Bekhorot 43

כדי לפרסמה שנפטרה מן הבכורה

- In order to make known that the mother is exempted from [the law of] the firstling.

למימרא דולד מעליא הוא

Does not this mean to say that it is a genuine embryo?

ואמאי אין מטמא לא במגע ולא במשא

Then why does it not make unclean by contact nor make the carrier unclean? - R'Johanan answered: Because the principle of neutralisation by the larger portion is applied here.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The blood and the multi-coloured substance being the larger portion neutralizes the flesh of the embryo and therefore the latter is not susceptible of levitical uncleanness.');">¹</span>

אמר רבי יוחנן

And R'Johanan is in agreement here with the opinion he expressed elsewhere.

משום ביטול ברוב נגעו בה

For R'Johanan said: R'Eliezer B'Jacob and R'Simeon made similar statements.

ואזדא רבי יוחנן לטעמיה דאמר ר' יוחנן

What is the statement of R'Eliezer B'Jacob? - That which we have learnt [in our Mishnah above].

רבי אליעזר בן יעקב ורבי שמעון אמרו דבר אחד

What is R'Simeon's statement? - As we have learnt: If there is an after-birth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which a woman produced by a miscarriage and an embryo was not recognized therein.');">²</span>

רבי אליעזר בן יעקב הא דאמרן ר' שמעון מאי היא

in a house, the house is unclean.

דתנן

Not that the after-birth is considered an embryo, only because there cannot be an after-birth without an embryo.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which however was mashed. And nevertheless it made the house unclean since we fear lest the embryo was not mashed - and so neutralized - until after it came forth.');">³</span>

השליא בבית הבית טמא

But R'Simeon says: The embryo was mashed before it came forth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Nid. 18a. And it was explained there that the reason why the house is not unclean was because we apply to it the principle of the greater proportion of blood etc., neutralizing the embryo before it came forth.');">⁴</span>

לא שהשליא ולד אלא שאין שליא בלא ולד

We have learnt elsewhere: The opening of the uterus<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If an embryo died inside a woman who sat on the travailing chair and her uterus was opened in one house but the embryo did not come forth in that house but in another, the first house is unclean, as if it had been born there, for impurity breaks through. v. Oh. VII.');">⁵</span>

רבי שמעון אומר

for untimely births is not until the embryo [on leaving the uterus] forms a round head like a coil.

ולד נימוק עד שלא יצא:

What kind of coil does this mean? - Like a coil of wool.

תנן התם

Said Hiyya B'Rab to R'Huna: Did Rabbi explain whether the coil of wool containing warp<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The thread of which is thin and small.');">⁶</span>

אין לנפלים פתיחת הקבר עד שיעגילו ראש כפיקה

or containing woof is meant?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The thread of which is thick.');">⁷</span>

מאי כפיקה

- He replied to him: It has been taught:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That there is a difference of opinion on this point.');">⁸</span>

אמר רב הונא

The coil of the warp.

כפיקה של צמר

These are the words of R'Meir.

אמר ליה חייא בר רב לרב הונא

R'Judah says: The coil of the woof.

רבי פריש של שתי או של ערב

R'Eliezer B'Zadok says: From the time when the ring-like formations [at the mouth of the vagina] are visible.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Eliezer differs from the first Tanna quoted above, for whereas the latter requires for constituting the opening of the uterus that the embryo should form a round head like a coil, the former holds that even if it had not formed a round head but in the period of travailing had reached the stage when ring-like formations were visible, indicating the passage of the embryo's head, we regard it as the opening of the uterus.');">⁹</span>

אמר ליה תניא

What are the ring-like formations like? - Rab Judah reported in the name of Samuel in behalf of R'Eliezer son of R'Zadok: In Jerusalem they used to explain it in this manner.

פיקה של שתי דברי רבי מאיר

Like a mule which bends to urinate,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The mule bends more than any other animal or beast, and while it does so, wrinkles are descernible on the vagina.');">¹⁰</span>

רבי יהודה אומר

and it has the appearance of a coil coming forth out of a coil.

של ערב

Said R'Huna: I learnt two sizes of coils, one of the warp and the other of the woof, and I am unable to explain.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To what each of these sizes of coil refers.');">¹¹</span>

רבי אליעזר ברבי צדוק אומר

When R'Dimi came, [from Palestine], he reported in the name of R'Johanan: I learnt of three sizes of coils, one of the warp, another of the woof and one large coil, and again another of the sack-carriers, and I am unable to explain.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To what each of these sizes of coil refers.');">¹¹</span>

משיראו טפיפיות

When R'Abin came [from Palestine] he explained this in the name of R'Johanan.

