1)

(a)Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel now argue over how one measures a Shidah - a wooden cupboard with wheels (Tiferes Yisrael [See also Tos. Yom-Tov beginning of Mishnah 2]) ...

(b)... to determine whether it can hold forty Sa'ah (as we learned in the fifteenth Perek), in which case it is not subject to Tum'ah.

(c)According to Beis Shamai, it is measured from the inside, according to Beis Hillel - from the outside.

2)

(a)The Mishnah adds however that - the thickness of the legs and of the surrounding rim are not included in the measurements (even according to Beis Hillel).

(b)R. Yossi maintains that the latter two are indeed measured - and it is the area between the legs of the Shidah that Beis Shamai concede (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(c)R. Shimon Shezuri qualifies this latter statement. He agrees with R. Yossi - provided the legs are at least one Tefach tall (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(d)The Halachah is - like Beis Hillel (according to the Tana Kama [see Tos. Yom-Tov]).

3)

(a)The wheels of the Shidah ('Muchni' [see also Tos. Yom-Tov & Tiferes Yisrael]) are not considered attached (with regards to Tum'ah) - as long as they can be easily removed.

(b)The ramifications of this ruling are that - if one of them becomes Tamei, the others remain Tahor.

(c)When the Tana continues ...

1. ... ve'Einah Nimdedes Imah', he means that - it does not complement the forty Sa'ah that renders the Shidah Tahor (even according to R. Yossi).

2. ... ve'Einah Matzeles Imah be'Ohel ha'Meis, he means that - although a Shidah in a Beis ha'Kevaros (see Tos. Yom-Tov) protects Keilim inside it from Tum'ah, if part of a K'li is protruding over the top of one of the wheels, so that it is now protected by it, the K'li is nevertheless Tamei ...

(d)... because the wheel (which is itself less than forty Sa'ah) is subject to Tum'ah (as we explained) and can therefore not protect from Tum'ah.

4)

(a)Forty Sa'ah is the equivalent of - three cubic Amos (3x1x1).

(b)The Tana - also forbids moving the wheel on Shabbos if there is money inside it ...

(c)... because it is Muktzah.

5)

(a)If the wheel cannot be easily removed from the Shidah - it is considered part of it (regarding Tum'ah); it is included in the measurement; it helps the Shidah save from Tum'ah in an Ohel ha'Meis and it may be moved on Shabbos ...

(b)... because the money is not on the major part of the K'li (the Shidah [See also Tos. R. Akiva Eigar]).

(c)If the Shidah's Kamron - a box-like cover in the shape of a hood, is joined to it, then, like the wheel, it is considered part of it and is measured together with it.

6)

(a)One determines the area of airspace that is not covered by the Kamron to be included in the measurement of the Shidah - by stretching a piece of string from the hood to the opposite wall of the Shidah (and incorporating all the space underneath the string in the measurement).

(b)According to R. Yehudah, a Shidah that cannot stand straight without the Kimron - is Tahor.

(c)The case is where - due to the round shape of the Shidah, it is only the weight of the Kamron that prevents it from falling.

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

7)

(a)The Mishnah rules that a Shidah, Teivah (chest) or Migdal (cupboard) that is missing a leg ...

1. ... and that can no longer hold anything is Tahor, and the same will apply...

2. ... even if it can - since it only holds things in a lopsided way (she'Einan Mekablin ke'Darkan).

(b)R. Yossi - declares the latter Tamei.

(c)Others have the text ve'she'Einan Mekablin ke'Darkan before R. Yossi Metamei, and R. Yossi is coming to teach us that - a K'li that, due to its shape, can only hold forty Sa'ah when it is tipped on its side remains Tamei.

(d)According to the Chachamim - since it can currently hold forty Sa'ah, it is Tahor.

8)

(a)The Mishnah rules that - Naklitei ha'Mitah (the horizontal (metal) bar of a two-poster bed), Chamor and Chipuy are Tahor.

