Pesachim 38

ונימא שאין טומאת ידים וכלים במקדש אמר רב יהודה אמר רב ואיתימא ר' יוסי בר' חנינא ידים קודם גזירת כלים נשנו

accepts R'Jose's argument. Surely then in the whole of the Talmud this view would have found expression somewhere! Then let him say, There is no uncleanness of the hands or of utensils in the Temple?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., where the uncleanness is Rabbinical only. For we see that the knife too is clean, though if this happened without the Temple it would be unclean by Rabbinical enactment, v. infra.');">¹</span>

אמר רבא והא תרוייהו בו ביום גזרו דתנן הספר והידים והטבול יום והאוכלין והכלים שנטמאו במשקין

- Said Rab Judah in Rab's name, - others state, R'Jose son of R'Hanina: Hands were taught before the enactment concerning utensils.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The enactment that hands are unclean preceded the other; and when this testimony was given, the latter was not yet in existence at all.');">²</span> Raba asked: Surely both were enacted on that self-same day, for we learned: [The following render terumah unfit.] a Book,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Any of the Books of the Bible.');">³</span>

אלא אמר רבא הנח לטומאת סכין דאפי' בחולין נמי לא מטמא האי סכין דנגע במאי אילימא דנגע בבשר הא אין אוכל מטמא כלי ואלא דנגע במחט והא אין כלי מטמא כלי

the hands,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before washing.');">⁴</span> a tebul yom, and eatables or utensils which were defiled by a liquid?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And all these were of the 'eighteen measures' enacted in the upper chambers of Hananiah b. Hezekiah of Garon, v. Shab. 13b.');">⁵</span>

האי מחט מאי עבידתיה אי נימא ספק מחט והא איתמר ר' אלעזר ור' יוסי בר' חנינא חד אמר לא גזרו על ספק הרוקין שבירושלים וחד אמר לא גזרו על ספק הכלים שבירושלים

No, said Raba: Leave the uncleanness of the knife, for even in the case of hullin it would not be unclean. [For] what did this knife touch [that it should be unclean]: shall we say that it touched the flesh, - Surely food cannot defile utensils; and if it touched the needle, - surely one utensil cannot defile another utensil.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Unless the former is a 'father' of uncleanness (v. p. 62, n. 2) . These hold good even by Rabbinical law, which enacted only that a liquid defiles utensils.');">⁶</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב כגון שאבדה לו מחט טמא מת והכירה בבשר ר' יוסי ברבי אבין אמר כגון שהיתה פרה חסומה ובאה מחוץ לירושלים:

What is the condition of this needle?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the flesh is unclean.');">⁷</span> Shall we say that it is a doubtful needle?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., we do not know whether it is clean or not.');">⁸</span>

גופא ר' אלעזר ור' יוסי בר' חנינא חד אמר לא גזרו על ספק הרוקין שבירושלים וחד אמר לא גזרו על ספק הכלים שבירושלים רוקין תנינא כלים תנינא

Surely it was stated, R'Eleazar and R'Jose son of R'Hanina, - one said, They did not decree [uncleanness] for doubtful saliva in Jerusalem;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If saliva is found and we do not know whose it is, though it might be that of a zab or a zabah, which by Scriptural law is a 'father' of uncleanness and defiles human beings and utensils.');">⁹</span> while the other said: They did not decree [uncleanness] for doubtful utensils in Jerusalem?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which includes a needle.');">¹⁰</span>

רוקין תנינא דתנן כל הרוקין הנמצאין בירושלים טהורין חוץ משל שוק העליון לא צריכא אף על גב דאיתחזק זב

Said Rab Judah in Rab's name: E.g. , if one lost a needle [unclean through] a person defiled by the dead,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e, the needle had been defiled by him.The person is a 'father' of uncleanness, and the needle is likewise, because metal in such a case has the same degree of uncleanness as that which defiles it; v. supra ');">¹¹</span> and he recognized it in

כלים תנינא דתנן כל הכלים הנמצאים בירושלים דרך ירידה לבית הטבילה טמאין הא דעלמא טהורין

Temple, and this is all to the good, as sacrifices are thereby saved from defilement. the flesh.