מאי טפיפיות

In the case of a woman, the coil is like a warp.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is the size which makes the woman subject to the law of one whose womb is open.');">¹²</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל משום ר' אליעזר ברבי צדוק כך היו מפרשין בירושלים

In the case of an animal, the size of the coil is like the woof.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the embryo had not yet formed a round head of the size of the coil of the woof, then, if the embryo died inside the animal, and the shepherd stretched his hand inside, he does not receive levitical uncleanness.');">¹³</span>

כפרידה שכורעת להטיל מימיה ונראית פיקה מתוך פיקה:

As to a large-size coil of the sack-carriers, it is as we have learnt.

אמר רב הונא

A clod [of clay] from a beth ha-peras<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A field declared to be unclean on account of the crushed bones carried over it from a ploughed grave.');">¹⁴</span>

שמעתי שתי פיקות אחת של שתי ואחת של ערב ואין לי לפרש

or a clod of imported clay<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which has the same law as a beth ha-peras.');">¹⁵</span>

כי אתא רב דימי אמר רבי יוחנן

must have the size of the great seal of the sack-carriers which is like the seal of leather bags.

שלש פיקות שמעתי אחת של שתי ואחת של ערב ואחת של פיקה גדולה של סקאין ואין לי לפרש

And of the same size is the top part<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The upward sloping portion of the seal, like a handle, is called the top part.');">¹⁶</span>

כי אתא רבין פירשה משמיה דרבי יוחנן

of the stopper of the Bethlehem wine jug.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Oh. VII, 5.');">¹⁷</span>

של אשה כשל שתי של בהמה כשל ערב פיקה גדולה של סקאין כדתנן

Resh Lakish reported in the name of R'Judah the Prince: He who buys brine from an 'am ha-arez<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. A person who is suspected of not keeping either through ignorance or willfulness certain regulations or customs relating to impurity.');">¹⁸</span>

גוש הבא מבית הפרס מארץ העמים שיעורו כפיקה גדולה של סקאין שהוא כחותם המרצופין וישנו בצד העליון של מגופת החבית הלחמית

must bring it in contact with water<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The brine in a vessel is placed in a mikweh (ritual bath of purification) , so as to make its surface level with the surface of the water into which it is dipped. This is a form of purification.');">¹⁹</span>

אמר ריש לקיש משום רבי יהודה נשיאה

and it is then levitically clean.

הלוקח ציר מעם הארץ משיקו במים וטהור ממה נפשך

For in either case if the larger portion [of the brine] water,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the brine is nullified in the larger part of the water, thus receiving uncleanness on account of the water.');">²⁰</span>

אי מיא רובא נינהו כיון דעביד להו השקה טהרי להו ואי רובא ציר נינהו ציר לא בר קבולי טומאה הוא

since he brings it in contact with water,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the mikweh and it is purified thereby. This method of purification applies only to unclean water but not to food and other liquids.');">²¹</span>

מאי איכא משום הנך מיעוטא דמיא הנך בטלו להו ברובא

he has cleaned it; and if the larger part is brine, brine i not susceptible to levitical uncleanness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because it is just the moisture of the fish which issues when salted,');">²²</span>

אמר רבי ירמיה

The only doubtful element is that small quantity of water [in the brine]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which receives impurity and for which contact with mikweh water is no purification, since the larger portion is brine and this method of purification does not apply to food.');">²³</span>

לא שנו אלא לטבול בהן פיתו אבל לקדירה לא מצא מין את מינו וניעור

and this is neutralized in the larger portion of the brine.

יתיב רב דימי וקאמר להא שמעתא אמר ליה אביי

Said R'Jeremiah: This has been laid down only with regard to dipping bread in it but, for cooking purposes, the brine is not permitted,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the water in the brine combines with the water in the pot and the two together being now the larger portion, neutralize the brine, and make the latter unclean.');">²⁴</span>

וכי טומאה שבטלה חזרה וניעורה

since like attracts like and the uncleanness is aroused.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shaken from the law of neutralization. (So Rashi on A.Z. 73a.)');">²⁵</span>

א"ל

R'Dimi was once sitting and repeating this statement of R'Jeremiah: Said Abaye to him: Can levitical uncleanness, once neu tralized, be aroused again? - He replied to him: And do you not hold that this is reasonable?

ואת לא תסברא

Have we not learnt: If a se'ah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A measure of volume for dry objects and for liquids. V. Ter. V, 2.');">²⁶</span>

והתנן סאה תרומה טמאה שנפלה

of unclean terumah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The priest's share of the crop.');">²⁷</span> has fallen