Zevachim 187

וכל מיני בגדים תלמוד לומר (ויקרא ו, כ) אשר עליה תכבס יכול שאני מרבה עור משהופשט ת"ל בגד מה בגד דבר המקבל טומאה אף כל דבר המקבל טומאה

and all kinds of garments?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Garments made of any materials. A garment usually was of wool.');">¹</span> Because it says, 'thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled'. You might think that I can include a skin after it was flayed?

מאי בינייהו אמר אביי מטלית פחותה משלש איכא בינייהו מאן דאמר ראוי הא נמי ראוי דאי בעי חשיב עליה מ"ד דבר המקבל טומאה הא מיהא לאו בת קבולי טומאה היא

Therefore it says, 'a garment': as a garment is an article which contracts uncleanness, so everything which contracts uncleanness [is included].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A garment contracts uncleanness whether its owner intends to use it or not; hence the hide, even after it is flayed, is not included, because it does not contract uncleanness, but can only be made to contract uncleanness, by the owner's intention to use it.');">²</span> Wherein do they differ?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' What garment is merely eligible to become unclean, though at present it cannot become unclean?');">³</span> - Said Abaye: They differ about a cloth less than three [fingerbreadths square].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is the smallest piece which counts technically as a 'garment'. A smaller piece ranks as a garment only if the owner intends to use it.');">⁴</span>

רבא אמר בגד שחישב עליה לצורה איכא בינייהו מ"ד ראוי הא נמי ראוי דאי בעי מבטיל ליה למחשבתיה מ"ד דבר המקבל טומאה השתא מיהא לאו בת קבולי טומאה היא

He who says [that it must be] eligible, this too is eligible, for if [its owner] desires, he can intend it [for use]. But he who maintains, anything which contracts uncleanness, this at all events cannot contract uncleanness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Without its owner's intention. Hence if the blood spurted on such a cloth, in R. Judah's opinion it must be washed, but not in R. Eleazar's.');">⁵</span> Raba said, They disagree over a garment which [its owner] intended to embroider.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., even a larger piece of cloth, but which has not yet been used, because its owner had expressed his intention to embroider it first. This counts as unfinished, and hence not a 'garment'; nevertheless, if the owner expressly abandons his intention, it becomes a 'garment'. Thus it is eligible, but cannot contract uncleanness at present.');">⁶</span>

רבא אמר עוצבא דחשיב עלה לקצעה איכא בינייהו מ"ד ראוי הא נמי ראויה מאן דאמר דבר המקבל טומאה הא לאו מקבלה טומאה עד דמקצע לה והתניא רבי שמעון בן מנסיא אומר עוצבא שחשב עליה לקצעה טהורה עד שיקציענה:

He who maintains [that it must be] eligible, this too is eligible, for if [its owner] desires, he can abandon his intention. He however who maintains, anything which can contract uncleanness: now at all events it cannot contract uncleanness. Others state,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Marginal addition.');">⁷</span>

אין טעון כיבוס כו': מנה"מ דת"ר יכול נתז על מקצת בגד יהא כל הבגד טעון כיבוס ת"ל (ויקרא ו, כ) אשר יזה לא אמרתי לך אלא מקום דם בלבד:

Raba said: They disagree about an [untrimmed] hide which he intended to trim.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Uzba is anything used as a rug or mat or tablecloth; it is generally of hide, but sometimes of cloth. Now, if one intended to use it for such purpose, it immediately ranks as a utensil, even before it is trimmed, and hence can be defiled. But if he intended trimming it, it cannot become unclean until he either trims it or abandons his intention.');">⁸</span> He who maintains [that it must be] eligible, this too is eligible; he however who maintains, anything which can contract uncleanness, this however cannot contract uncleanness until he trims it. And it was taught even so: R'Simeon B'Menassia said: A hide which [its owner] intended trimming is clean<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., it cannot become unclean.');">⁹</span>

דבר שהוא ראוי לקבל טומאה [וכו']: סתמא כרבי יהודה

until he trims it. ONLY THE PLACE OF THE BLOOD NEEDS WASHING. How do we know it? - For our Rabbis taught: You might think that if [the blood] spurted on part of the garment, the whole garment must be washed.