(b)A ...

1. ... Chamor is - the hollowed block of metal that is placed underneath the Malbein (which we will discuss shortly [see Tos. Yom-Tov]).

2. ... Chipuy - is the metal with which one overlays a bed and the Naklitei ha'Mitah.

(c)All of these are Tahor (despite the fact that they are made of metal) - because they are metal Keilim that serve wood (see Rashash and Mishnah Achronah).

9)

(a)The only bed-accessory (beside the bed itself) listed here by the Tana that is subject to Tum'ah is - Malbein (a long rectangular block of wood with two holes (one at either end of the bed) for the two legs of the bed (on that side) ...

(b)... and its function is - to prevent the legs of the bed from rotting. It is subject to Tum'ah - because it is an intrinsic part of the bed (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(c)The Malb'nei b'nei Levi (which the Levi'im would take with them to Yerushalayim whenever they went to serve in the Beis-ha'Mikdash) are Tahor however - because, since they are regularly dismantled to be used with other beds, they are not considered an intrinsic part of the bed.

10)

(a)The Mishnah cites a Machlokes regarding a Malbein that one places on a Lashon - a small tongue-shape piece of wood that is placed under each leg (instead of a Chamor).

(b)R. Meir and R. Yehudah declare it Tamei. R. Yossi and R. Shimon - declare it Tahor ...

(c)... because it is not quite as permanent as the Chamor, in which case they compare it to Milb'nos b'nei Levi.

11)

(a)The Mishnah now discusses a bed that is Tamei Midras and that has been dismantled. A bed can become Tamei Midras, even if a Zav (see Tos. Yom-Tov) does not actually lie on it - if he merely leans on it.

(b)When the Tana refers to the bed's ...

1. ... Ketzarah with its two legs - he is referring to the width of the bed-frame including the two legs.

2. ... Aruchah with its two legs - he is referring to its length including the two legs.

(c)He rules that if the Ketzarah including the two legs has been removed - the bed is Tamei, the Aruchah - it is Tahor.

(d)The reason for the former is - because it can still be used as it is (since it is not unduly uncomfortable to sleep at a slight angle [See also Tos. Yom-Tov]).

(e)According to R. Nechemyah - the latter is Tamei as well (see Tos. Yom-Tov, end of DH 'R. Nechemya'). The Halachah is - like the Tana Kama.

12)

(a)When the Tana discusses a bed whose two diagonally-opposite Leshonos the owner cut off, he is referring to - one which remains with only two diagonally-opposite Leshonos (tongue-shape pieces of wood that we discussed in the previous Mishnah) remain ...

(b)... and he rules that - the bed is Tahor, since it wobbles from side to side when it is used ...

(c)... and the same applies to where the owner cut ...

1. ... off two diagonally-opposite legs (or at least one Tefach from each [see Tos. Yom-Tov]), and where he cuts ...

2. ... down all four legs (since it has then lost its identity as a bed) ...

(d)... assuming that he leaves intact less than a Tefach.

13)

(a)The Mishnah rules that a Tamei Midras bed ...

1. ... one of whose bed-posts breaks and is repaired - remains Tamei Midras. If

2. ... afterwards, a second bed-post breaks and is repaired (see Tos. Yom-Tov) however, it is no longer Tamei Midras ...

(b)... though it is still Tamei Maga Midras.

(c)In the event that the second bed-post breaks before the first one has been repaired - it becomes Tahor.

(d)The reason for the middle ruling (where the second bed-post breaks after the first one has been repaired) is - because when the first bed-post is re-placed, it becomes Maga Midras, thereby rendering the bed Maga Midras too, which remains even after the Tum'as Midras has departed (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

14)

(a)The Mishnah rules that if one ...

1. ... re-attaches a detached Tamei Midras leg to the bed - the bed becomes Tamei Midras.

2. ... later detaches it once again - it becomes Maga Midras.

(b)The Tana declares ...

