1)

(a)Rav Ada bar Ahavah asked that K'lei Cheres should become Tamei by touching (even from the outside) from a Kal va'Chomer from other Keilim - which are Mekabel Tum'ah from the outside, even though they are not Mekabel Tum'ah from the inside, Kal va'Chomer K'lei Cheres, which are Mekabel Tum'ah from the inside.

(b)We learn from the the word "alav" In the Pasuk in Shemini "ve'Chol asher Yipol alav") that - other Keilim are Mekabel Tum'ah by touching, irrespective of whether it is from the inside or from the outside.

(c)We counter the current Kashya from the Pasuk there "ve'Chol K'li Pasu'ach asher Ein Tzamid Pasil alav, Tamei Hu", from which (given that it is speaking about a K'li Cheres) we extrapolate that - if its lid is firmly shut, a K'li Cheres is not Mekabel Tum'ah (a clear indication that it is only Mekabel Tum'ah from the insdide).

2)

(a)We extrapolate fromthe word "Tocho" (in connection with a K'li Cheres) that - it is only the air-space of a K'li Cheres that renders the K'li Tamei, but not that of other vessels.

(b)Even though we used "Tocho" for the Gezeirah-Shavah of Rebbi Yonasan ben Avtulmus ('Tocho Letamei ve'Tocho Litamei') - we can learn the previous D'rashah, since the Torah inserts the word "Tocho" four times ...

(c)... two D'rashos from each of the two "Tochos" (one from "Toch" and one from "Tocho").

3)

(a)We have just explained two of the "Tochos". Given that we need one for itself, we learn from the fourth one - "Tocho", 've'Lo Toch Tocho' ...

(b)... meaning that if there is a K'li containing food inside a K'li Cheres that also contains a Sheretz, whose top protrudes above the top of the outer K'li, the food remains Tahor.

4)

(a)We conclude that even a K'li Shetef - (any vessel other than an earthenware one) saves the food that is inside it.

(b)We might have thought that a K'li Shetef does not prevent the food that it contains from becoming Tamei - because generally, anything that is subject to Tum'ah does not prevent Tum'ah from passing through it.

(c)And the Pasuk is coming to teach us that this case is different - in that a vessel cannot receive Tum'ah from another vessel, which explains why the vessel itself does not become Tamei and why it therefore protects the food that is inside it (see Tosfos DH 'va'Afilu').

5)

(a)Finally, we ask why K'lei Shetef become Tamei from the outside. We would have thought that they do not - Kal va'Chomer from K'lei Cheres, which are not, even though they are subject to Tum'ah from the inside (which K'lei Shetef are not).

(b)And we answer - based on the word "Hu" (in the Pasuk in Chukas "ve'Chol K'li Pasu'ach ... Tamei Hu") - from which we extrapolate that it is only earthenware vessels that are subject to the distinction between a lid tightly shut and a lid that isn't; but other vessels, become Tamei even if they have a lid that is tightly shut.

6)

(a)The Beraisa establishes our Mishnah 'Tahor bi'Chelei Eitz, Tamei bi'Chelei Matchos' to mean that - P'shutei K'lei Eitz (flat wooden vessels) are Tahor, but not Peshutei K'lei Matchos.

(b)The source for ...

1. ... the ruling regarding P'shutei K'lei Eitz is - the Torah's comparison of wooden vessels to a sack (in Parshas Shemini), which is a receptacle.

2. ... the Tum'ah of K'lei Matchos (metal vessels) is - the Pasuk in Matos (in connection with the vessels that they brought back from the battle against Midyan), "Ach K'lei Chesef u'Chelei Zahav ... ".

(c)The Beraisa establishes 'Tahor bi'Chelei Matchos, Tamei bi'Chelei Eitz' by Gulmei Keilim - (the basic form of vessels that have yet to be completed).

7)

(a)The Beraisa rules that ...

1. ... a wooden vessel that still requires smoothening with a plane, ornamental pins to be added, round grooves to be pressed into it, or sand-papering using the skin of a tunny-fish - is considered Gulmei K'lei Eitz and is subject to Tum'ah, as is ...

2. ... a wooden vessel that still requires a base, a rim or a handle.

(b)The one exception that the Tana lists that is Tahor, is a wooden vessel that requires scratching out a hollow to be used as a receptacle. The problem with this is - that it is obvious, seeing as the vessel still falls under the category of P'shutei K'lei Eitz.

(c)We answer de'Chak K'piza be'Kaba which means that - the owner has in fact carved out a hollow that holds three Lugin (turning it into a receptacle), only the vessel is incomplete since it is his intention to add another Lug, to make it four.

8)

(a)The Beraisa lists four similar Gulmei K'lei Matchos as it did regarding Gulmei K'li Eitz, but adds a metal vessel that needs to be flattened with a hammer. La'shuf means to smoothen metal vessels with a lamina, Legarer - to scratch gold and silver ones.

(b)The Tana exchanges Lekarkov (to press round grooves into it) for Lekarker which means - to engrave in it.

(c)These five Gulmei K'lei Matchos are Tahor. The Tana rules that a metal vessel that still requires a base, a rim or a handle - is also Tahor, whereas ...

