Sukkah, Daf Kaf, Part 4
Introduction
Yesterday’s section dealt with the types of mats that are susceptible to impurity. Today we continue with this subject (don’t worry, it’s almost done).
מיתיבי: חוצלות של שעם ושל גמי ושל שק ושל ספירא – מטמא טמא מת, דברי רבי דוסא. וחכמים אומרים: אף מדרס.
It was objected: Mats of bamboo, of reed grass, of sackcloth or of goat’s-hair are susceptible to corpse uncleanliness, the words of R. Dosa,
But the sages say: they are also susceptible to midras uncleanliness.
The Talmud now cites a baraita that seems to be a slightly different version of the baraita about the "hotzlot" that we saw in yesterday’s section. As we shall see, the Talmud will try to match this baraita with the other one.
בשלמא למאן דאמר מרזובלי – של שעם ושל גמי חזו לכינתא דפירי, של שק ושל ספירא – חזו לגולקי וצני. אלא למאן דאמר מחצלות ממש, בשלמא של שק ושל ספירא – חזו לפרסי ונפוותא, אלא של שעם ושל גמי למאי חזו? – חזו לנזיאתא.
It goes well according to him who says [that hozlot means] bags filled with foliage , since those of bamboo and of reed-grass can be used for a basket fruit, while those of sackcloth and goat’s-hair can be used for sacks or baskets, but according to him who says that it means real mats, it is well with regard to those of sackcloth and goat’s-hair, since they can be used for curtains or for sieves but to what use can those of bamboo and reed-grass be put?
They can be used for [covering] brewing vats.
The Talmud now explains that this baraita accords with the person who held that "hozlot" were bags filled with foliage. The question is what use can be made out of these mats besides sitting on them, so that they would possibly be susceptible to corpse impurity and not midras impurity (which is only applicable to things that are sat or lied upon). He can explain that the sacks made of bamboo reed grass, sackcloth and goat’s hair can also be used for basketlike purpose. But the one who defined "hozlot" as real mats has trouble understanding this baraita. Sackcloth and goat’s hair can be used as curtains or sieves, but what use can one make out of a bamboo or reed-grass mat besides sitting on them?
The Talmud finds an answer: they can be used to cover brewing vats. [I actually used to brew beer, but alas, I never tried a bamboo or reed-grass mat as a brewing cover. God willing, in the future].
איכא דאמרי: בשלמא למאן דאמר מחצלות ממש, של שעם ושל גמי – חזו לנזיאתא, של שק ושל ספירא – חזו לפרסי ונפוותא. אלא למאן דאמר מרזובלי, בשלמא של שק ושל ספירא – חזו לגולקי וצני, אלא של שעם ושל גמי למאי חזו? – חזו לכינתא דפירי.
Some read [as follows]: It is well according to him who says [that hozlot means] real matting , since those of bamboo and reed-grass may be used for [covering] brewing vats while those of sackcloth and goat’s hair can be used for curtains or for sieves, but according to him who says that it means bags filled with foliage, it is well with regard to those of sackcloth and goat’s hair which may be used for haversacks or baskets, but to what use can those of bamboo and reed-grass be put? They may be used for baskets of fruit.
This section is simply a mirror version of the previous section.