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Bava Basra 66

BAVA BASRA 61-67 - This week's study material has been dedicated by Mrs. Rita Grunberger of Queens, N.Y., in loving memory of her husband, Reb Yitzchok Yakov ben Eliyahu Grunberger. Irving Grunberger helped many people quietly in an unassuming manner and is dearly missed by all who knew him. His Yahrzeit is 10 Sivan.

1) [line 1] EINAH MEKABELES TUM'AH BI'MEKOMAH - it does not become Tamei in its place (while it is attached to the ground) (see Background to Eruvin 31:2 and Chagigah 26:14)

2) [line 1] HA'RODEH MIMENAH B'SHABBOS CHAYAV CHATAS - one who detaches [honey] from it on Shabbos is obligated to bring a Korban Chatas (for the inadvertent transgression of the Melachah of Tolesh on Shabbos)

3) [line 7] "VA'YITBOL OSAH B'YA'RAS HA'DEVASH" - "And [Yonasan] dipped it (his staff) in a honeycomb" (Shmuel I 14:27). Since the expression for honeycomb, "Ya'ras ha'Devash" (lit. forest of honey), is unusual, Rebbi Eliezer compares it to a forest with regard to Hilchos Shabbos. Just like in a forest, where tearing a branch off a tree is prohibited, so, too, is detaching a honeycomb from the hive.

4) [line 10] DAF SHEL NACHTOMIN - a baker's wooden board, on which dough is kneaded, or on which the finished bread is placed for display (RASHBAM)

5) [line 14] PESHUTEI KELEI ETZ (Wooden utensils that do not have a receptacle)
(a) The Torah teaches (Vayikra 11:32) that vessels made of certain types of material become Tamei when they come into contact with a Mes or a Sheretz.
(b) Vessels made of wood, fabric (wool, linen, canvas, etc.), leather, sack (made of goat hair), and bone do not become Tamei through contact with a Mes or Sheretz unless they have a receptacle (that is, the vessel must be made in such a way that it can be filled with another object or liquid). This Halachah is derived from a Hekesh which compares the above mentioned materials to a sack, which always has a receptacle to hold things (Gemara Chagigah 26b). Therefore, wooden utensils that do not have a receptacle ("Peshutei Klei Etz") cannot become Tamei with Tum'as Mes or Tum'as Sheretz.

66b---------------------------------------66b

6) [line 2] DAF SHEL MATECHES - a board made of metal (which can become Tamei mid'Oraisa; see above, entry #5)

7) [line 6] MEI GESHAMIM SHE'CHISHEV ALEIHEM L'HADI'ACH ES HA'ITZTERUBALIN; MAHU (LI'ZERA'IM) [L'HACHSHIR ES HA'ZERA'IM]? - rain water that [fell upon the Itzteruvil (see Background to Bava Basra 65:11) and] he (the owner) had intention that the water clean the Itzerubalin, does it enable produce to become Tamei? (KI YITEN / KI YUTAN)
(a) Foods may become Tamei if they touch a source of Tum'ah only if they were wetted at some point in their history. Making foods wet in a manner that enables them to become Tamei is called "Hechsher." From then on, even after they dry, they can become Tamei. Wetting food with either of seven liquids, water, dew, oil, wine, milk, blood, and honey, can enable the food to become Tamei.
(b) The food can only become Tamei if the owner of the food was *pleased* that his food became wet. This is learned from the verse, "v'Chi Yutan Mayim Al Zera..." - "If water has been placed on seeds and then the dead body [of a Sheretz] fell upon them, the seeds are Tamei" (Vayikra 11:38). The word "Yutan" in the verse is written without a Vav, just like the word "Yiten" -- "he places." However, according to the Mesorah, it is read "Yutan" -- "it was placed." From this we learn that when water or other liquids fall on the food it is considered Hechsher only if their presence is desirable to the owner of the food (i.e. it is as though he himself applied them).
(c) It is necessary only for the owner to desire the liquid; he need not desire that the liquid come into contact with the food. That is, even if the owner desires the liquid for an entirely different purpose, if the liquid later comes into contact with food it will enable the food to become Tamei. On the other hand, if the owner only intended to dispose of the liquid it does not enable the food to become Tamei, since only liquids that are significant can cause Hechsher.
(d) It is only considered "Ki Yiten" when the liquid falls upon an object, with the will of the owner, that is *detached* from the ground. In the case of our Gemara, the water fell on an object (the Itzteruvil) that was originally detached from the ground, and then was affixed to the ground. The Gemara is asking whether or not the Izteruvil has the status of a detached object with regard to the law of Hechsher.

8) [line 12] RAV HUNA ZUTEI - "Rav Huna, the small." H was called such either because he lived during the time of the eminent Rav Huna, and thus to differentiate him from that famous Rav Huna, he was called Rav Huna "the small." Alternatively, this refers to the famous Rav Huna himself, and since he happened to be short in stature, he was called "the small." (SEDER HA'DOROS)

9) [last line] KI ASYA HACH ITESA L'KAMACH - when this certain woman comes before you [for a ruling]

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