ולטעמיך אימא סיפא דרך עליה טהורין הא דעלמא טמאין

R'Jose son R'Abin said: E.g. if the cow was muzzled and came from without Jerusalem.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence it must have swallowed it outside, where a doubtfully unclean utensil is unclean, and it remains so even when it enters Jerusalem.');">¹²</span>

אלא רישא דוקא וסיפא לאו דוקא ולאפוקי גזייתא

The [above] text [states]: R'Eleazar and R'Jose son of R'Hanina, - one said: They did not decree [uncleanness] for doubtful saliva in Jerusalem; while the other said: They did not decree [uncleanness] for doubtful utensils in Jerusalem.' [But] we have learned [about] saliva, [and] we have learned [about] utensils?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' What do they add?');">¹³</span>

ולרב דאמר כגון שאבדה לו מחט טמא מת והכירה בבשר כיון דאמר מר בחלל חרב חרב הרי הוא כחלל אדם וכלים נמי ליטמא

We have learned [about] saliva, for we learned: All saliva found in Jerusalem is clean, save that of the upper market!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which was specially frequented by the unclean, to avoid defiling others, v. Shek. VIII, 1.');">¹⁴</span> - It is necessary only [to state] that [this is so] even though a zab was known [to have passed there].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where the saliva was found. Even then it is clean, and we would not have known this from the MISHNAH:');">¹⁵</span>

אמר רב אשי זאת אומרת עזרה רשות הרבים היא והוה ליה ספק טומאה ברשות הרבים וכל ספק טומאה ברשות הרבים ספיקו טהור

'We have learned [about] utensils,' for we learned: 'All utensils which are found in Jerusalem on the way of the descent to the ritual bath-house are unclean',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One went down by one road and left by another. Hence it is assumed that those found there were being taken for a ritual bath and dropped on the way. V. Shek. VIII, 2.');">¹⁶</span> hence those [found] elsewhere are clean! - Then according to your reasoning, consider the second clause: - [those found] on the way of the ascent [from the bath] are clean', hence those [found] anywhere else are unclean?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is in contradiction to the inference from the first clause?');">¹⁷</span>

הא ברשות היחיד ספיקו טמא הוא מכדי האי מחט דבר שאין בו דעת לישאל הוא וכל דבר שאין בו דעת לישאל בין ברה"ר בין ברה"י ספיקו טהור

Rather, the first clause is exact, whereas the second is not exact,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., not to be taken in the sense that only these are clean. And this fact follows from the statement of R. Eleazar or R. Jose b. R. Hanina, without which we might have assumed the reverse.');">¹⁸</span> and it is to exclude the narrow paths.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the vicinity of the two main roads. These were used indifferently for both descent and ascent, hence utensils found there were declared unclean, since they were certainly unclean in the first place, and our only doubt is whether they were lost on the way to the baths or on the way from the baths. But utensils found in the rest of Jerusalem, where it is not known whether they have been unclean at all, are clean.');">¹⁹</span>

משום דהוי ספק טומאה הבאה בידי אדם ואמר רבי יוחנן ספק טומאה הבאה בידי אדם

Now according to Rab who said, ' E.g. if one lost a needle [unclean through] a person defiled by the dead, and he recognized it in the flesh? - [But] surely since a Master said, The [verse] 'one slain by the sword' [teaches that] the sword is as the slain,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra ');">²⁰</span> let it defile human beings and utensils too?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the priest and the knife.');">²¹</span> - Said R'Ashi: This proves that the Temple Court ranks as public ground; so that it is a doubt of uncleanness<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is doubtful whether the priest or knife have touched the needle.');">²²</span> in public ground, and every doubt of uncleanness in public ground, the doubt is clean. But in private ground,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if the Temple Court ranked as private ground.');">²³</span> its doubt is clean?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the priest and knife would be unclean.');">²⁴</span> Consider: this needle is an object which has no understanding to be questioned, and everything which has no understanding to be questioned, both in public and in private ground, its doubt is clean?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' v. Sot. 28b.');">²⁵</span> - Because it is a doubt of uncleanness which arises through a person,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A man has been engaged about this animal, and if the knife had touched the needle it would have been through him.');">²⁶</span> and R'Johanan said: A doubt of uncleanness which arises through a person,