1)

(a)The Mishnah discusses Karim, K'sasos, Sakin, and Martzufin that tear.

1. ... Karim are cushions and K'sasos - eiderdowns (used as mattresses (as we learned in the sixteenth Perek [see also Tiferes Yisrael]).

2. ... Sakim are sacks (see Tos. Yom-Tov) and Martzufim - large leather commercial sacks used in overseas transportation).

(b)The Mishnah rules that any of these that tears - it remains subject to Tum'as Midras ...

(c)... since they are initially made for lying on too (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

2)

(a)The Tana presents a second list of items that are Tamei Midras, comprising K'looster - a basket containing fodder and barley that is tied near the animal's mouth, enabling it to eat whilst it walks Turmal, K'risis and Cheimes.

(b)Turmal is a shepherd's satchel, and Cheimes, a (leather) pitcher. K'risis is - a small leather bag (something like a shoulder-bag [see Tos. Yom-Tov]).

(c)In order to be Tamei Midras ...

1. ... a K'looster has to hold four Kabin (6 Kabin = 1 Sa'ah), the equivalent Shi'ur of a Turmal is - five Kabin.

2. ... a K'risis has to hold a Sa'ah (six Kabin), and a Cheimes - 7 Kabin.

3)

(a)R. Yehudah adds Rivtzal and Mizvadah. Rivtzal is a small leather flask (similar to Cheimes) - which holds spices.

(b)A Mizvadah is a small case that one takes on journeys. According to R. Yehudah - they are subject to Tum'as Midras be'Chol she'Hein (irrespective of their size).

(c)All of the above are subject to Tum'as Midras - because one tends to sit or to lie on them even whilst they are being used what they are made for.

(d)The Tana finally rules that if any of them tear - they is Tahor, because since their main use has been negated, they are not Tamei Tum'as Midras either.

4)

(a)The Tana declares Tahor (from Midras [see Tos. Yom-Tov]) a Cheimes Chalilin - a leather bag (Cheimes) with flutes sticking out of it (a sort of bagpipes [see also Tos. Yom-Tov]).

(b)According to Beis Shamai, Arivas Pisonos (a large building container for transporting small stones and clods of earth to a building site) is Tamei Midras. The small stones and clods are used - to fill up the gaps in walls.

(c)Pisonos means - pieces (usually used in connection with clods of earth).

(d)Beis Hillel declare it - subject to Tum'as Meis (and other Tum'os), but not Tum'as Midras

(e)They argue over whether the workers tend to sleep in it whilst it is in use (Beis Shamai) or not (Beis Hillel).

5)

(a)The Mishnah now rules that a kneading-board that holds between two Lugin (12 egg-volumes) up to nine Kabin (216 egg-volumes) that has cracked (and now leaks [see Tos. Yom-Tov) - is subject to Tum'as Midras ...

(b)... seeing as one now turns it upside-down and uses it to sit on.

(c)The same will not apply if it is not cracked - because then one will need to ask a person sleeping in it to get up, to enable it to be used (since it is not fit to lie in even whilst in use [see Tos. Yom-Tov]).

(d)The Tana also rules that where the cracked dish is subsequently placed in ...

1. ... the sun, where it expands and the crack is closed - it becomes once again subject to Tum'as Meis (and other Tum'os Maga).

2. ... a location where the east-wind blows, and the crack re-opens - it then becomes subject to Tum'as Midras (and not Tum'as Meis).

6)

(a)The Tana describes what we just learned as a Chumra pertaining to the remains of wooden vessels more than to the original vessels themselves, by which he means that - although the initial K'li is not subject to Tum'as Midras, the broken one is.

(b)He then presents a similar case where the remains of a wickerwork basket are more stringent than the initial basket. He says this - with reference to a wickerwork basket that is not subject to Tum'ah until its rim has been completed, yet once it has, it remains subject to Tum'ah even though that same rim is virtually gone and only a bit of it remains intact.

7)

(a)The Mishnah speaks about a piece of wood which one transformed into the handle of an ax and a D'yustar - which is the acronym of the Arama'ic words Du S'tar (meaning two sides).

(b)A D'yustar is - a wooden staff with two holes, one higher up going from north to south, the other, lower down, going from east to west). Into these two holes one inserts two rods (in our case, of metal), around which one winds the yarn for the women to transfer onto the spindle in the form of threads (see also Tiferes Yisrael 38).

(c)The Tana rules that - the wooden staff is considered joined to the metal rods during use, and that, consequently, if they comes into contact with Tum'ah, it becomes Tamei too [even though in itself, it falls under the category of P'shutei K'lei Eitz], and vice-versa).

(d)Whilst not in use - the wooden staff is Tahor (since the rods are then removed from it, and it is thrown into the wood-store).

8)

(a)If the D'yustar is affixed to a K'lunas (a tall post) in the ground, it becomes Tamei, even when not in use - because then one tends to leave the metal rods intact.

(b)The K'lunas however - remains Tahor (see Tiferes Yisrael).

(c)If one drills two holes directly into the post and uses it as a D'yustar - the Tana declares subject to Tum'ah only the part of the post that is needed for the D'yustar, but not the area above or below it.

