Shabbat 52

ר' שמעון בן אלעזר ותנא דבי ר' ישמעאל אמרו דבר אחד ר' שמעון בן אלעזר הא דאמרן תנא דבי ר' ישמעאל מאי היא דתני דבי ר' ישמעאל הואיל ונאמרו בגדים בתורה סתם ופרט לך הכתוב באחד מהן צמר ופשתים מה להלן צמר ופשתים אף כל צמר ופשתים

R. Simeon b. Eleazar and the Tanna of the School of R. Ishmael<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' No particular Tanna is meant, but the collective view of that School. ');">¹</span> said the same thing. R. Simeon b. Eleazar, as stated. The Tanna of the School of R. Ishmael: what is that? For the School of R. Ishmael taught: Since garments are mentioned in the Torah unspecified, while the Writ specified wool and flax in the case of one of them: [then] just as there, wool and flax [are specified], so all [garments] are of wool and flax.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., the uncleanness of garments caused by the carcases of forbidden animals (Lev. II, 25) or reptiles (v. 32): there the garments are unspecified. On the other hand, with respect to leprosy in garments wool and flax are specified: The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woollen garment, or a linen garment.-Lev. XIII, 47. ');">²</span> Raba said: They differ in respect to three [handbreadths] by three in other clothes [not wool or linen]: R. Simeon b. Eleazar accepts [their liability to defilement],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In his statement he employs the word shalosh, feminine, which must refer to fingerbreadths (ezba'oth, fem.). Hence they are not subject to the stricter law that even when only three fingerbreadths square they shall be liable to defilement. Whence it follows that they are subject to the next standard of liability, viz., three handbreadths (sheloshah, masc. agreeing with tefahim, handbreadths); v. infra. ');">³</span>

רבא אמר שלשה על שלשה בשאר בגדים איכא בינייהו דר' שמעון בן אלעזר אית ליה לתנא דבי ר' ישמעאל לית ליה

whilst the Tanna of the School of R. Ishmael rejects it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For he simply rules that wherever 'garments' is stated it means wool or flax. ');">⁴</span> Now all at least agree that an area of three [fingerbreadths] of wool or linen is subject to the defilement of leprosy. How do we know it? Because it was taught, A garment:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIII, 47: referring to leprosy. ');">⁵</span> I know it only of a [complete] garment; whence do I learn it of [cloth] three [fingerbreadths] square? From the verse, and the garment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' We-habeged, E.V. The garment also, 'And' is regarded as an extension. ');">⁶</span>

דכולי עלמא מיהת שלש על שלש בצמר ופשתים מיטמא בנגעים מנלן דתניא בגד אין לי אלא בגד שלש על שלש מנין ת"ל (ויקרא יג, מז) והבגד ואימא לרבות שלשה על שלשה לאו ק"ו הוא השתא שתי וערב מיטמא שלשה על שלשה מיבעיא

Yet say that it is to include three [handbreadths] square?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But not the smaller standard.-Shalosh refers to ezba'oth, fingerbreadths; sheloshah to tefahim, handbreadths; v. n. 1. ');">⁷</span> — Does that not follow a minori: if a warp and a woof become unclean,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. ibid. ');">⁸</span> is there a question of three [handbreadths] square?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' No extension is needed for that. ');">⁹</span>

אי הכי שלש על שלש נמי ליתי בק"ו אלא שלשה על שלשה דחזו בין לעשירים בין לעניים אתי בק"ו שלש על שלש לעניים הוא דחזיין לעשירים לא חזיין לא אתי בק"ו טעמא דכתביה קרא הא לא כתביה קרא לא גמרינן בק"ו

If so, if it is three [fingerbreadths] square, let it also be deduced a minori?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since cloth containing a warp and a woof can be less. ');">¹⁰</span> — Rather, [this is the reply]: three [handbreadths] square, which is of use<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'fit'. ');">¹¹</span> both to the wealthy and to the poor, can be deduced a minori<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For it is then nearer to an actual garment. ');">¹²</span>

ואימא לרבות שלשה על שלשה בשאר בגדים אמר קרא (ויקרא יג, מז) בגד צמר ופשתים בגד צמר ופשתים אין מידי אחריני לא ואימא כי אימעוט משלש על שלש אבל שלשה על שלשה מיטמא תרי מיעוטי כתיבי (ויקרא יג, מז) בגד צמר או [בבגד] פשתים חד למעוטי משלש על שלש וחד למעוטי משלשה על שלשה

three [fingerbreadths] square, which is of use to the poor only, but not to the rich,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A rich man would not trouble to save it for some possible service-hence it is further removed from 'garment'. ');">¹³</span> cannot be learnt a minori: hence it is only because Scripture wrote it; but had Scripture not written it, we could not deduce it a minori. Yet say [that its purpose is] to include three [handbreadths] square of other materials?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'garments'. ');">¹⁴</span>

ולרבא דאמר שלשה על שלשה בשאר בגדים איכא בינייהו לרשב"א אית ליה לתנא דבי רבי ישמעאל לית ליה שלשה על שלשה בשאר בגדים

— Scripture saith, a woollen garment, or a linen garment:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIII, 48; these are also specified in v. 47. ');">¹⁵</span> only a woollen or a linen garment, but not anything else. Yet say, when it is excluded it is from [the defilement of] three [fingerbreadths] square, but three [handbreadths] square can become unclean? — Two limitations are written: 'a woollen garment or a linen garment',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. P. 115, n. 13. ');">¹⁶</span> [hence] one is to exclude [them] from [the defilement of] three [fingerbreadths] square, and the other to exclude them from [the defilement of] three [handbreadths] square. Now, according to Raba, who said, They differ in respect of three [handbreadths] by three in other cloths, R. Simeon b. Eleazar accepting [their liability to defilement], whilst the Tanna of the School of R. Ishmael rejects it, — how does he [R. Simeon b. Eleazar] know [the defilement of] three [handbreadths] square of other materials?