כ ר"א בן מתיא אומר אין היחיד מכריע את הציבור לטומאה שנאמר
20 [hence] deduct the women from the [number of] unclean, so that the unclean are a minority, and a minority are relegated to the second Passover. According to Rab and the first version of R'Kahana, as to what was taught, 'The clean observe the first and the unclean observe neither the first nor the second,' how do they reconcile it [with their views]? - Rab reconciles it [thus]: e.g. , if the [male] Israelites were half [of them] unclean and half of them clean, with women as an addition to the clean.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Bringing up the clean to a majority.');"><sup>5</sup></span> Now he holds: [The observance of the Passover-offering by] women at the first [Passover] is a duty, but voluntary at the second. [Hence] they [the unclean] cannot sacrifice at the first, because they are a minority,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since it is obligatory for women they must he counted.');"><sup>6</sup></span> and a minority do not sacrifice at the first. While they cannot sacrifice a the second, [because] deduct the women from them,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the clean; for since it is only voluntary for women at the second they cannot be counted.');"><sup>7</sup></span> so there is half and half, and a half do not sacrifice a the second. While according to R'Kahana who maintained, a half too sacrifice at the second, he explains it thus: e.g. , if the Israelites were half [of them] clean and half [of them] unclean, with women making up [the number of] the clean. Now he holds: [The observance of the Passover-offering by] women at the first Passover is a duty, while at the second it is voluntary. [Hence] they cannot sacrifice at the first, because the are half against half, and a half does not sacrifice at the first. At the second too they cannot sacrifice, [because] deduct the women from the clean [and] the unclean are a majority, and a majority do not sacrifice at the second. Again, according to R'Kahana, as to what was taught, 'Behold, if the Israelites were half [of them] clean and half [of them] unclean, the former sacrifice by themselves while the latter sacrifice by themselves,' how does he explain it? - R'Kahana can answer you: It is [a controversy of] Tannaim: there is a view [that] half against half is as a majority, and there is a view [that] half against half is not as a major [To turn to] the main text:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From which the teaching cited supra, p. 415, is taken.');"><sup>8</sup></span> 'Behold, if the Israelites were half [of them] clean and half [of them] unclean, the former sacrifice by themselves and the latter sacrifice by themselves. If the unclean exceeded the clean even by one, they all sacrifice in uncleanness, because a public sacrifice cannot be divided.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p. 412, n. 2.');"><sup>9</sup></span> R'Eleazar B'Mathia said: A single individual cannot overbalance the community to uncleanness, because it is said,