Shabbat 14b — the Talmud in English

Since this one was decreed first -

what more is this,

the decree concerning hands that come because of a scroll,

needed for?

But in any event they disqualify teruma.

Rather

certainly,

this

matter of hands that come because of a scroll

was decreed first.

And afterward they decreed concerning all hands that are not washed, that they should disqualify teruma.

We learned further in the Mishna:

and one who immersed that day

disqualifies teruma.

And we raise a difficulty: But

one who immersed that day,

from

the Torah he is

forbidden with teruma and disqualifies it, and it is not from the decree of the eighteen matters.

For

it

is written: “A person who touches it [one of the impurities], and becomes impure until evening, and he shall not eat of the holy things unless he has washed his flesh in water.

And the sun shall set and he shall become pure,

and afterward he shall eat of the holy things, for it is his bread.” And we establish this verse as referring to teruma. It is explicitly apparent that he does not become pure for teruma after immersing until his sun has set. Why, then, does it teach this among matters that disqualify because of a decree?

And we answer:

Remove [

remove ]

from here one who immersed that day,

and do not count it among the eighteen matters.

We learned further:

and foods that became impure through liquids

disqualify teruma.

And we inquire concerning it:

Through liquids

that are impure—

what

was the impurity of the liquids through which the foods became impure?

If you say, through liquids that come [

that became impure ]

because of a creeping creature,

which are first-degree sources of impurity, then they are impure

by Torah law!

For

it

is written

concerning contact with a creeping creature:

“And every liquid that may be drunk

in any vessel—it shall become impure.” And since the liquids are first-degree sources of impurity, they make the foods second-degree. And since this is so, by Torah law these foods disqualify teruma. For a second-degree impurity makes a third-degree impurity in teruma. [

And although this verse deals with liquids that became impure from the airspace of an earthenware vessel, after the vessel became impure through a creeping creature, and not with liquids that became impure from the creeping creature itself—and if so, these liquids are only second-degree, while the food touching them is third-degree, and a third-degree impurity does not disqualify teruma—nevertheless, from this impurity one can learn by a kal va-chomer to liquids that touched the creeping creature itself the very fact of their impurity. And since they became impure through a primary source of impurity, they are first-degree sources of impurity and disqualify teruma by Torah law ].

And we conclude:

Rather,

our Mishna is speaking

of liquids that come because of hands,

which were touched by hands that are not washed. And by Torah law they are pure.

And

the Sages made them like first-degree sources of impurity—

a decree because of liquids that come because of

contact with a

creeping creature,

which are first-degree by Torah law.

And the same law applies if the liquids touched all the things that disqualify teruma because of the decree of the eighteen matters: the liquids become “first” with regard to impurity, like first-degree sources of impurity. [

And specifically with liquids did they decree so, because they are easily capable of receiving impurity, since they need no preparation or qualification whatsoever for receiving impurity. But concerning foods, which need the qualification of water before they receive impurity, they did not decree ].

We learned further:

and vessels that became impure through liquids,

disqualify teruma.

And we inquire concerning it:

Vessels that became impure through liquids

that are impure—

what

does it deal with?

If you say

that the vessels became impure through contact

with liquids of a zav,

such as his discharge and his urine—these liquids are a primary source of impurity

by Torah law.

For

it

is written: “And when the zav spits on the pure person,

he shall wash his garments and bathe in water, and be impure until evening.”

And this is what the Merciful One says: Even if the pure person did not touch the spittle, but the zav spat upon

that which is in the hand of

the

pure person,

and the pure person carries the spittle—

I have rendered impure for you

him and his garments because of the impurity of carrying.

And since we find that the liquids of a zav render impure a person and vessels [that is, “his garments”], it follows that the liquids of a zav are a primary source of impurity. For a person and vessels become impure only through a primary source of impurity.

And if so, if the liquids of the zav, which are, as stated, a primary source of impurity, touched vessels, the vessels become first-degree with regard to impurity. And the foods touching them become second-degree. And through their contact they disqualify teruma by Torah law. Why, then, does it teach them among the eighteen matters?!

And we conclude:

Rather,

the Mishna deals with vessels that touched

liquids that come [

that became impure ]

because of a creeping creature.

For then the liquids are first-degree with regard to impurity, and a first-degree impurity does not render a person or vessels impure by Torah law. And the Sages imposed impurity upon these vessels—

a decree because of

vessels that became impure through

liquids of a zav,

which render vessels impure by Torah law.

