Mishnah 1
1)
(a)What does R. Yossi say about two Mikva'os, neither of which contain a full forty Sa'ah, into which fell three Sa'ah of Mayim She'uvim, one and a half Sa'ah in each, and which are then joined?
(b)What if the three Sa'ah fell into one of the Mikva'os, which then split, and which one subsequently supplemented with rain-water?
(c)What is the reason for the difference?
1)
(a)R. Yossi declares Kasher two Mikva'os, neither of which contain a full forty Sa'ah, into which fell three Sa'ah of Mayim She'uvim one and a half Sa'ah in each, and which are then joined.
(b)He declares the Mikvah Pasul however - if the three Sa'ah fell into one of the Mikva'os, which then split, and which one subsequently supplemented with rain-water ...
(c)... because whereas in former case, there were never three Lugin that rendered the Mikvah Pasul (had one supplemented any one of the incomplete Mikva'os with rain-water, it would have been Kasher).
2)
(a)On what condition does R. Yehoshua validate the Mikvah even in the latter case? (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
(b)Why is that?
(c)And on what condition do the Chachamim concede to R. Yehoshua that the Mikvah is Kasher?
(d)What is their reason? (see Tos. Yom-Tov).
2)
(a)R. Yehoshua validates the Mikvah even in the latter case - if as little as a Kurtuv (a sixty-fourth of a Log [see Tos. Yom-Tov]) is removed from it after it became Kasher ...
(b)... because we take for granted that the water that is removed contains some of the Mayim She'uvim
(c)The Chachamim concede to R. Yehoshua that the Mikvah is Kasher - only if the full amount of water that was originally in the Mikvah when the three Lugin fell into it, plus a Mashehu ('Yatz'u Mimenu Milu'o ve'Od'), is removed, before being supplemented with rain-water ...
(d)... because only then can we be certain that some of the three Lugin of Mayim She'uvim has been removed (see Tos. Yom-Tov).
Mishnah 2
3)
(a)The Tana elaborates on the previous ruling (see Mishnah Achronah). What does he say in a case where the Mikvah containing three Sa'ah of Mayim She'uvim Pesulim is subsequently joined to a neighboring Mikvah which is lower down than it?
(b)On which principle is this ruling based?
(c)What if the Kasher Mikvah is higher up than the Pasul one?
(d)Why is that? (see Tos. Yom-Tov).
3)
(a)The Tana elaborates on the previous ruling (see Mishnah Achronah). In a case where the Mikvah containing three Sa'ah of Mayim She'uvim Pesulim is subsequently joined to a neighboring Mikvah which is lower down than it, he rules that - the Mikvah is Kasher (even without doing anything to it ...
(b)... due to the principle Gud Aseik Mechitzasah (we consider the lower Mikvah as if it was raised to the same level as the higher one).
(c)If the Kasher Mikvah is higher up than the Pasul one - it is all the more Kasher, because of Gud Acheis Mechitzasah (we consider the higher Mikvah as if it was lowered to the same level as the lower one) ...
(d)... seeing as there are cases where we hold of Gud Acheis but not Gud Aseik ... (see Tos. Yom-Tov).
4)
(a)Either way, R. Elazar ben Azaryah disagrees. What does he mean when he concludes ...
1. ... ... Ela-im-Kein Pasak?
2. ... (according to the alternative text) ... Ela-im-Kein Pakak?
(b)Which is the preferred version?
(c)Like whom is the Halachah?
4)
(a)Either way, R. Elazar ben Azaryah disagrees. When he concludes ...
1. ... ... Ela-im-Kein Pasak, he means - Yatz'u mimenu Milu'o ve'Od.
2. ... (according to the alternative text) ... Ela-im-Kein Pakak, he means that - the water in the pit is only Kasher on condition that one encloses the top Mikvah in such a way that one has no access to it other than via the pit.
(b)The preferred version - is the first one.
(c)The Halachah is - like the Chachamim.
Mishnah 3
5)
(a)When does a pit containing Mayim She'uvin over which a stream of water is constantly flowing, becomes Kasher? (See Tos. Yom-Tov).
(b)What sort of stream is the Tana talking about? (see Tos. Yom-Tov DH 've'ha'Amah').
