חגיגה 21:1 — Soncino English Talmud

A MOURNER [PRIOR TO THE BURIAL OF THE DECEASED], AND ONE WHO NEEDS TO BRING HIS ATONEMENT SACRIFICE [IN ORDER TO COMPLETE HIS PURIFICATION] REQUIRE IMMERSION FOR HALLOWED THINGS, BUT NOT FOR TERUMAH. GEMARA. Why not in the case of hallowed things? R. Ela said: Because the weight of the [inner] vessel forms an interposition. — But since the latter clause [of the Mishnah] is based on [the rule of] interposition. For it is taught in the latter clause: THE RULE [FOR THE IMMERSION OF GARMENTS] FOR [THOSE WHO WOULD EAT OF] TERUMAH IS NOT LIKE THE RULE FOR [THOSE WHO WOULD EAT OF] HALLOWED THINGS: FOR IN THE CASE OF HALLOWED THINGS, HE MUST [FIRST] UNTIE [ANY KNOTS IN THE UNCLEAN GARMENT], DRY IT [IF IT IS WET, THEN] IMMERSE IT, AND AFTERWARDS RETIE IT; BUT IN THE CASE OF TERUMAH, IT MAY [FIRST] BE TIED AND AFTERWARDS IMMERSED! — Both the former clause and the latter clause are based on [the rule of] interposition, and they are both required. For if [the Mishnah] taught us the former clause [only], I might have thought that the reason why it is not [permitted to immerse vessels within vessels] for hallowed things is because of the weight of the vessel [which interposes], but in the latter clause where there is no weight of a vessel [to interpose], I might have thought that it would not be deemed an interposition even for hallowed things; and if [the Mishnah] taught us the latter clause, I might have thought that the reason why it is not [permitted] in the case of hallowed things is because^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ

^ᵃnote:Heb. ibut , opposed to kct , a mourner during the week following the burial. It is assumed here that the mourner had not become defiled by the corpse.
^ᵇnote:E.g., a gonorrhoeist who, after duly immersing himself on the seventh day of his uncleanness, has awaited sunset on that day, and now has only to bring his sacrifice on the morrow in order to complete his purification.
^ᶜnote:In the latter case after bringing the prescribed sacrifices.
^ᵈnote:Which may be eaten not only without immersion, but even before the sacrifices marking the completion of purification have been brought.
^ᵉnote:The question refers to the beginning of the Mishnah, i.e., why may not vessels within vessels be immersed for hallowed things just as for terumah?
^ᶠnote:The weight of the inner vessel prevents the water from reaching every part of the vessels, thus invalidating the immersion both of the outer and inner vessels. V. infra p. 139.
^ᵍnote:If the purpose of the two clauses is identical viz., to teach us that in the case of hallowed things even that which resembles interposition invalidates, but in the case of terumah only proper interposition, then the Mishnah should have contained one of the two clauses, not both.