And we raise a difficulty:

And the decree of

что касается постановления о

hands—

did the students of the Houses of Shammai and Hillel decree it, as it is stated in the Mishna, “the House of Shammai prevailed there over the House of Hillel”? But

Shammai and Hillel

themselves

decreed

this.

For it was taught in a beraita: Yose ben Yoezer, man of Tzereda, and Yose ben Yoezer, man of Jerusalem, decreed impurity upon the land of the nations

that it should be impure with the impurity of a corpse, because of the uncertainty concerning graves in it. For even the grave of a gentile imparts corpse impurity [according to the Sages, even in a tent, and according to Rabbi Shimon, only through contact and carrying].

And

likewise, they decreed

concerning glass vessels

that they should receive impurity, although they were not counted in the Torah among vessels that receive impurity.

Shimon ben Shetah instituted

that he should write in a

marriage contract

for a woman: “All my property is responsible for her marriage contract.” For at first he would designate particular property for her marriage contract. And when he was angry with her, he would say to her: “Take your marriage contract and leave!” Therefore he instituted that he should not designate particular property for her, but should subordinate all his property to this.

писали: «Все мое имущество является гарантией ее брачного контракта». Вначале он выделял для ее брачного контракта определенное имущество. Когда он сердился на нее, он говорил ей: «Возьми свой брачный контракт и уходи!» Поэтому Shimon ben Shetach установил, чтобы для нее не выделяли отдельное имущество, а обязывали все его имущество служить этой цели.

And

likewise

decreed

Shimon ben Shetah

impurity upon metal vessels.

And later it explains it.

Shammai and Hillel decreed impurity upon the hands.

At any rate, it teaches that Shammai and Hillel themselves decreed this, and not their students.

And if you say

to answer that the fact that the beraita teaches Shammai and Hillel means

Shammai and his group, and Hillel and his group,

and they themselves were together with their students in the dispute concerning the eighteen matters, and for this reason it teaches in the Mishna, “the House of Shammai and the House of Hillel”—

This cannot be said.

For

Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel: They decreed eighteen matters

on that day.

And concerning

those

eighteen matters the House of Shammai and the House of Hillel disagreed. But the House of Shammai prevailed over the House of Hillel, and the halakha was decided according to them. If so, it cannot be said that Hillel and Shammai were there. For

Бейт-Шамай и Бейт-Гиллель, однако сторонников Шамая оказалось больше, чем сторонников Гиллеля, и галаха была установлена согласно их мнению. Следовательно, нельзя сказать, что там присутствовали Гиллель и Шамай, поскольку

if Hillel and Shammai had disagreed only in three places

alone—

For

what

Rabbi Huna said: They disagreed in three places

Hillel and Shammai,

and no more.

And if you say

to answer that

they came [

Shammai and Hillel ] and

decreed

concerning hands that are not washed, regarding which it is possible

to suspend

the teruma that they touched—that is, it is disqualified from eating, but one does not burn it as completely impure teruma by Torah law—

and

afterward

their students came

and instituted that the hands should render it completely impure, like Torah-law impurity,

and decreed that it be burned

—

This cannot be said.

For

Ilfa said: Hands—

from the beginning of their decree

were for burning!

For from the outset they had already instituted that teruma touching them should have the law of completely impure teruma.

And we answer:

Rather, they came [

Shammai and Hillel ] and

decreed

concerning the hands,

but they did not accept it from them [

the decree was not accepted by the public]. And afterward

their students came

and

decreed

this,

and they accepted it from them.

And we raise another difficulty:

But still,

it was not the House of Shammai and the House of Hillel that decreed concerning the hands, but

Solomon

the king

decreed

this. As it is written, “And he weighed and investigated.” And we expound this to mean that he made handles for the Torah, like a vessel that one takes by its handles and does not touch. That is, he made a fence and distancing from transgression.

And the eruvin are a fence for carrying on Shabbat: one should not carry from a private domain to a private domain without an eruv, so that he should not come to carry into the public domain. And washing the hands is a fence against impurity.

For

it

Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel: At the time

that Solomon instituted eruvin and washing of

hands, a heavenly voice went forth and said: [

Proverbs 23 ]

“My son, if your heart is wise—

my heart too shall rejoice.”

And because there are those who treat washing of the hands lightly, a heavenly voice said:

“My son is wise and gladdens my heart, and I shall answer him who taunts me” [

Maharsha ].