1)

(a)The Mishnah discusses the Shi'ur of a hole that renders a Kli Cheres, Tahor. The Shi'ur regarding a vessel that is used for ...

1. ... eating is - a ke'Zayis (see Tos. Yom Tov).

2. ... drinking is - Machnis Mashkeh (large enough to allow liquid to seep in [which is larger than one that allows to drip out]).

3. ... both eating and drinking (such as a pot for cooking meat and gravy) is - a ke'Zayis (le'Chumra).

(b)An earthenware vessel ...

1. ... that leaks - remains subject to Tum'ah, until it lets liquid in.

2. ... has a hole the size of a ke'Zayis - is no longer subject to Tum'ah (even though it is used for dried figs or nuts that are larger than olives.

(c)An earthenware vessel that has a hole that is larger than the size of an olive will be subject to Tum'ah - if one then designates it for anything larger than olives (up to the size of a pomegranate).

2)

(a)R. Shimon, R. Meir and R. Yehudah argue over the size of a hole that renders a barrel, Tahor. According to R. Shimon, it is the size of a Grogeres. The other two Shi'urim are - the size of a nut (R. Yehudah) and that of an olive (R. Meir [see Tos. Yom Tov]).

(b)The Halachah cannot be like R. Meir, who gives the Shi'ur as a ke'Zayis - because this is a case of S'tam v'Achar-Kach Machlokes' (where the Halachah is not like the Stam ).

(c)The Halachah is ke'Egoz (like R. Yehudah [see also Tos. Yom Tov]).

3)

(a)According to the Tana Kama, the size hole for ...

1. ... pots and pans is - a ke'Zayis.

2. ... a T'fi (a vessel used for Afarsemon (balsam) oil [see Tiferes Yisrael]) is - one that is sufficiently large to let oil in.

3. ... a Tzartzur (a drinking vessel covered by a netting to prevent things from falling into it) is - the same as Kelim that are used for regular liquids.

(b)R. Shimon gives the Shi'ur for all three as a hole that allows - medium-size seeds (incorporating legumes such as peas) to fall through (see Tos. Yom Tov) ...

(c)... because they are often used for that purpose (in which case we go le'Chumra, as we learned above).

(d)The Tana Kama gives the Shi'ur of a hole that renders an oil-lamp, Tahor as one that lets oil seep in. Based on the same logic as R. Shimon in the previous case, R. Eliezer gives the Shi'ur as - one that allows small-size P'rutos to fall out.

4)

(a)The Tana rules that ...

1. ... an earthenware lamp whose top has broken off - is no longer subject to Tum'ah (and becomes Tahor even if it was already Tamei).

2. ... a lamp made from earth (that has not been heated in a kiln) - is Tahor, too ...

(b)... even if the lamp-holder has been hardened by the constant burning of the wick.

5)

(a)A barrel (that holds between a Log and a Sa'ah) that has a hole the size of an olive that one seals with pitch - is subject to Tum'ah from now on.

(b)If the barrel now breaks, the piece with the pitch, assuming it holds a Revi'is - is Tamei ...

(c)... unless it is unable to stand by itself.

(d)We might have thought that it is Tahor in any case - because if the hole had been stopped up after it broke, it would not have been subject to Tum'ah ...

(e)... and the reason that it is Tamei in this case is - because it was stopped up before it broke, whilst it was still a Kli.

6)

(a)A broken earthenware barrel is Tahor. The Mishnah discusses a shaky barrel which they smeared with cattle manure from the outside - in order to prevent it from falling apart completely.

(b)'Shaky' means that - if one tries to pick it up whilst it contains half a Kav (three Lugin) of figs it will break.

(c)The Tana now rules that if they subsequently remove the cattle manure and the barrel is threatening to fall apart (see Tiferes Yisrael) - it is nevertheless Tamei ...

(d)... because it has not lost its status as a K'li (see Tiferes Yisrael).

7)

(a)If they smear the barrel with cattle manure after the barrel breaks and they stick together large pieces of the same barrel, or some from a different barrel, using glue - the barrel is Tahor, because it has lost its status as a Kli ...

(b)... even assuming that the barrel will remain intact even if one remove the manure ...

(c)... and the same will apply if one uses, not cattle manure (which is not subject to Tum'ah), but cement (which is [see Tos. Yom Tov]) ...

