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מסכת כלים

פרק כב משנה ד

כסא של כלה

The chair of a bride

שניטלו חיפוייו

that had its panels removed (some say this this refers to panels that formed its arms and back; others say that these were decorative panels, which had colorful stones embedded in them, that were attached to the sides of the chair),

בית שמאי מטמאין

Beis Shammai rules it is tamei (as it can still be used as a chair)

ובית הלל מטהרין

and Beis Hillel rule it is tahor (since it would not be used by a bride in such condition, but was rather too ostentatious for use by others, it loses its status as a utensil and must be designated anew for use as a chair);

שמאי אומר

Shammai says

אף מלבן של כסא

even the frame of the chair (meaning, even if the seat was removed, and all that remained were the four legs and the square frame that the seat would normally go on top of, it can still be used, albeit with difficulty, as a seat)

טמא

is tamei.

כסא שקבעו בערבה

A chair that was affixed in a kneading trough (the trough is not susceptible to tumas midras, but the seat, at least before it was attached to the trough, was)

בית שמאי מטמאין

Beis Shammai rule it is tamei

ובית הלל מטהרין

and Beis Hillel rule it is tahor,

שמאי אומר

Shammai says

אף העשוי בה

also one made in it (i.e. a chair that was carved into the interior of the trough from the material of the trough itself)

 

פרק כב משנה ה

כסא

A chair

שלא היו חיפוייו יוצאין

whose panels did not protrude (that is, the slats that form its seat end flush with the edge of the frame that the legs are attached to)

ונטלו

and they were removed

טמא

is tamei,

שכן דרכו

as it was usual

להיות מטהו על צדו

for it to turn it on its side

ויושב עליו

and sit on it. (This chair was boxlike, and did not have legs per se, but rather three or four wide panels each descending to the ground from one side of the seat above.  Thus, with the seat removed this chair could still be turned on its side and one would sit on one of these panels instead.  If the seat panels had protruded however, then the chair originally could not be turned on its side, and so when they were removed it loses its status as a utensil, and can only regain that status when designated anew as a chair.)

         

לרפואת מרים חיה בת ברכה בתוך שאר חולי ישראל