(Mishnah): If all or most of the congregation became Tamei or if the Kohanim were Tamei and the congregation were Tahor, it should be performed in Tum'ah.

If a minority of the congregation became Tamei, the Tehorim observe Pesach Rishon and the Temeyim observe Pesach Sheni.

(Gemara)-Question: Who is the Tana that teaches that the law applies to the majority of the congregation (even if it is not the majority of the tribes)?

Answer: It is R. Meir (of the Beraisa that discusses when Beis Din erred and a large part of the congregation acted on their ruling) -

R. Meir says that if there was half of all of the tribes or half of each and every tribe, as long as there is a majority of the entire congregation (it is considered the majority - and they must bring a sacrifice).

R. Yehudah says that even half of each tribe, as long as it is most of the tribes (he requires the majority of the entire congregation) in order for them to be liable to bring a sacrifice. If there is one tribe that the entire tribe followed the Beis Din, all tribes must bring a sacrifice.

R. Meir says that all of the tribes together are referred to as "Kahal'' in the Pasuk (Vene'elam Me'einei Hakahal).

R. Yehudah says that each tribe separately is referred to as "Kahal''.

Question: Where is there a difference between them?

Answer: In the law of "dragging''. R. Meir says that one tribe cannot drag the others. R. Yehudah says that one tribe can drag all of the other tribes.

R. Yehudah follows the opinion of R. Shimon, that they both say that one tribe drags all of the others.

Even though R. Yehudah said that one tribe drags the others, he agrees that in order to do so, the original ruling must have come from the Beis Din Hagadol in the Lishchas Hagazis.

R. Yosa: The source of this law (in (j)) is the Pasuk that states (Devarim 16, 10), "...from this place that Hash-m will choose''.

The source of R. Yehuda's opinion is the Pasuk that states (Bamidbar 15, 26), "and all of the congregation of Bnei Yisrael shall be forgiven'' - even the sin of one tribe requires forgiveness for all of them.

The source of R. Shimon's opinion is the same Pasuk that states, "for all of the people have sinned''. (Only when all of them sinned do they all need atonement.)

R. Shimon uses the Pasuk of R. Yehudah to teach - "and all of the congregation of Bnei Yisrael shall be forgiven'' - except for women and children, who are not included when calculating the majority.

R. Yehudah uses R. Shimon's Pasuk to teach - "for all of the people have sinned'' - this excludes when it started with intent (to sin) and ended as an inadvertent sin.

R. Avun quoting R. Binyamin bar Levi: A Pasuk supports the opinion that each tribe is called the congegration - (Beraishis 35, 11) "A nation and a congregation of nations will come from you'' (He referred to Binyamin as a Kahal) - and at that point, Binyamin was still unborn.

R. Chiya bar Ba: Just as they disagree here, they disagree about Tum'ah, as the Beraisa teaches- If the Tzibur was half Tahor and half Tamei -

R. Meir says - the Tehorim perform Pesach Rishon and the Temeyim perform Pesach Sheni.

R. Yehudah says - the Tehorim perform the Pesach separately from the Temeyim.

They said to him - the Pesach cannot be brought in halves; rather, all should be performing it either in Taharah or in Tum'ah.

Question: Who is the "they said to him''? It is R. Yehudah, as the Mishnah teaches -

If one of the breads (of the Shtei Halechem of Shavu'os) became Tamei -

R. Yehudah says that they must both be burned, as one cannot divide a public sacrifice. (This matches the opinion above that the Pesach cannot be brought in halves.)

Chachamim say that the Tamei remains Tamei but the Tahor bread may eaten.

R. Yosa bei R. Bun quoting R. Yochanan: Who is the "they said to him''? It is the Chachamim who follow the opinion of R. Yehudah. (Note: Many commentators changed the text from R. Meir to R. Yehudah.)

Question: According to R. Yehudah, how does he view half and half? Is it considered like the majority that all observe Pesach Rishon in Tum'ah or is it viewed as the minority, where the Temeyim observe Pesach Sheni?

R. Yosa: He did not say that if most are Tahor they do not observe Pesach Rishon and if most are Tamei, they do not observe Pesach Sheni; he only said that if most are Tamei, it is not postponed until Pesach Sheni.

Question: According to "those that said to him'', how do they view half and half?

R. Ba quoting Rav: You make one of the Tehorim Tamei through a Sheretz, in order to cause a majority of Temeyim, thereby allowing everyone to bring their sacrifices in Tum'ah. Shmuel said that they send away one Tahor.

This follows the opinion that holds that an individual can tip the balance for Tum'ah. However, according the opinion that holds that he cannot, two people are sent away.

Rav follows R. Eliezer who said that if the congregation were people who touched Nevelos or Sheratzim, they perform the Pesach in Tum'ah as long as there is no water available in which to immerse. But if there is water, they should immerse rather than bring the sacrifice in a Tum'ah.

R. Elazar: Even if the Temple vessels in which the Pesach was placed were Tamei, the Pesach may be brought in Tum'ah, even though the Kohanim and the owners were Tahor. This also applies in a case when the hands that touched it were Tamei or the knife that cut it was Tamei. (Note: This follows the explanation of Rav Chaim Kanievski.)