(d)... unless one returns the barrel to a kiln, in which case, the barrel will be 'Tamei'

8)

(a)If one of the pieces can hold a Revi'is - the rest of the barrel is subject to Tum'as Maga ...

(b)... because it has the Din of a Yad (a handle), which is always subject to Tum'as Maga (and not via the inside, like the Kli itself).

(c)For the Shi'ur of a Revi'is to apply to it - the piece must have originally been part of a vessel that held between a Log and a Sa'ah.

(d)The piece itself however, has the Din of a regular K'li - which is subject to Tum'ah via its air-space.

9)

(a)According to R. Meir and R. Shimon, in the case of a strong barrel (that is neither shaky nor broken) that has been cemented and that became Tamei, if someone now touches the cement, he becomes Tamei, just as he would have had the barrel been a shaky one. The Chachamim hold that - it is Tahor ...

(b)... since the cement, which is entirely redundant, is not considered part of the barrel.

(c)The same Machlokes extends to Chiduk ha'Keruyah - which is a dry and hollow pumpkin used to draw water from a well, which was reinforced with a wooden or metal girdle, to prevent it from breaking should it strike a stone (and which the Chachamim consider redundant as long as the pumpkin is whole).

10)

(a)The Mishnah now cites a case of a herb called 'Yablis' with which they smeared a large Tamei wine-jar - to prevent it from leaking wine.

(b)The Tana rules that to someone who touches ...

1. ... the Yablis after it has been smeared on to the earthenware jar - becomes Tamei.

2. ... the lid of a barrel of an earthenware barrel that is Tamei - remains Tahor.

3. ... the cement which has been smeared on a Tamei oven to make it thicker (to help preserve its heat) - becomes Tamei (see Tos. Yom Tov [because it and the Yablis become part of the respective Kelim on which they have been smeared, whereas the lid retains its independent identity [see Tos. Yom Tov]).

11)

(a)The Mishnah rules that - Chomer (a thick layer of mud) that overlays a Tamei earthenware kettle renders the person who touches it Tamei, whereas Charsis (a thin layer [see Tos. Yom Tov]) does not.

(b)'Charsis' might also mean - ground earthenware.

(c)The reason for this distinction is - because Chomer sticks firmly to the kettle and is considered part of it, whereas Charsis does not.

12)

(a)R. Yossi rules that ...

1. ... an urn (see Tos. Yom Tov) that springs a leak and that one seals with pitch - is Tahor, since pitch melts when it has contact with hot water, and by the same token, so are ...

2. ... 'K'lei Zefes' (vessels made of pitch).

(b)Alternatively, 'K'lei Zefes' are - vessels that have been overlaid with pitch (which the Tana now goes on to explain).

(c)The pitch that overlays Tamei copper vessels renders any person (see Tos. Yom Tov) that touches it Tamei - if the vessels are used for wine, but not if one intends to use them for cooking ...

(d)... because whereas in the latter case, the pitch will soon come off (as we just explained), in the former, it remains intact and is therefore considered part of the vessel.

13)

(a)The Mishnah discusses an earthenware barrel that sprung a leak and that became Tamei after having been sealed with pitch. The Tana rules that - in a case where the pitch extends beyond the area of the hole, the extension is not Metamei food or drink (see Tos. Yom Tov) that touches it ...

(b)... and the same applies to someone who touches pitch that fell on to a Tamei barrel.

14)

(a)With regard to a funnel whose end has been sealed with pitch, R. Elazar ben Azaryah renders it subject to Tum'ah, irrespective of whether it is made of wood or of earthenware. R. Yossi declares them both Tahor. R. Akiva declares the funnel Tamei if it is made of wood, but Tahor if it is made of earthenware.

(b)This case differs from the seal of pitch that covers the leak in a Tamei barrel (which is Tamei) either in that, unlike the latter, it is smooth and comes off easily - or because, unlike the seal of the barrel, it will be eventually removed.

(c)A wooden one is nevertheless Tamei - because it is of the same species as pitch (which comes from a tree).

(d)R. Elazar ben Azaryah on the other hand, holds that - either way, the seal is considered a proper seal (see also Tos. Yom Tov).

(e)The Halachah is - like R. Akiva.