Commentary for Zevachim 5:17

אמרו לו לא

[and] it is [a sacrifice slaughtered] without defined purpose, which is valid.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 2b.');">¹³</span> He pointed out another contradiction. Did then Rab Judah say in Rab's name: If one slaughtered a sin-offering under the designation of a burnt-offering, it is invalid; [if he slaughtered it] under the designation of hullin,it is valid? This proves that its own kind destroys it, while a different kind does not destroy it. But it was taught : [And every earthen vessel into] whose inside [any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean, and it ye shall break]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XI, 33.');">¹⁴</span> but not the inside of the inside, and even a non-earthen vessel<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a vessel of rinsing.' This is the technical designation of all non-earthen vessels, because they can be purified from ritual uncleanness in a ritual bath (mikweh) .');">¹⁵</span> saves it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If a reptile (sherez) falls inside an earthen utensil containing eatables, even without touching them, they become unclean. On this the comment is made: only if it falls, inside, but not into the inside of the inside. Thus: if a utensil containing eatables is lying in an earthen oven');">¹⁶</span> And he answered it: They [the Rabbis] treated hullin in respect to consecrated animals as a partition in respect to an oven. Just as a partition in respect to an oven has no effect at all, so hullin in respect to consecrated animals has no effect at all. For we learned: If an oven is partitioned with boards or curtains, and a reptile is found in one compartment, the whole is unclean. If a defective receptacle,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit. 'a beehive (shaped receptacle) '.');">¹⁷</span> which is stuffed with straw, is lowered into the air-space of an oven, and a reptile is in it, the oven becomes unclean; if a reptile is in the oven the foodstuffs in it [the receptacle] become unclean;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus the receptacle, not being of the same kind as the oven, does not destroy the status of the food as being in the air-space of the oven. If the receptacle were whole it would protect the eatables, as above. Since it is not whole, however, it lacks the status of a utensil, and this is so even if it is stuffed with straw as a repair.');">¹⁸</span> while R'Eliezer declares it clean. Said R'Eliezer: It follows a fortiori: If it protects in the case of a corpse, which is stringent,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If this partition were in a room containing a corpse, it would suffice to protect the foodstuffs from defilement, though the contaminating powers of a corpse are far greater than those of a reptile in an oven.');">¹⁹</span> shall it not protect it in the case of an earthen vessel<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As in the case of the oven.');">²⁰</span> which is less stringent? Not so, they replied:

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