Commentary for Bava Batra 132:6

שלח ליה רב נחמיה בריה דרב יוסף לרבה בריה דרב הונא זוטי לנהרדעא כי אתיא הך איתתא לקמך

R. Joseph raised the following question: If a man, seeing the rain descend on the casing of his handmill, decided to regard this as a washing, what is its effect upon seeds?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to Lev. XI, 38, seed on which water is 'put' becomes susceptible to uncleanness. According to the Rabbis, water is considered 'put' on seed only if there is a conscious desire on the part of someone to that effect. Falling rain would therefore not ordinarily be regarded as being 'put' on seed and would not make it susceptible to uncleanness. In this case, however, the owner consciously desires it to fall on the handmill, and the question therefore arises whether this desire on his part affects the seeds also. ');">⁶</span> If we accept the opinion of R. Eliezer, that anything attached to the ground is in the same category as the ground, no question will arise.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The rule is that water is not regarded as being 'put' on anything unless that thing is detached from the soil. If therefore the handmill is regarded as being in the same category as the soil, the rain is not technically 'put' on it, however much the owner may desire its falling, and therefore it can have no effect on the seeds. ');">⁷</span> Where the question arises is if we accept the view of the Rabbis who said that it is not in the same category as the ground?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the Baraithas quoted above, the Rabbis laid down that a mortar fixed to the ground is not sold with a house and a board fixed in a wall is capable of receiving uncleanness, the reason in both cases being that, though now fixed, since they were originally separate they are not counted as part of the ground. The question therefore arises whether we apply the same rule to a handmill which, though originally detached, is more of a fixture than the mortar, since according to the Rabbis of the Baraitha referred to, it is sold along with the house (Tosaf.). ');">⁸</span> — This question must stand over. R. Nehemiah the son of R. Joseph sent to Rabbah the son of R. Huna Zuti at Nehardea the following instruction: When this woman presents herself to you,

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