שבת 59:1 — Soncino English Talmud

[The reason is] because they are fit for beating on an earthen utensil. It was stated likewise: R. Jose son of R. Hanina said: [The reason is] because they are fit for beating on an earthen utensil. R. Johanan said: Because they are fit for giving a child a drink of water therein. Now, does not R. Johanan require [that it shall be fit for] a usage of its original nature? Surely it was taught: And everything whereon he sitteth [shall be unclean]; I might think that if he [the zab] overturns a se'ah and sits upon it, or a tarkab and sits upon it, it is unclean: hence it is stated, 'whereon he sitteth', teaching, [only] that which is appointed for sitting, excluding this, where we say to him, 'Get up, that we may do our business!' R. Eleazar said: In cases of midras we say. 'Get up, that we may do our business'; but we do not say in the case of the defilement of the dead, 'Get up, that we may do our business!' But R. Johanan maintained: In the case of defilement through the dead too we say. 'Get up, that we may do our business!' — Reverse the former. But what [reason] do you see to reverse the former; reverse the latter? — Because we know R. Johanan to require [fitness for] usage of its original nature For we learnt an animal's shoe, [if] of metal, is unclean. For what is it fit? — Rab said: It is fit for drinking water therein in battle. R. Hanina said: It is fit for anointing oneself with oil from, it in battle. R. Johanan said: When one is fleeing from the field of battle, he places this [shoe] on his [own] feet and runs over briars and thorns. Wherein do Rab and R. Johanan differ? — Where it is repulsive. R. Johanan and R. Hanina differ where it is [too] heavy. NOR WITH A GOLDEN CITY, what is meant by, WITH A GOLDEN CITY? — Rabbah b. Bar Hanah said in R. Johanan's name: A golden Jerusalem.^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ

^ᵃnote:The bells that had their clappers removed.
^ᵇnote:Then they produce a bell-like sound just as when they have a clapper. Hence It is a utensil like before, and so remains unclean. But when the parts of a shears or of a plane are separated, they cannot be used at all.
^ᶜnote:Where a utensil is damaged or divided, does not R. Johanan hold that in order to remain unclean or susceptible to defilement it must still be fit for the same usage as before, it being insufficient that it shall merely be fit for some purpose?
^ᵈnote:Lev. XV, 6. The reference is to a zab, q.v. Glos.
^ᵉnote:A measure of capacity. V. Glos.
^ᶠnote:Half a se'ah.
^ᵍnote:I.e., the zab would be told that the measure is needed for its main purpose; hence it is not unclean. This shows that as a general principle every article is regarded from the point of view of its original and primary function.
^ʰnote:Lit., 'treading'. The uncleanness caused by a zab's treading, leaning against, or weighing down upon an article, even if he does not actually touch it with his body. This includes sitting.
^ⁱnote:I.e., in respect of an article's defilement through a corpse, or by a person who was himself defiled by a corpse, we do not say that in order to become unclean or remain unclean it shall be fit for its main purpose, but even if one has to say to the person using it, 'Get up, that we may do our business' it is still subject to the laws of uncleanness.
^ʲnote:Thus he insists that it shall be fit for its original function. Rashi maintains that this can refer only to a utensil which is broken or divided after becoming defiled; it does not remain unclean unless fit for a usage of its original nature. R. Han. holds that it refers to its defilement from the very outset.
^ᵏnote:Transpose the reasons given by R. Jose b. Hanina and R. Johanan.
^ˡnote:Transpose the views of R. Johanan and R. Eleazar.
^ᵐnote:I.e., liable to become unclean.
^ⁿnote:On a field of battle where no other utensils may be available, one can take up water in the cavity of the shoe into which the animal's foot fits.
^ᵒnote:This is a necessary part of one's toilet in the hot eastern countries; v. T.A., I, 229-233. The shoe might serve as an improvised oil pot.
^ᵖnote:Thus R. Johanan justifies its uncleanness only because it is still fit for a usage of the original nature.
^ᵠnote:For drinking. Hence, on Rab's view it is not subject to defilement, but on R. Hanina's it is. Rab disregards its possible use as an oil container, holding that soldiers dispense with oil on a field of battle.
^ʳnote:For running. According to R. Hanina it is nevertheless susceptible to defilement, but not according to R. Johanan.
^ˢnote:An ornament with the picture or the engraving of Jerusalem; v. T.A., I, p. 662, n. 961.