1)

(a)The definition of an earthenware Tanur is - one that is shaped like a large pot without a base (though it is narrower on top than it is at the bottom [according to the Tavnis Kelim, it has an additional of cement, making it square-shaped from the outside), which is cemented to the floor (see Tos. Yom Tov).

(b)This differs from other earthenware vessels - inasmuch as, seeing it is not a receptacle (since it has no base), they would not be Tamei.

(c)An oven is however - because the Torah declares it Tamei as long as it has an inside.

(d)According to R. Meir, the minimum height of a Tanur that is subject to Tum'ah is four Tefachim - and the same applies to a broken one (see Tos. Yom Tov DH 'Aval Katan' [that was originally more and broke after becoming Tamei]).

2)

(a)The Chachamim give the minimum height of a small Tanur as 'Kol-Shehu', by which they mean - a Tefach (since less than that is useless).

(b)A small Tanur is used - for little girls to bake in.

(c)The minimum height of a broken one, according to them - is also a Tefach (which must have been more to begin with).

3)

(a)When the Chachamim say be'Rubo, they are referring to the remains of a large Tanur. To reconcile this with the fact that their wording 'Bameh Devarim Amurim ...') implies that they agree with R. Meir, who gives the Shi'ur as four Tefachim - we establish the latter by an oven that was nine Tefachim tall, and the former, by one that was seven.

(b)A Tanur is subject to Tum'ah from the time that it is completed (G'mar Melachah). Its completion differs from other earthenware vessels in that - whereas they are completed immediately after Tziruf has occurred in the furnace, its completion occurs only after it has been heated to use for the first time (see Tos. Yom Tov).

(c)The reason for the difference is - because, even after the oven has been completed, it still needs to be cemented (which in turn, requires strengthening).

(d)According to the Chachamim, G'mar Melachah entails heating up the Tanur sufficiently to bake bread made of soft dough. R. Yehudah maintains that - it needs to be heated to the extent that an old oven would need to be heated up sufficiently to bake bread made of soft dough (which is less with regard to a new one).

(e)The Halachah is - like the Tana Kama.

4)

(a)The Mishnah now discusses a Kirah - which has space for cooking two pots, and which is used sometimes to cook on the inside and sometimes on top.

(b)As we just learned, the Shi'ur of a Tanur is four Tefachim tall and (according to R. Meir, its remains, four [from one that was originally taller than four]), whereas the Shi'ur of ...

1. ... a Kirah is - three Tefachim.

2. ... the remains of a Kirah, even according to the Chachamim is - three Tefachim (from one that was originally taller).

(c)The G'mar Melachah of a Kirah is - when one has heated it up the first time sufficiently to cook an egg in it ...

(d)... scrambled and already on the pan waiting to be heated up.

5)

(a)A Kupach is - a square oven with enough space to cook one pot.

(b)The Mishnah gives a Kupach that is designated for baking - the measurements of A Tanur, and one that is used for cooking - those of a Kirah (see Tos. Yom Tov).

6)

(a)The Mishnah declares a stone that protrudes one Tefach (presumably, the excess stands to be cut off) from a Tanur and - that serves as a handle, and which is therefore considered part of the oven.

(b)The equivalent Shi'ur by ...

1. ... a Kirah is - three finger-breadths (half a Tefach).

2. ...a Kupach - one Tefach, if it is designated for baking, three finger-breadths if it is designated for cooking.

(c)We learn from the Pasuk in Shenini "Tanur v'Kirayim Yutatz, Temei'im Yih'yu lachem" that - the handles of a K'li Cheres are subject to Tum'ah no less than the Kli itself (though unlike the Kli, their Tum'ah works via touching).

(d)We learn from "Temei'im Heim" that - whatever is in excess of what is needed to transport it is Tahor.

7)

(a)R. Yehudah qualifies the maximum Shi'ur of a Tefach of the stone handle of the Tanur - by restricting it to the space between the oven and the wall (because it diminishes the space in the house). Otherwise, the handle is subject to Tum'ah irrespective of its size.

(b)The Halachah is - like the Chachamim

(c)The Chachamim (see Tiferes Yisrael) finally rule that if two Tanurim share one stone (handle) which is in excess of two Tefachim - then one Tefach at each end is subject to Tum'ah, whereas the middle section is not.

8)

(a)The Mishnah declares the Ateres Kirah (the crown of the Kirah), Tahor, and the Tiras ha'Tanur Tahor, provided it is less than a certain height. The ...

1. ... 'Ateres Kirah' is - a round wall-like construction surrounding the top of the Kirah to preserve its heat.

2. ... 'Tiras ha'Kirah is - a little courtyard-shaped area in front of the Kirah, surrounded by four walls where one places the baked breads after they have been removed from the oven.

(b)To be subject to Tum'ah - the Tiras ha'Tanur must be at least four Tefachim tall.

