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מסכת כלים

פרק כח משנה ד

This mishnah addresses whether the cover for a sefer torah is treated as other cloths of that size and are susceptible to tumah, or, since they are not ordinarily made to serve a person, are therefore tahor and not susceptible to tumah.

מטפחות ספרים

The covers of scrolls,

בין מצירות

whether decorated,

בין שאינן מצירות

whether undecorated,

טמאות

are tamei

כדברי בית שמאי

according to the words of Beis Shammai;

בית הלל אומרין

Beis Hillel say,

מצירות טהורות

decorated are tahor (as the decoration shows that they would never be used to serve a person, as opposed to serving only a scroll),

ושאינן מצירות טמאות

and those not decorated are tamei;

רבן גמליאל אומר

Rabban Gamliel says,

אלו ואלו טהורות

both of these are tahor.

 

פרק כח משנה ה

כפה

A head kerchief (worn by women, though also sometime sat upon)

שהוא טמא מדרס

that was tamei midras

ונתנו על הספר

and one gave it for (use as the cover of) a sefer Torah

טהור מן המדרס

is tahor from midras (as it is no longer permissible to use it for sitting),

אבל טמא טמא מת

but is (susceptible to the) tumah of a corpse.

חמת שעשאה שטיח

A waterskin (which is susceptible to becoming tamei midras) that was made into a mat (for sitting on, and which is therefore also susceptible to becoming tamei midras),

ושטיח שעשאו חמת

and a mat that was made into a waterskin,

טהור

is tahor (if it was previously tamei);

חמת שעשאה תרמל

a waterskin that was made into a shepherd's pouch (which is also susceptible to becoming tamei midras)

ותרמל שעשאו חמת

and a shepherd's pouch that was made into a waterskin,

כר שעשאו סדין

a pillow that was made into a bedsheet

וסדין שעשאו כר

and a bedsheet that was made into a pillow,

כסת שעשאה מטפחת

a mattress that was made into a mitpachas (this refers to a small piece of material, used to sit or lay upon)

ומטפחת שעשאה כסת

and a mitpachas that was made into a mattress,

טמא

are tamei;

זה הכלל

this is the rule:

כל ששינהו לשמו טמא

anything changed into (something of) its nature is tamei,

לשם אחר טהור

to another nature is tahor.

            

לרפואת מרים חיה בת ברכה בתוך שאר חולי ישראל