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מסכת כלים

פרק יט משנה ב

החבל היוצא מן המטה

The rope bed that comes out of the bed (this is extra rope that hangs from the bed after its surface was woven),

עד חמשה טפחים

until five handbreadths

טהור

is tahor (as such a length is useless);

מחמשה ועד עשרה

from five to ten

טמא

it is tamei (as such a length is useful)

מעשרה ולחוץ

from ten and outwards (i.e. that portion that is beyond ten handbeadths)

טהור

is tahor;

שבו קושרין את הפסחים

as with it (a rope of 5 - 10 handbreadths) they would tie the [lamb that would be the korban] pesachs

ומשלשלין את המטות

and they would lower the beds (such a rope would be used to lower the bed into a mikvah to purify it, or to the lower floor of a building).

 

פרק יט משנה ג

מזרן

mizran (a strap of cloth wrapped around the outside of the bed to help keep the boards and legs together)

היוצא מן המטה

that extends from the bed (this refers to an excess amount of the strap that is left dangling)

כל שהוא

the smallest amount [is susceptible to tumah]

דברי רבי מאיר

this is the opinion of Rabbi Meir (as he held that the bed's owner may at some point decide to reinforce the bed by using this excess amount to further wrap it);

רבי יוסי אומר

Rabbi Yosi says

עשרה טפחים

ten handbreadths (he sees it as the same as the rope in this regard, although he does not give it a minimum amount).

שירי מזרן

The remnants of a mizran (that are left after it had become too worn and/or torn for use with a bed)

שבעה טפחים

[are susceptible to tumah if it is] seven handbreadths

כדי לעשותו חבק לחמור

such that it can be made into the strap for a donkey (this was used to either protect the donkey's load, or as a sort of blanket for the donkey).

         

לרפואת מרים חיה בת ברכה בתוך שאר חולי ישראל