(d)... if it requires a lid - it is Tamei - because since a lid is a separate piece, the vessel is considered complete without it.

9)

(a)Rebbi Yochanan ascribes the Tana's general leniency regarding Gulmei K'lei Matchos to the fact that metal vessels are made for Kavod (they are considered a luxury item). Consequently, until they are completely finished, they do not serve their purpose. Rav Nachman attributes the leniency by metal vessels to their high price, and until they are complete, they will not fetch the price that one expects them to.

(b)The ramifications of their Machlokes are - with regard to bone vessels, which are valuable but not made for Kavod.

(c)Rav Nachman h fereollows his reasoning elsewhere - where he said- that bone vessels have the same Din as metal ones.

10)

(a)Rebbi Yishmael b'no shel Rebbi Yochanan ben Berokah learns from the words "Ma'aseh Izim" (in the Pasuk in Matos [in connection with the vessels that they captured from Midyan] "ve'Chol Ma'aseh Izim Tischata'u"]) that - vessels made from the horns and the hooves of goats are subject to Tum'ah.

(b)From "ve'Chol" - he includes vessels made from the horns and hooves of other animals.

(c)And the Pasuk only mentions "Izim" - to preclude vessels made from birds (from the claws of a vulture) from the realm of Tum'ah.

11)

(a)Our Mishnah discusses which almonds are Chayav and which are Patur - from Ma'asros.

(b)The Beraisa establishes our Mishnah 'ha'Chayav bi'Shekeidim ha'Marim, Patur bi'Mesukim' by small almonds (that are not fully-grown), and the Seifa 'ha'Chayav bi'Shekeidim ha'Mesukim Patur be'Marim' - by big ones (that are).

(c)The Tana's reason by sweet almonds is because people tend to wait until they are ripe before picking them, and by bitter one - because they make a point of eating them before they become ripe and too bitter to eat.

(d)According to Rebbi Yishmael b'Rebbi Yossi in the name of his father, small almonds are always Patur from Ma'asros. Others say that big ones are always Chayav.

(e)According to the latter opinion, fully-grown bitter almonds are potentially edible - because when heated on the fire they become sweet.

12)

(a)Our Mishnah now discusses Temed - grape-pits onto which one pours water, which turn into wine once the mixture ferments.

(b)The Tana rules that until Temed ferments, it cannot be purchased with money of Ma'aser Sheini (in connection with which the Torah mentions wine), and by the same token - it will invalidate a Mikvah which does not yet contain (the Shi'ur Mikvah of) forty Sa'ah, into which it falls ...

(c)... because it is still considered water, and three Lugin of drawn water (Mayim She'uvin) invalidate a Mikveh (if it is added before the Mikvah contains forty Sa'ah).

(d)Once the Temed has fermented, however, the Tana rules - that it has a Din of wine in both of the above regards (It can be purchased with Ma'aser Sheini money, and a mere three Lugin of it does not invalidate the Mikvah into which it falls).

(e)The connection between the previous Mishnahs on the one hand, and the current and ensuing ones on the other is that - the former are discussing the contrast between two independent Halachos, and the latter, the contrast between two halves of the same Mitzvah.

13)

(a)When giving one's half-Shekel, everyone has to add a Kalbon - (the little bit extra that one pays Hekdesh when giving one's annual half-Shekel ...

(b)... which the Chachamim initiated in order to compensate Hekdesh for the losses it sustains in the process of exchanging the different denominational coins that people give to the treasurer.

14)

(a)If two brothers divide their father's inheritance and then form a partnership pay Hekdesh a full Shekel jointly - they have to pay two Kalbonos.

(b)But if they pay their half-Shekel from Tefusas ha'Bayis - the money they inherit before splitting it up, they are add only one Kalbon ...

(c)... just as the father would have done had he given a half-Shekel on their behalf.

(d)The Tana rules that, as far as Ma'aser Beheimah is concerned, this distinction between the two kinds of partners works in reverse - if the heirs entered into a regular partnership, they are Patur from Ma'aser Beheimah (just as all partners are); whereas in the event that they own animals jointly (bi'Tefusas ha'Bayis) they are Chayav (just as their father would have been).

15)

(a)The Tana Kama in a Beraisa rules that someone who makes Temed, and finds exactly as much juice as the water that he added, is Patur from Ma'asering it. Rebbi Yehudah rules that - he is Chayav.

(b)We initially think that our Mishnah goes like neither Tana - because, unlike the Mishnah, the Tana'im make no mention of the Temed fermenting, in which case it seems that the Tana Kama declares it water even if it has fermented, whereas Rebbi Yehudah declares it wine even if it has not.

(c)Rav Nachman Amar Rabah bar Avuhah answers that the Tana'im are arguing over Temed that fermented - in which case, the author of our Mishnah will be Rebbi Yehudah.

(d)Rav Nachman did not want to establish the Machlokes by Temed that did not ferment, in order to establish our Mishnah like the Rabbanan - because he maintains that in such a case, since they are speaking where he only found as much juice as the water that was added, Rebbi Yehudah would not consider it to be wine.

16)

(a)Temed ...

1. ... that did not ferment - is considered water, even according to Rebbi Yehudah.

2. ... that fermented, but which contains more juice than the water that one added - is considered wine, even according to the Chachamim.