Bava Batra 39

היא גופה תיחוץ דהא כלי חרש אינו מטמא מגבו אלא דפומא לגאו ואי בעית אימא לעולם דפומא לבר הכא במאי עסקינן בחבית של מתכת

it forms itself a partition, because an earthenware vessel does not communicate uncleanness from its outside?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., it does not communicate uncleanness from the room where the dead body is to the adjoining room, and therefore it should form a partition. ');">¹</span>

מיתיבי עשבין שתלשן והניחן בחלון או שעלו מאליהן בחלונות ומטלוניות שאין בהן שלש על שלש והאבר והבשר המדולדלין בבהמה ובחיה ועוף ששכן בחלון ועובד כוכבים שישב בחלון ובן שמנה המונח בחלון והמלח וכלי חרס וספר תורה כולם ממעטין בחלון אבל השלג והברד והגליד והכפור והמים כולן אין ממעטין בחלון

— We suppose therefore that its mouth is turned inwards.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Towards the room where the dead body is. and through its mouth it communicates uncleanness to the adjoining room. ');">²</span>

והא עשבין חזו לבהמתו באפרזתא

Or if you like I can say that its mouth is turned outwards, and here we are speaking of a jar of metal.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is liable to communicate uncleanness from its outside as well as inside. ');">³</span>

או שעלו מאליהן כיון דקשו לכותל שקיל להו אמר רבה בכותל חורבה רב פפא אמר אפילו בכותל יישוב בבאין חוץ לשלשה לחלון

A [further] objection was raised [against the rule from the following]: Grass which has been plucked up and placed in the window or which has grown there of itself, rags less than three-by-three handbreadths,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., too small to be themselves capable of receiving uncleanness. ');">⁴</span>

מטלוניות חזו ליה לקריעה דלבושא בסמיכתא חזו לאומנא בריסקא

a limb or flesh hanging from an animal, a bird nesting in the window, a non-Jew sitting in the window or a child born at the eighth month which has been placed there, salt, an earthenware vessel, or a scroll of the Law-all these narrow the window space.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And so can serve to prevent the uncleanness from penetrating into the next room. ');">⁵</span>

אי בריסקא שאין בהן שלש על שלש שאין בהן ארבעה על ארבעה מיבעי ליה כעין ריסקא

On the other hand, snow, hail, ice, hoar frost and water do not narrow the window space.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. Oh. XIV. ');">⁶</span>

והאבר והבשר המדולדלין בבהמה ובחיה ערקא ואזלא בקשורה

Now 'grass' is food for cattle?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why then should it be reckoned as narrowing the window space? ');">⁷</span>

שחיט לה בטמאה מזבין לה לנכרי בכחושה פסיק שדי לה לכלבים כיון דאיכא צער בעלי חיים לא עביד

— We speak here of poisonous grass.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. Afrazta. St. John's wort. ');">⁸</span>

ועוף ששכן בחלון פרח ואזיל בקשור שחיט ליה בטמא מזבין ליה לנכרי בקלניתא

'Or which has grown there' of itself — will it not be removed as injurious to the wall?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And since it is liable to be removed at any moment, we should count it as non-existent. ');">⁹</span>

יהיב ליה לינוקא במסרט קלניתא לא מסרטא כעין קלניתא

— Rabbah said: We speak here of the wall of a ruin. R. papa said: The rule applies even to the wall of an inhabited place. where the grass springs up from more than three handbreadths distance from the window.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In which case it is not injurious to the wall and is not likely to be removed. ');">¹⁰</span>

ועובד כוכבים שישב בחלון קאי ואזיל בכפות אתי חבריה שרי ליה במצורע אתי מצורע חבריה שרי ליה אלא בחבושי מלכות

'Rags' are useful for mending clothes? — We speak of thick rags. These are useful for a blood-letter?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For staunching the blood or wiping away stains. ');">¹¹</span>

ובן שמנה המונח בחלון אתיא אמיה דריא ליה בשבת דתניא בן שמנה הרי הוא כאבן ואסור לטלטלו בשבת אבל אמו שוחה עליו ומניקתו מפני הסכנה

— We speak of sacking. If the Baraitha speaks of sacking, it should say 'less than four by four,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because for the purposes of being subject to uncleanness, the minimum size of sacking is four handbreadths by four, not three by three as in the case of cloth. ');">¹²</span>

מלח חזיא ליה במרירתא חזיא לעורות דאית בה קוצי

not 'three by three'? — It means, rough like sacking. 'A limb or flesh hanging from an animal.' Will not the animal go away? — We suppose it to be tied. But it can be killed [for food]? — We suppose it to be an unclean animal. In that case it can be sold to a non-Jew? — We suppose it to be too scraggy. In that case he can cut off the limb and throw it to the dogs? — As this would cause pain to a living creature, he would not do so. 'A bird-nesting in the window' — will it not fly away? — We suppose it to be tied. Then he will kill it [for food]? — We suppose it to be unclean. Then he will sell it to a non — Jew? — We suppose it to be a kallanitha.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An unknown bird, which obviously must have been very scraggy. ');">¹³</span>

כיון דקשיא לכותל שקלא דיתבא אחספא חספא גופא תיחוץ

Then he will give it to a child? — It will scratch. A kallanitha does not scratch? — We mean, as scraggy as a kallanitha. 'A non-Jew<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A non-Jew is not subject to uncleanness. ');">¹⁴</span> sitting in the window' — will he not get up and go? — We suppose him to be tied there. Then some one will come and untie him? — We suppose him to be leprous. Another leper will come and loosen him? — We suppose he is a prisoner of the Government. Or 'a child born in the eighth month<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A child born at eight months is not considered viable and thus is not subject to uncleanness. ');">¹⁵</span> placed in the window.' Will not its mother come and lift it up? — We assume it is on the Sabbath, [when she may not lift him], as it was taught: A child born at eight months is on a par with a stone and may not be carried on Sabbath, but his mother may bend over him and give him suck for the sake of her health.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit. 'danger', arising from an undue pressure of milk in her breasts. ');">¹⁶</span> 'Salt' is useful? — We speak of bitter salt. This is useful for preparing skins [for tanning]? — We suppose there are thorns in it. But since it is injurious to the wall it will be taken away? — We suppose it to be resting on a piece of earthenware. But this itself will form a partition? —