurity and he does not intend to clear them away, because they are not fit for any work. And likewise a Torah scroll that has worn out and was set in the window: if he determined that its storing away should be there, this diminishes the window. But snow, and hail, and frost, and ice, and water do not diminish the window, since they are fit for use and receive impurity.

Halacha 3ג׳

מִעֵט אֶת הַטֶּפַח בְּפָחוֹת מִכְּזַיִת מִבְּשַׂר הַמֵּת. בְּפָחוֹת מִכְּזַיִת מִבְּשַׂר נְבֵלָה. אוֹ בְּעֶצֶם פָּחוֹת מִכִּשְׂעוֹרָה מִן הַמֵּת. אוֹ בְּפָחוֹת מִכַּעֲדָשָׁה מִן הַשֶּׁרֶץ. הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ חוֹצְצִין שֶׁכָּל אֵלּוּ טְהוֹרִין וְאֵינָן חֲשׁוּבִין אֶצְלוֹ לְפִיכָךְ אֵין דַּעְתּוֹ לְפַנּוֹתָן. וְכֵן פָּחוֹת מִכְּבֵיצָה אֳכָלִים שֶׁאֵינָן מֻכְשָׁרִין אֵינָן חֲשׁוּבִין אֶצְלוֹ וְאֵין דַּעְתּוֹ לְפַנּוֹתָן וּלְפִיכָךְ מְמַעֲטִין אֶת הַטֶּפַח:

If he diminished the handbreadth with less than an olive's bulk of a corpse's flesh, or with less than an olive's bulk of the flesh of a carcass, or with a bone from a corpse that is less than the size of a barley-corn, or with less than the size of a lentil from a creeping thing — these interpose, since all these are pure and are of no account to him, and therefore he does not intend to clear them away. And likewise less than an egg's bulk of foods that have not been rendered susceptible is of no account to him and he does not intend to clear it away, and therefore it diminishes the handbreadth.

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Mishneh Torah, Torat Emet 363 edition, via Sefaria — public domain

English: rendered from the Hebrew for this app — our own, not a borrowed translation