ראוי לכיבוס למעוטי כלי דבר גרידה הוא:

Therefore it states, '[thou shalt wash] that whereon it was sprinkled': I ordered thee [to wash] only the place of the blood. WHATEVER IS ELIGIBLE TO CONTRACT UNCLEANNESS. This anonymous teaching agrees with R'Judah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though its author is not named, we know from the Baraitha that it is R. Judah's view. - When an individual's view is stated anonymously in the Mishnah, it is generally the halachah.');">¹⁰</span>

אחד הבגד ואחד השק כו': למימרא דעור בר כיבוס הוא ורמינהו היתה עליו לשלשת מקנחה בסמרטוט היתה (על). של עור נותן עליה מים עד שתכלה

AND FIT FOR WASHING excludes a vessel which requires scraping.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., a wooden vessel, whence it may be impossible to wash out the blood. This does not need washing at all but scraping.');">¹¹</span> WHETHER A GARMENT, SACKCLOTH, OR HIDE. Are we to say that a skin can be washed?

אמר אביי לא קשיא הא רבנן הא אחרים דתניא הבגד והשק מכבסו הכלי והעור מגררו אחרים אומרים הבגד והשק והעור מכבסו והכלי מגררו

But the following contradicts this: If dirt is upon it, one wipes it off with a rag; if it is of leather [skin], water i poured over it until it disappears.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This treats of the Sabbath, when washing garments is forbidden as a prohibited labour. Dirt on a cushion may be wiped off with a cloth, but not with water, as this constitutes washing. Water, however, may be poured over skin, for that is not regarded as washing. Thus skin is not technically subject to washing.');">¹²</span> - Said Abaye, There is no difficulty: one agrees with the Rabbis; the other agrees with 'others'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Others' generally refers to it. Meir; Hor: 13b.');">¹³</span> For it was taught: A garment and sackcloth are washed;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the blood of a sin-offering spurts upon them.');">¹⁴</span>

כמאן אזלא הא דאמר רב חייא בר אשי זימנין סגיאין הוה קאימנא קמיה דרב ושכשיכי ליה מסאניה במיא כמאן כרבנן

a vessel and a skin are scraped; others maintain: A garment, sackcloth, and skin are washed; while a vessel is scraped. With whom does the following statement of R'Hiyya B'Ashi agree, [viz. :] I stood many times before Rab, and dabbed his shoes with water?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the Sabbath.');">¹⁵</span> With whom?

אמר רבא ומי איכא למאן דאמר עור לאו בר כיבוס הוא והכתיב (ויקרא יג, נח) והבגד או השתי או הערב או כל כלי העור אשר תכבס אלא אמר רבא קרא ומתניתין ברכין כי פליגי בקשין

With the Rabbis.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who hold pouring water over skin (or leather) is not washing.');">¹⁶</span> Raba observed: Does anyone maintain that skin is not washable? Surely it is written, And the garment, or the warp, or the woof, or whatsoever thing of skin it be, which thou shalt wash!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIII, 58.');">¹⁷</span>

והאמר רב חייא זימנין סגיאין הוה קאימנא קמיה דרב ושכשיכי ליה מסאניה במיא בקשין וכרבנן

Rather said Raba: The Scriptural text and our Mishnah refer to soft [skins], whereas they disagree about hard [skins].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., leather.');">¹⁸</span> But surely R'Hiyya B'Ashi said: I stood many times before Rab, and dabbed his shoes with water?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is now assumed that they were of soft leather.');">¹⁹</span> - They were of hard [leather], and [he acted] in accordance with the Rabbis.

הדר אמר רבא לאו מילתא היא דאמרי ניקו נימא ליה לקרא דכי כתיבן ברכין כתיבן מי לא עסקינן בכלי אכסלגיא הבאים ממדינת הים וקאמר רחמנא ניבעי כיבוס

Subsequently Raba said: My statement was incorrect. Are we to say that the text refers [only] to soft [skins]? Does it not refer [even] to foresters' apparel which comes from overseas,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It was manufactured of hard leather.');">²⁰</span>

אלא אמר רבא צרעת כיון דמגופיה קא פרחה מחלחלא ליה ומשוי לה רך אמר רבא אי קשיא לי הא קשיא לי

yet the Divine Law states that it must be washed?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Scripture does not limit itself but writes, or whatsoever thing of skin it be.');">²¹</span> Rather said Raba: Leprosy,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To which the passage refers.');">²²</span> since it breaks out in the article itself, moistens i and softens it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Any leather garment. - Hence the text refers even to hard leather; our Mishnah refers to soft; while the controversy is in respect of hard.');">²³</span> Raba observed: If I have a difficulty, it is this: