הלכות טומאת מת כ״גDefilement by a Corpse 23

Halacha 1א׳

כָּל הַכֵּלִים הַמַּצִּילִים בְּצָמִיד פָּתִיל מַצִּילִין עַל כָּל מַה שֶּׁבְּתוֹכָן בֵּין אֳכָלִין בֵּין מַשְׁקִין בֵּין בְּגָדִים וּכְלֵי שֶׁטֶף. זֶהוּ דִּין תּוֹרָה. אֲבָל מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים שֶׁכְּלִי חֶרֶס הַמֻּקָּף צָמִיד פָּתִיל אֵינוֹ מַצִּיל אֶלָּא עַל הָאֳכָלִין וְעַל הַמַּשְׁקִין וְעַל כְּלֵי חֶרֶס אֲחֵרִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בְּתוֹכוֹ. אֲבָל אִם הָיוּ בְּתוֹךְ כְּלִי חֶרֶס הַמֻּקָּף כְּלֵי שֶׁטֶף אוֹ בְּגָדִים הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ טְמֵאִים. וּמִפְּנֵי מָה אָמְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא יַצִּיל עַל הַכּל כִּשְׁאָר כֵּלִים הַמַּצִּילִין. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁשְּׁאָר הַכֵּלִים הַמַּצִּילִין אֵין מְקַבְּלִין טֻמְאָה וּכְלֵי חֶרֶס מְקַבְּלִין טֻמְאָה וּכְלִי טָמֵא אֵינוֹ חוֹצֵץ. וְכָל כְּלֵי עַם הָאָרֶץ בְּחֶזְקַת טֻמְאָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר. וְלָמָּה לֹא אָמְרוּ כְּלִי חֶרֶס שֶׁל עַם הָאָרֶץ לֹא יַצִּיל עַל הַכּל וְשֶׁל חָבֵר יַצִּיל עַל הַכּל שֶׁהֲרֵי הוּא טָהֹר. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין עַם הָאָרֶץ טָמֵא בְּעֵינֵי עַצְמוֹ, שֶׁאוֹמֵר הוֹאִיל וּכְלִי חֶרֶס מַצִּיל עַל הַכּל אֶחָד אֲנִי וְאֶחָד הֶחָבֵר, וּלְפִיכָךְ חָשׁוּ וְגָזְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא יַצִּיל עַל הַכּל. וְלָמָּה אָמְרוּ מַצִּיל עַל הָאֳכָלִין וְעַל הַמַּשְׁקִין וְעַל כְּלֵי חֶרֶס. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵלּוּ הַשְּׁלֹשָׁה טְמֵאִים הֵן עַל גַּבֵּי עַם הָאָרֶץ בֵּין קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בְּאֹהֶל הַמֵּת בֵּין אַחַר שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שָׁם תַּחַת צָמִיד פָּתִיל. וּלְעוֹלָם לֹא יִשְׁאַל הֶחָבֵר מֵעַם הָאָרֶץ לֹא אֳכָלִין וְלֹא מַשְׁקִין וְלֹא כְּלֵי חֶרֶס אֶלָּא עַל דַּעַת שֶׁהֵן טְמֵאִין שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵין לָהֶן טָהֳרָה לְעוֹלָם וְלֹא יָבוֹא בָּהֶן לִידֵי תַּקָּלָה. אֲבָל כְּלֵי שֶׁטֶף שׁוֹאֵל אוֹתָם הֶחָבֵר מֵעַם הָאָרֶץ וּמַטְבִּילָן מִפְּנֵי מַגַּע עַם הָאָרֶץ וּמַעֲרִיב שִׁמְשׁוֹ וּמִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶן בְּטָהֳרוֹת 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 בְּטָהֳרוֹת וְיָבוֹא לִידֵי תַּקָּלָה. וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה גָּזְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא יַצִּיל כְּלִי חֶרֶס עַל כְּלִי שֶׁטֶף שֶׁבְּתוֹכוֹ:

All the vessels that save by a tightly sealed cover save all that is within them, whether foods, or liquids, or garments and vessels that can be rinsed. This is Torah law. But from the words of the Scribes, an earthenware vessel closed with a tightly sealed cover saves only the foods and the liquids and other earthenware vessels that are within it; but if there were within the earthenware vessel that is closed vessels that can be rinsed, or garments, these are impure. And why did they say that it should not save everything, like the other vessels that save? Because the other vessels that save do not receive impurity, whereas earthenware vessels do receive impurity, and an impure vessel does not interpose; and all the vessels of an am ha-aretz, one who is not trusted in matters of purity, are presumed impure, as will be explained. And why did they not say that the earthenware vessel of an am ha-aretz should not save everything, while that of a chaver, one who is scrupulous in matters of purity, should save everything, since it is pure? Because an am ha-aretz is not impure in his own eyes, for he says, "Since an earthenware vessel saves everything, I and the chaver are alike"; and therefore they were apprehensive and decreed that it should not save everything. And why did they say that it saves the foods and the liquids and earthenware vessels? Because these three are impure when they are in the possession of an am ha-aretz, whether before they were in the tent of a corpse or after they were there under a tightly sealed cover; and a chaver will never borrow from an am ha-aretz foods, or liquids, or earthenware vessels, except on the understanding that they are impure, since they can never be purified, and so he will not come through them to a stumbling-block. But vessels that can be rinsed the chaver does borrow from an am ha-aretz, and he immerses them on account of the contact of the am ha-aretz, and waits for his sun to set, and uses them for pure things. Therefore the Sages were apprehensive lest he borrow from him a vessel that can be rinsed which had already been under a tightly sealed cover in an earthenware vessel of his — for this am ha-aretz supposes that it was saved, whereas it is impure with a seven-day impurity — and the chaver would immerse it and wait for his sun to set and use it for pure things and come to a stumbling-block. And on this account they decreed that an earthenware vessel should not save a vessel that can be rinsed that is within it.

Halacha 2ב׳

אָדָם שֶׁהָיָה נָתוּן בְּתוֹךְ הֶחָבִית וּמֻקֶּפֶת צָמִיד פָּתִיל טָהוֹר. וַאֲפִלּוּ עֲשָׂאָהּ גּוֹלֵל לְקֶבֶר. וְיֵרָאֶה לִי שֶׁזֶּה שֶׁלֹּא גָּזְרוּ עַל כְּלִי חֶרֶס שֶׁלֹּא יַצִּיל עַל הָאָדָם. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ מָצוּי וְכָל דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ מָצוּי לֹא גָּזְרוּ בּוֹ:

A person who was placed within a jar that is closed with a tightly sealed cover is pure, and even if he made it a golel for a grave. And it appears to me that the reason they did not decree concerning an earthenware vessel that it should not save a person is that this is a thing that is not common, and concerning everything that is not common they did not decree.

Halacha 3ג׳

כְּלֵי חֶרֶס שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּמְּשִׁין בָּהֶן בְּאֵפֶר הַפָּרָה אוֹ בְּקָדָשִׁים עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ נֶאֱמָנִים עַל טָהֳרָתָם. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן נִזְהָרִים בָּהֶן הַרְבֵּה וּלְפִיכָךְ יַצִּילוּ עַל הַכּל בְּצָמִיד פָּתִיל אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵן שֶׁל חֶרֶס:

Earthenware vessels that are used for the ashes of the heifer or for consecrated food — the amei ha-aretz are trusted concerning their purity, since they are very careful with them; and therefore they save everything by a tightly sealed cover, even though they are of earthenware.