1. ... Tamei Midras a bed whose detached leg becomes Tamei for seven days and is then re-attached to it - the bed becomes Tamei for seven days.

2. ... Tamei Maga Midras the same bed, should one subsequently detach the leg once again.

(c)If the same detached leg ...

1. ... is Tamei Meis for one day and is then joined to the bed - the bed becomes Tamei for one day (until nightfall), since it is joined to the leg.

2. ... is then removed - it becomes Tahor, because a K'li cannot receive Tum'ah from a Rishon le'Tum'ah (only from an Av).

(d)In order to be Tamei (Meis) for ...

1. ... seven days, the detached leg must have touched - a Meis.

2. ... one day, it must have touched - a Tamei Meis.

(e)In all of the above cases, once the leg itself is removed - it regains the level of Tum'ah that it acquired before it was attached.

15)

(a)And the Mishnah concludes - 've'Chein ha'Shein shel Ma'ader (one of the metal spikes of a pitch-fork) equating it with the leg of a bed that was Tame Meis (which we just discussed in the previous Mishnah) ...

(b)... except for the Din of Tamei Midras ...

(c)... since a pitchfork is not subject to Tum'as Midras.

16)

(a)The Tana considers Tefilin four Keilim - with regard to Tefilin shel Rosh that touch a Tamei Meis.

(b)In a case where one loosens one Ketzitzah - one of the four compartments that house the four Parshiyos [see Tos. Yom-Tov]) and re-places it, he rules that - the new Ketzitzah is Tamei Tum'as Meis.

(c)The same will apply if he loosens the second Ketzitzah and the third and replaces it, because they are joined to the fourth one, which is still Tamei Meis).

17)

(a)If he then replaces the fourth Ketzitzah - it becomes Maga T'mei Meis (a Rishon) ...

(b)Should one then replace the first one - it is no longer Tamei Meis, only Maga T'mei Meis ...

(c)If one then replaces ...

1. ... the second Ketzitzah - it will be Maga T'mei Meis too.

2. ... the third one - it becomes Tahor, since the replaced fourth Ketzitzah was only Tamei Meis because it was attached to the others, and since none of the Ketzitzos actually touched a Tamei Meis, they are all V'lados, and a V'lad ha'Tum'ah is not Metamei a K'li (Tos. Yom-Tov).

18)

(a)The Mishnah discusses the status of half a bed whose other half is stolen. It is in fact - Tahor.

(b)By half a bed, the Tana means - one of the horizontal bed-posts (even if it is a long one) plus two of the legs.

(c)And the same will apply to a bed which is not stolen, but ...

1. ... lost or ...

2. ... divided between brothers or partners ...

(d)... since all of these do not intend to return the second half.

19)

(a)If the other half is returned - it becomes subject to Tum'ah from now on (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(b)Seeing as, according to the Rabbanan of R. Nechemyah, the bed would be Tahor even if it belonged to one person and was simply divided in two, if the bed had not been stolen or lost ... and was then repaired - it would become Tamei retroactively (see Chidushei R. Eliezer mi'Greditz).

20)

(a)When R. Eliezer says that a bed becomes ...

1. ... Tamei in bundles (Chavilah), he means that - if one of the legs together with a short bed-post is removed from the long bed-post, then they (the short bed-post and the leg) are considered joined, and if one of them becomes Tamei, the other one is Tamei too.

2. ... Tahor once more (through Tevilah) in bundles, he means that - if one Tovels them together, they become Tahor (and he does not consider the one a Chatzitzah, to prevent the Tevilah from taking effect).

(b)And when the Chachamim say that it becomes ...

1. ... Tamei piece by piece (Eivarim), they mean that - if one of them becomes Tamei, the other one does not.

2. ... Tahor piece by piece - they must be Toveled piece by piece too (otherwise the Tevilah will be invalid due to a Chatzitzah.

(c)The Halachah is - like the Chachamim.