5)
(a)A pit containing Mayim She'uvin over which a stream of water is constantly flowing (see Tos. Yom-Tov DH 'Le'olam'), becomes Kasher - as soon as one assesses that less than three Lugin of the original water remains in the pit (but no sooner [see Tos. Yom-Tov]).
(b)The Tana is talking about a stream - that has been formed by rain-water running down a slope (see Tos. Yom-Tov DH 've'ha'Amah').
6)
(a)The Mishnah now discusses three Lugin of Mayim She'uvin that have been poured into a large pit by two people (each person one and a half Lugin). What does R. Akiva say about it?
(b)And what does he say about a case where one person ...
1. ... squeezes a large garment into the pit, emptying three Lugin into it from various locations on the garment?
2. ... poured the water from a Tzirtzur? What is a Tzirtzur?
(c)What is his reason for all the above rulings?
6)
(a)The Mishnah now discusses three Lugin of Mayim She'uvin that have been poured into a large pit by two people (each person one and a half Lugin), which R. Akiva declares Kasher, as he does ...
(b)... in a case where one person ...
1. ... squeezes a large garment into the pit, emptying three Lugin into it from various locations on the garment, or where he ...
2. ... poured the water from a Tzirtzur (an earthenware vessel with a sieve-like top, so that the water pours from it in many places at the same time) ...
(c)... because he holds that - three Lugin of Mayim She'uvin only renders a Mikvah Pasul if it is poured from one vessel and from one location.
7)
(a)What do the Chachamim of R. Akiva hold.
(b)What did R. Akiva prove from the fact that Chazal said Matil (pours), rather than Matilin?
(c)How did the Chachamim counter his proof?
(d)Like whom is the Halachah?
7)
(a)The Chachamim of R. Akiva rule that - the Mikvah is Pasul, even if is poured from three vessels (see Tos. Yom-Tov).
(b)R. Akiva proved his point - from the fact that Chazal specifically said Matil (pours in the singular) rather than Matilin (plural).
(c)The Chachamim countered that - Chazal did not use either of the above expressions. What they said was Sheloshah Lugin Mayim She'uvin she'Naflu ... .
(d)The Halachah is - like the Chachamim.
Mishnah 4
8)
(a)On what condition do the Chachamim concede to R. Akiva that Mayim She'uvin that is poured from a number of vessels does not render the Mikvah Pasul? (see Tos. Yom-Tov).
(b)Similarly, on what condition will ...
1. ... a sick Ba'al Keri who is unable to Tovel, became Tahor if nine Kabin of water is poured over him from one vessel, and at which point will he remain Tamei? (see Tos. Yom-Tov).
2. ... a Tahor person on whose head and over most him was poured three Lugin of water become Tamei?
(c)In addition, on what condition will ...
1. ... the water from the two or three vessels combine?
2. ... the same amount of water combine to render the Mikvah Pasul, even if it is poured from more than three vessels?
(d)What if one uses numerous vessels, pouring one Kurtuv (a sixty-fourth of a Lug) from each vessel? (see Tos. Yom-Tov)?
8)
(a)The Chachamim concede to R. Akiva that Mayim She'uvin that is poured from a number of vessels does not render the Mikvah Pasul - if it is poured from four or more vessels (see Tos. Yom-Tov).
(b)Similarly ...
1. ... a sick Ba'al Keri who is unable to Tovel - will become Tahor if nine Kabin of water is poured over him from one, two or three vessels, but not from four (see Tos. Yom-Tov).
2. ... a Tahor person on whose head and over most him is poured three Lugin of water - will become Tamei on the same condition.
(c)In addition ...
1. ... the water from the two or three vessels will combine - only if one begins to pour the water from the second vessel before having emptied the first one, and likewise, regarding the second and the third.
2. ... the same amount of water will combine to render the Mikvah Pasul, even if it is poured from more than three vessels, if one initially intended to add more than three Lugin ...
(d)... even if one uses numerous vessels, pouring one Kurtuv (a sixty-fourth of a Lug) from each vessel (see Tos. Yom-Tov).
Hadran alach 'R. Yossi Omer'
