Shabbat 84a (פד.) — the Talmud in English

Rava said:

And according to Hanania,

who says that a ship that can be moved is susceptible to ritual impurity—even if it is so large that it can be moved only by oxen—it is likewise susceptible to impurity, for

moving by means of oxen is considered moving!

As we learned

in tractate Kelim:

Three

types of

carts are

distinguished with regard to their laws of ritual impurity:

a. A cart

made like a cathedra

which is short and enclosed by walls on three sides,

is susceptible to midras impurity

because it is intended for sitting.

b. One made

like a bed,

which is long like a bed and designated for transporting merchandise,

is susceptible to impurity imparted by a corpse,

that is, it is susceptible to the other forms of ritual impurity through contact, except for midras impurity [and it mentions impurity imparted by a corpse because one who becomes impure through a corpse is a primary source of impurity; and this is what it is saying: It does not become a primary source of impurity except through a corpse, and not through a zav], because it is a receptacle but is not designated for sitting, since merchandise is loaded into it.

c.

And one for stones,

which is made for transporting stones,

is pure from everything,

because there are large openings in its bottom and it is not a receptacle.

And Rabbi Yohanan said: And if it has a receptacle for pomegranates,

meaning that the openings are not so large that pomegranates fall through them,

it is susceptible to impurity imparted by a corpse,

as this is the measure with regard to all vessels: Anything that does not let pomegranates pass through it still retains the status of a vessel.

Thus, even a cart that transports stones, which can be moved only by oxen, is susceptible to ritual impurity, because moving by means of oxen is considered moving.

And we learned in the latter clause of that same Mishna

There are three types of chests:

a. A

chest whose opening is on its side—

is susceptible to midras impurity,

because one can lie on the chest while using it from inside through the opening in its side.

b. One whose opening is

on top—

is susceptible to impurity imparted by a corpse.

That is, to the other forms of impurity except for midras, because it is not intended for lying down; if someone lies on it, he is told, “Get up, so that we can perform our work.”

c.

And one that is of the measure,

a large chest capable of holding forty se’a [from the expression “men of measures,” since its length and width must be measured]—

is pure from everything,

because it cannot be moved when full.

The Sages taught: Midras impurity of an earthenware vessel is pure,

for earthenware vessels do not become impure through midras when a zav sits upon them, as will be derived below from a verse, unless a part of his body enters into the interior space of the vessel [for an earthenware vessel becomes impure only through its airspace].

Rabbi Yosei says: Even the ship.

And we raise a difficulty:

What is Rabbi Yosei saying?

What connection does a ship have to midras impurity? After all, a ship is entirely pure, even from impurity imparted through contact.

And we resolve it:

Rav Zevid said: This is what it is saying: Midras impurity of an earthenware vessel is pure, but its contact is impure,

if the zav touched the interior space of the vessel, the vessel becomes impure.

And a ship made of earthenware is impure

through contact with the zav [but not through midras, because it is not designated for sitting; primarily, it is made for transporting merchandise, and one who sits in it is told, “Get up, so that we can perform our work”],

in accordance with Hanania,

who holds that a ship made of earthenware differs from other ships, since it was not likened to a sack, and it can become impure.

Rabbi Yosei says: Even the ship is pure,

entirely, even from contact with the zav,

in accordance with the tanna

of

our Mishna,

who declares every ship pure, even one made of earthenware, based on the verse, “a ship in the heart of the sea.”

Rav Pappa raised an objection:

If so,

what does “even

the ship” that Rabbi Yosei says mean? For the first tanna did not declare an earthenware vessel pure from contact, so that Rabbi Yosei could say that the ship is also like it. On the contrary, only the ship is pure.

Rather, Rav Pappa said: This is what it is saying: Midras impurity of an earthenware vessel is pure, but its contact is impure.

And a vessel

made of wood,

both its midras and its contact are impure. And a ship on the Jordan is pure,

both from contact and from midras,

in accordance with our tanna,

who declares pure even a ship that can be moved when full and when empty.

Rabbi Yosei says: Even the ship

of the Jordan

is impure

through contact,

in accordance with Hanania,

who declares impure a small ship that can be moved when full and when empty.

And we raise a difficulty:

And midras impurity of an earthenware vessel—

from where do we know that it is pure?

Hezekiah said: For the verse says,

with regard to a zav,

“And a man who touches his lying-place.”

The word “his lying-place” includes the zav and his lying-place.

It likens his lying-place to him—

just as he

has purification through immersion in a ritual bath,

so too, his lying-place

is not impure unless

it has purification through immersion in a ritual bath,

and this excludes an earthenware vessel, as will be explained below.

The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught:

It is written with regard to a zava:

“Like the lying-place of her menstruation shall it be for her.”

It likens her lying-place to her—

just as she has purification through immersion in a ritual bath, so too, her lying-place has purification through immersion in a ritual bath.

This excludes an earthenware vessel, which has no purification through immersion in a ritual bath,

as it is written with regard to it, “it shall be broken”; its only purification is through breaking it.

Rabbi Ila’a raised an objection

Is it indeed a general principle that only something that has purification through immersion in a ritual bath can become impure through midras?

But was it not taught:

A mat,

a woven article made of reeds, which is suitable for lying and sitting and becomes impure through midras impurity,

through a corpse—

from where

do we know that it becomes impure through contact with a corpse, and is not like other simple wooden vessels [which have no receptacle] that cannot become impure?