9)

(a)The Mishnah rules that if one fixed a chair on to...

1. ... a K'lunas - only the location of the chair is subject to Tum'as Medras (Tiferes Yisrael), but not the rest of the post, and the same applies to where one fixed it ...

2. ... to the beam of an oil-press.

(b)If one carved out a seat into the top of the beam of an oil-press - it is Tahor ...

(c)... because of the principle 'Amod ve'Na'aseh Melachteinu', which negates the Din of Tum'as Midras (as we discussed earlier) and ...

(d)... which we learn from the Pasuk in Shemini "ve'Chol ha'K'li asher Yeishev ha'Zav" (implying that to be eligible for Tum'as Midras, a K'li must initially be made specifically for sitting (or lying ... ) on (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

10)

(a)The Mishnah now discusses a large kneading- trough (that contains more than nine Kabin [Tiferes Yisrael]) that has holes. The criterion for negating its status of Tum'ah is that - the holes allow pomegranates to fall through.

(b)According to R. Akiva, if the owner now designates it as a chair, it becomes subject to Tum'as Midras. The Chachamim - rule that it is Tahor, unless he first cuts it to shape (see Tiferes Yisrael).

(c)Should the owner designate it as a feeding-trough for his animals, the Tana declares it Tamei - even if he fixes it to the wall.

(d)The fact that a K'li that is joined to the ground is exempt from Tum'ah is subject to two conditions; It must be affixed before it becomes a vessel and - it serves the ground, so to speak (its use is connected to the ground, whereas in the current case, its attachment to the ground is purely incidental).

11)

(a)The Tana now discusses a Kofes - a seat made of date-palm branches, that is built into the rows of a building.

(b)There where...

1. ... it is fixed into the wall, but without another row having been added to it yet - it is still subject to Tum'ah (should a Zav sit on it), and the same applies there where ...

2. ... another row has been added to it but it has not yet been fixed - because either way, the builder will sometimes still remove the seat from the wall.

(c)In the latter case, the seat will become Tamei Midras - if the Zav sits on the row of bricks above it.

(d)It only becomes Tahor - once it has been fixed to the wall (see Tos. Yom-Tov) and another row of bricks has been added to it.

12)

(a)In similar vein, the Mishnah discusses a cane or reed mat that one laid out atop the beams of an attic. For the mat to become Tahor, besides fixing it there (see Tos. Yom-Tov) - it also needs to have a layer of cement smeared on top of it.

(b)The Tana finally rules that a dish that one fixes to a Shidah, Teivah u'Migdal ...

1. ... the right way up - is subject to Tum'ah.

2. ... upside down is - Tahor.

13)

(a)the Mishnah rules that a sheet that the owner decides to use as a curtain in front of the doorway of one's house or as a ship's sail - becomes Tahor Tamei Midras (see Tos. Yom-Tov), but remains subject to Tum'as Meis.

(b)In spite of the fact that it now becomes part of the house, it is nevertheless subject to Tum'ah - because the Shamash sometimes warms himself by wrapping the hem round himself.

14)

(a)Beis Shamai, Beis Hillel and R. Akiva now argue over when the Halachic change takes place. They all agree that it requires tying (mi'she'Yikasher), with reference to - tying the loops with which one suspends the curtain.

(b)They all agree that - the decision alone (without a positive act) is insufficient to change the mat's status.

(c)In addition to tying, Beis Shamai require mi'she'Yitaver (or mi'she'Yitafer) - it must also be torn and re-stitched to size in readiness for its new function (see Tiferes Yisrael).

(d)R. Akiva is the most stringent of all. According to him - the curtain will remain subject to Tum'as Midras until it is actually hanging from its new location in the house or on the mast.

(e)The Halachah is - like Beis Hillel.

15)

(a)The Tana Kama declares Tahor a reed mat that one strengthens with bamboo canes running down its length - because it is no longer fit to sleep on.

(b)The Chachamim - maintain that it is Tamei unless the canes break in the form of a Greek Chi ...

(c)... which is similar to our 'Chaf' facing downwards [see Tos. Yom-Tov] or like a figure X (Tiferes Yisrael).

(d)The Halachah in this regard is - like the Chachamim.

16)

(a)The mat will be Tahor however, even if the canes run across its width - provided they are placed less than four Tefachim apart.

(b)According to R. Yehudah, if, in the latter case (where the canes are four Tefachim apart) the mat including the canes, breaks in half - it becomes Tahor ...

(c)... seeing as it is no longer fit to lie on (see Tiferes Yisrael).

(d)The Halachah in this regard is - like the Chachamim, who hold that it is still Tamei.

17)

(a)If on the other hand, it tears width-wise, three Ma'adanim - three tufts made up of the loose ends of the reeds, must remain intact for the mat to remain Tamei.

(b)Ma'adanim means literally - knots.

(c)A mat becomes subject to Tum'ah when it is completed (see Tos. Yom-Tov), which is synonymous with mi'she'Takanev, meaning that - the loose ends have been snipped off.