(c)It is subject to - Tum'as Maga and Tum'as Avir.

(d)It will be subject to Tum'ah even if it is less than four Tefachim tall - if it is joined to the Kirah ...

(e)... even if it stands on three stones and is therefore only loosely joined).

9)

(a)The Beis ha'Pach, the Beis ha'Tavlin and the Beis ha'Ner which are attached to the Kirah, and which the Mishnah now discusses are - three containers attached to the Kirah, one in which one places a crucible of oil to warm up, one for spices and one to hold a lamp.

(b)They are ...

1. ... subject to - Tum'as Maga (if someone touches them directly) according to R. Meir, but ....

2. ... not to Tum'ah via a Sheretz falling into the airspace of the Kirah itself ...

(c)... because the Tum'ah is only mi'de'Rabanan, and the Rabanan deliberately withheld one aspect of Tum'ah, as reminder not to burn Kodshim and Terumah on account of it.

(d)R. Yishmael holds - that it is completely Tahor.

(e)The Halachah is -like Rebbi Meir.

10)

(a)Based on the ruling that a Tanur requires a final heating to render it Tamei, the Tana declares Tamei one that is heated from the outside, and one that is heated from the inside ...

1. ... but without the owner's knowledge, or

2. ... before its completion, but whilst it is still in the factory.

(b)The Bartenura comments that those who read 'Tahor' and not 'Tamei' - have erred (see Tos. Yom Tov).

(c)Rabban Gamliel ruled in Yavneh that the ovens of the village of Signah which caught fire whilst still in the factory - were now subject to Tum'ah.

11)

(a)The Musaf ha'Tanur of Ba'alei Batim is Tahor. This is - a section that has been added to the top of the Tanur later.

(b)The Tana Kama declares that of bakers, Tamei, because they tend to lean their spit-rods on it - in order to keep the meat that is still on it, warm (and without the Musaf, the meat would burn.

(c)According to R. Yochanan ha'Sandlar - it is Tamei because one sometimes bakes on its walls, when there is no room in the oven proper.

(d)He disagrees with the Tana Kama - because resting the spit-rod on the 'Musaf' does not serve the same purpose as the rest of the oven.

(e)The Halachah is - like the Tana Kama.

12)

(a)Similarly, the Musaf of the caldron in which one boils olives is Tamei too - but not that of a caldron used by the dyers (see Tiferes Yisrael) ...

(b)... because to prevent the dyes from getting spoilt, they do not use it.

13)

(a)With reference to a Tanur whose lower half is filled with earth - the Mishnah declares the lower half Tamei, by direct contact between the Tanur and something that is Tamei; whereas the upper half is Tamei only via the air.

(b)The Tana now discusses an earthenware Tanur without a base that is placed inside a pit (near the top) or of a narrow circular enclosure. What prevents it from falling into the pit or the enclosure is - a stone that wedges it to the walls (but leaves a slight space between the Tanur and the wall of the pit [see Tos. Yom Tov]).

(c)According to R. Yehudah, the Tanur will only be subject to Tum'ah if the inside will become heated from the fire below; whereas the Chachamim hold - that it is Tamei even if it will not (see Tos. Yom Tov) ...

14)

(a)Their Machlokes is based on the Pasuk in Shemini "Tanur ve'Kirayim Yutatz, Temei'im Yih'yu lachem". R. Yehudah learns from "Tanur ve'Kirayim Yutatz" that - an earthenware oven is only subject to Tum'ah - if it is somehow attached to the ground (and can therefore be demolished).

(b)The Chachamim learn from "Temei'im Yih'yu lachem" that - it is subject to Tum'ah even if it is heated for the first time whilst it is detached ...

(c)... and even if it is hanging round a camel's neck.

(d)R. Yehudah will agree that even a detached oven is subject to Tum'ah - once it has been completed.

(e)The Halachah is - like the Chachamim.

15)

(a)One normally fixes a Tanur - to the floor of the pit with cement, and cements the outside too.

(b)According to the Tana Kama, to render a Tamei Tanur, Tahor - one needs to cut it into three, length-wise (see Tos. Yom Tov) and scrape off the cement at the base (see Tiferes Yisrael).

(c)'ad she'Yehei ba'Aretz' means - either that the cement must be completely removed until the Tanur is standing on the ground, or that the cut must go right down to the ground (that it will not suffice to cut the majority [see Tos. Yom Tov]).

(d)Besides the fact that he does not require removing the cement R. Meir also maintains that - it will suffice to cut it down to less than four Tefachim (and not right down to the ground [see Tos. Yom Tov]).

(e)The Halachah is - like the Tana Kama.

16)

(a)Besides cutting the Tanur into three, R. Shimon also require - physically separating the pieces.

(b)The Halachah is - like the Tana Kama.

(c)In a case where one cut the oven into ...

