משנה: חֶרֶס כְּדֵי לִיתֵּן בֵּין פַּצִּים לַחֲבֵרוֹ דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי יְהוּדָה. רִבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר כְּדֵי לַחְתּוֹת בּוֹ אֶת הָאוּר. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר כְּדֵי לְקַבֵּל רְבִיעִית. אָמַר רִבִּי מֵאִיר אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין רְאָיָה לַדָּבָר זֵכֶר לַדָּבָר לֹא יִמָּצֵא בִמְכִתָּתוֹ חֶרֶשׂ לַחְתּוֹת אֵשׁ מִיָּקוּד. אָמַר לוֹ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי מִשָּׁם רְאָיָה לַחְשׂוֹף מַיִם מִגֶּבֶא: MISHNAH: A potsherd to put between one half-brick and another, the words of Rebbi Jehudah. Rebbi Meïr says, to carry fire with it. Rebbi Yose says, to fill it with a quartarius. Rebbi Meïr said, even though it is no proof, it is a hint: 22Is. 30:14.that in its splinters no shard be found to catch fire from the blaze. Rebbi Yose told him, from there is proof, to draw water from the pit.
הלכה: חֶרֶשׂ (כָּל שֶׁהוּא) כְּדֵי לִיתֵּן בֵּין פַּצִּים כול׳. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר. מְקַדְּשִׁין בּוֹ. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר. אֵין מְקַדְּשִׁין בּוֹ. רִבִּי לָעְזָר שָׁאַל. עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. לָמָּה אֵין מְקַדְּשִׁין בּוֹ. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִקַבֵּל טוּמְאָה. הֲרֵי כְלֵי גְלָלִים וּכְלֵי אֲבָנִים וּכְלֵי אֲדָמָה הֲרֵי אֵינָן מְקַבְּלִין טוּמְאָה וּמְקַדְּשִׁין בָּהֶן. אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְקַבֵּל רְבִיעִית. וְלֹא מוֹדֶה רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ בִּכְלִי חֶרֶשׂ קָטָן שָׁלֵם כָּל שֶׁהוּא שֶׁמְּקַדְּשִׁין בּוֹ. הֲוֵי לֵית טַעֲמֵיהּ אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם שֶׁאֵין עָלָיו תּוֹאַר כֶּלִי. וְקַשְׁיָא עַל דְּרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. לִפְסוֹל אֶת הִגְּוִיָיה אֵינוֹ פוֹסֵל. וּלְקַדֵּשׁ מְקַדְּשִׁין בּוֹ. אֶלָּא כְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵה. דְּרִבִּי יוֹסֵה אָמַר. אַף שֶׁלְּחֶרֶשׂ כָּל שֶׁהוּא. כְּלוּם אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי לֹא בְשָׁלֵם. דִּילְמָא בְּשָׁבוּר אֲנַן קַיָימִין. תַּנֵּי רִבִּי חִיָיה מְסַיֵיעַ לְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. תַּנֵּי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי מְסַיֵיעַ לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. HALAKHAH: 7. “A potsherd (of any size) to put between one half brick,”121The scribe wrote “a potsherd of any size”; the corrector then changed it into a quote of Mishnah 7. As S. Liebermann points out, the original text is correct and the paragraph starts not with a quote of Mishnah 7 but of a baraita close to Tosephta Kelim Bava qamma 7:17: “Potsherds which may contain even a minimal amount one used to fill, to sanctify, to sprinkle from it...”. The subject is the ceremony of cleansing from the impurity of the dead (Num. 19) which requires that some of the ashes of the Red Cow be in “flowing water drawn into a vessel” (19:17). In this context, “to sanctify” means to put the ashes into the water. From this moment on the slightest inattention will disqualify water and ashes from the ceremony. The paragraph fits in here since both for the rules of the Sabbath and the rules of impurity there is the problem of defining exactly what is called a “vessel”. etc. Rebbi Joḥanan said, one may use it to sanctify; Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish says, one may not use it to sanctify. Rebbi Eleazar asked, in Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish’s opinion, why may one not use it to sanctify? Because it is impervious to impurity 122By definition, a vessel is a product of manufacture. Materials in their original state always are impervious to impurity (unless they are derived from animals). A first tentative opinion is that “vessel” is only a manufactured product susceptible to impurity.. But are not vessels made of cow dung, stone vessels, earthen vessels impervious to impurity and one may use them to sanctify123Mishnah Parah 5:5.! But because it does not contain a quartarius124Which everywhere is the minimum of a substantial volume of fluid.. But does not Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish agree that one may sanctify using an arbitrarily small complete clay vessel? It is that the only reason is that it does not have the appellation “vessel”125Which is required by the verse and, therefore, cannot be dispensed with.. Then it is difficult for Rebbi Joḥanan. It is not enough to disqualify the body126Mishnah Meˋilah 4:5 states that ingesting a quartarius of impure fluid disqualifies a body from any activity requiring purity. It is difficult to see why this should be relevant to the topic at hand. S. Liebermann, following Noˋam Yerushalaim of R. Joshua Eizik of Slonim, suggests to change “body” into “miqweh”. The argument for this is that a miqweh may not be filled with water drawn by a vessel; in this context a “clay vessel” is defined by Mishnah Miqwa’ot 4:3 as one which may contain a minimum volume of one quartarius. but one may use it to sanctify? But this follows Rebbi Yose, for “Rebbi Yose said, also the most minute amount of clay vessel127In Mishnah Miqwa’ot 4:3 he states that a clay vessel of any size is a “vessel”; the criterion of one quartarius applies only to potsherds..” Did not Rebbi Yose say this only for a complete one, and do we not deal here with a broken one? What Rebbi Ḥiyya stated128Tosephta Kelim Bava qamma 7:17. supports Rebbi Joḥanan; what Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥai129This baraita has not come down to us. stated supports Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish.