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Week 28 - Wednesday - 7 June 2000

SHEKALIM: CHAPTER 8 : MISHNA 4

A curtain which became tameh from a secondary tum'ah, they immerse it within and may bring it in immediately. And that which became tameh from a primary tum'ah, they immerse it outside and they spread it out on the hel. And if it was new, they spread it out on the roof of the portico, so that the people may see its workmanship that it is beautiful.

Kehati

We have already mentioned in a number of places that there are levels of tum'ah (ritual impurity). A corpse is avi avot hatum'ah - the highest level of tum'ah. If a person or utensil becomes tameh by contact with a corspe, he or it becomes an av hatum'ah - a "father of tum'ah"; also in this category or primary tum'ah are a sheretz an unclean creeping thing - animal carcass, a zav and a zavah, and a metzora (see Mishnah Kelim ch. 1). One who touches an av hatum'ah becomes a rishon letum'ah - a "first (level) of tum'ah," also referred to as a "child of tum'ah or secondary tum'ah." A rishon letum'ah can only contaminate food or drink, and if food touched a rishon letum'ah, it becomes a sheni letum'ah, a "second (level) of tum'ah." A sheni letum'ah can only contaminate terumah and consecrated objects, but not anything which is non-consecrated. Our Sages decreed, though, that liquid which became tameh, even from contact with a rishon letum'ah, can contaminate a person or utensils, this decree having been enacted as a precaution against the liquids of the zav and zavah, such as their spittle, etc., which are considered to be av hatuma'ah, and which, by Torah law, contaminate any person or utensil which comes in contact with them. This mishnah deals with a curtain in the Temple which became tameh, and discusses where it is to be immersed.

In Tractate Yoma 54a, we are told that there were thirteen curtains in the Second Temple, seven on the seven gates of the Temple courtyard, one at the entrance to the Temple proper and one at the entrance to the antechamber, two to the Holy of Holies, separating between it and the outside, and two opposite them in the upper chamber. It appears from Rambam (Hil. Klei Hamikdash 7:17-18), that this mishnah refers to one of these curtains, and others explain that this refers to the curtain of the antechamber (see Tosefot Yom Tov).

A curtain which became tameh from a secondary tum'ah - Such as where it came into contact with liquids which had been contaminated by a sheretz, in which case the curtain is tameh by rabbinic decree, for according to Torah law a utensil can only become tameh by contact with an av hatum'ah. Our Sages, though, decreed that liquids can contaminate utensils as explained in the introduction to this mishnah, they immerse it within - In the mikveh - ritual bath - in the Temple Courtyard, and is not removed from the courtyard, as it only became tameh by contact with a rishon letum'ah, and may bring it in immediately - After the immersion to its original place, for as the tum'ah here is only by Rabbinic decree, the Sages did not require that it wait until nightfall,

And that which became tameh from a primary tum'ah - But if a curtain came in contact with a sheretz, or an animal carcass they immerse it outside - Outside the courtyard, for as it is tameh by Torah law, one may not leave it in the Temple and must remove it immediately (see Mishnah Eruvin 10:15), and they spread it out on the hel - between the partition known as soreg and the wall of the Women's Courtyard (see Mishnah Middot 2:3), until nightfall; and there are those who have additional text here which reads, "because it needs nightfall."

And if it was new - If the curtain was new, they spread it out on the roof of the portico - The Temple Mount had an area with columns covered by a roof, which could be seen from afar, so that the people may see its workmanship that it is beautiful - to show how beautiful was the curtain which had been bought by the people's contributions.

SHEKALIM: CHAPTER 8 : MISHNA 5

R. Shimon b. Gamliel says in the name of R. Shimon the son of the Segan, The curtain was one handbreadth thick, woven on seventy-two strands, and on each strand were twenty-four threads; its length was forty amot and its width twenty amot, and of eighty-two ten-thousands it was made; and they would make two every year, and three hundred kohanim would immerse it.

Kehati

Incidental to the previous mishnah, this mishnah describes the curtain.

R. Shimon b. Gamliel says in the name of R. Shimon the son of the segan Deputy kohen gadol, the curtain was one handbreadth thick woven on seventy-two strands - Others have a version nirin - shafts - the threads which are wrapped around the rods of the loom (as explained in Tractate Shabbat 13b), rather than the word nimin - strands - that we have in our version, and on each strand were twenty-four threads - The curtain was made out of four materials: blue wool, crimson wool, wool dyed red and linen, and each strand was made of four threads, one of each material, where each thread was spun of six thinner threads,

Its length was forty amot and its width twenty amot - These being the dimensions of the entrance to the antechamber which was forty amot - cubits - high and twenty amot wide (Bartenura; and see Tosefot Yom Tov), And of eighty-two ten-thousands it was made - There are a number of explanations of this statement: a) That was the number of threads in it (820,000); b) that was it cost in dinars; c) a version that reads ribot - "young women" rather than ribo - "ten thousands," so that the mishnah is telling us that eighty-two young women and girls were employed in its manufacture.

And they would make two each year - They would make two new curtains each year. Rambam writes: "They would make two new curtains every year, to separate the holy from the Holy of Holies (Hil. Klei Hamikdash 7:16; see Mishnah Yoma 5:1). And three hundred kohanim would immerse it - Because of its weight, they required three hundred kohanim to immerse it; Bartenura explains that they had to immerse each new curtain, because new utensils, even if completed in a state of ritual purity, require immersion (Mishnah Haggigah 3:2). The Talmud states that the number "three hundred" is a hyperbole, and the mishnah simply wishes to tell us that a large number of kohanim were required.

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