1. ... two unequal sections (see Tos. Yom Tov, DH 'li'Sheloshah') - the larger one is Tamei, the smaller one, Tahor, and the same applies where he cut it into ...

2. ... three sections, only one of them is as large to the other two combined.

17)

(a)The Shi'ur of a broken Tamei Tanur which has been cut breadth-wise, assuming that its height was ...

1. ... seven Tefachim - is four Tefachim, and the same will apply if its height was ...

2. ... nine Tefachim.

(b)If one then cements the two halves together again, it will become subject to Tum'ah once again - after he has heated it up the first time.

(c)In a case where one built a wall of cement around the Tanur, filling the gap between the wall and the Tanur with dry sand (see Tos. Yom Tov) or pebbles, the Chachamim said that - a Nidah and a Tahor woman are permitted to bake together in it, since it is no longer subject to Tum'ah.

18)

(a)If a D.I.Y. Tanur comes from the factory complete with metal bands (see Tos. Yom Tov) ...

1. ... it is - subject to Tum'ah once it has been assembled.

2. ... and after having assembled it, it becomes Tamei and one takesk it apart - it is Tahor.

3. ... if, after that, one assembles it a second time - it is Tahor ...

(b)... since the metal bands only render the Tanur, Tamei the first time they are used to hold the earthenware vessel together, but not on future occasions.

(c)This oven will once again become subject to Tum'ah - if it is smeared with cement ...

(d)... even if it is not heated up, since it has already been heated.

19)

(a)R. Eliezer declares Tahor, Tanur shel Achnai' - an oven which, after splicing breadth-ways into sections of less than four Tefachim, one placed sand between the sections and cemented it there (and heated it for Sufganin [Tiferes Yisrael]) ...

(b)... because, since there is sand between the pieces, he considers it to be still broken.

(c)The Chachamim declare it - Tamei.

20)

(a)They subsequently referred to it as 'Tanuro shel Achnai - because they surrounded each other with proofs like a snake (the translation of Achna) which encircles its prey (possibly a boa-constrictor [See also Tos. Yom Tov]).

(b)Besides placing R. Eliezer in Cherem - they also collected all the Taharos that R. Eliezer had declared Tahor and burned them ...

(c)... because although he was a Yachid, he refused to concede to the majority opinion.

21)

(a)The Tana now discusses Arabian pots - which are pits that one digs and cements and ...

(b)... which are used - for baking bread.

(c)They are also known as Tanur shel Beis Dinai (see Tos. Yom Tov).

(d)Dinai may well have been the name of the manufacturer who copied the Arabian design. Alternatively, it may have been called by that name - because of all the Dinim connected with it (see also Tos. Yom Tov).

(e)These pots are subject to Tum'ah - provided the cement is sufficiently thick that it is able to stand by itself.

22)

(a)The Mishnah declares a Tanur made of stone or of metal, Tahor (see Tos. Yom Tov). A stone one is simply not subject to Tum'ah. When the Tana says that a metal one is ...

1. ... Tahor, he means that - a. it is Tahor from the Tum'ah of a K'li Cheres (which receives Tum'ah from the inside) and b. it can be Toveled in a Mikveh.

2. ... Tamei because of K'li Mateches, he means that - a. it receives Tum'ah through touching b. it becomes an Av ha'Tum'ah (when it becomes Tamei Meis) and c. when it is joined to the ground, it is not subject to Tum'ah.

(b)If the metal Tanur has a hole or is broken or split, and these are subsequently smeared over with lime (see Hagahos Rashash & Tos. Yom Tov) - it adopts the status of a K'li Cheres.

(c)The Tana also declares it Tamei like a K'li Cheres - if one repairs the broken Tanur by extending the Tanur's height (by building a new top of cement).

(d)For the oven to change its status after being smeared, the hole (or the break ... ) needs to be - sufficiently large to emit flames when it is lit.

23)

(a)The above pertains to a Tanur. The Shi'ur hole (or breakage ... ) by a Kirah (which has a similar hole, break or split) - is the same as that of a Tanur.

(b)The Din by the latter differs from that of the former however in that - the repair that causes it to adopt the status of an earthenware oven is in the form of three short legs (like a tripod, assuming that the hole ... appears in its base) rather than by cementing it or by adding a new top.

(c)The Tana Kama rules that if one did smear the Kirah with cement, either on the inside or on the outside - it remains Tahor (see Tos. Yom Tov).

(d)The Tana makes this distinction - because, unlike a Tanur (which has no base, and in which one generally bakes and cooks inside) one cooks and bakes on top of a Kirah (in which case cementing it will not be effective [see Tos. Yom Tov]).

24)

(a)R. Yehudah qualifies the Tana Kama's ruling - by confining it to a Kirah (see Tos. Yom Tov) that is cemented on the outside. But if it cemented on the inside, it becomes once again subject to Tum'ah.

(b)The Halachah - is like the Tana Kama.