1)

(a)Kol ha'Metaltelin Mevi'in es ha'Tum'ah ke'Ovi ha'Marde'a (an ox-goad [part of a plow]). In practical terms, Ovi ha'Marde'a - is something that measures a Tefach in circumference.

(b)The Tana now means that - any movable object that measures a Tefach in diameter has the Din of an Ohel to transmit Tum'ah from one end to the other (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(c)R. Tarfon maintains that - only something that is at least a Tefach wide has the Din of an Ohel.

(d)He introduces his statement with the words 'Akapach es B'ni', which means literally - I will bury my son ...

(e)... and he said it in the form of an oath (See Tos. Yom-Tov).

2)

(a)R. Tarfon's ruling is based on an earlier ruling by the Chachamim, who ruled in the case where the ox-goad that a farmer was carrying over his shoulder was Ma'ahil over a grave, that ...

1. ... the Marde'a itself - was Tamei, because of Keilim that are Ma'ahil over a Meis (which become Tamei even if they measure only a Mashehu).

2. ... the farmer who was carrying it - was Tamei (according to R. Tarfon) either because of Chiburin (since he was touching it whilst it was Ma'ahil over a Meis [see Tos. Yom-Tov]) or because of Adam who touches Keilim that touched a Meis.

(b)Both of the above are Tamei - for seven days.

3)

(a)According to R. Tarfon, the Tana Kama based his ruling on the mistake - that the farmer was Tamei due to Tum'as Ohel (and not as we just explained).

(b)R. Akiva reconciled the Chachamim's ruling with the Tana Kama's opinion owever - by ascribing the farmer's Tum'ah to the Din of Tum'as Ohel, based on the Din of Ovi ha'Marde'a.

(c)The Chachamim instigated the Din of ke'Ovi ha'Marde'a, because of - somebody who is carrying a pole on his shoulders, which are covered by his clothes, and one end of which is Ma'ahil over a grave, rendering him Tamei for only one day (since he is Tamei only through his clothes [see Tos. Yom-Tov]). So out of concern that - people will ascribe Tum'as Erev to Tum'as Ohel, they decreed a seven-day Tum'ah by ke'Ovi ha'Merde'a.

(d)The width of Pose'ach Tefach would be required - to render Tamei somebody else or other Keilim that are underneath the other end of the ox-goad.

4)

(a)The Tana cites as an example of the current Halachah, a Kush - a spindle, that is stuck into the wall.

(b)In a case where there is half a k'Zayis of Meis underneath it and half a k'Zayis on top, he rules - that the spindle is Tamei ...

(c)... even if they are not in line with one another ...

(d)... a proof that a K'li brings Tum'ah on itself even if it measures less than a Pose'ach Tefach.

5)

(a)Next the Tana cites a case where one end of the Sal - a pole, that a potter is carrying on his shoulders is Ma'ahil over a grave.

(b)He declares the Keilim hanging from the other end - Tahor ...

(c)... unless the pole is at least a Tefach wide (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

6)

(a)The Mishnah now discusses mounds of earth that are outside the town, which are considered Tamei - because women tend to bury their still-born babies there.

(b)The significance of such a mound being close to the ...

1. ... town is that - that is why they bury them there.

2. ... Beis-ha'Kevaros is that - they then take a man with them, in which case they already go all the way to the Beis-ha'Kevaros.

(c)Close to the town means - up to fifty Amos (see Tos. Yom-Tov DH 'Temei'os').

7)

(a)The Tana rules that a mound that is ...

1. ... close to the town - is Tamei, irrespective of whether it is new or old.

2. ... distant from the town - is Tamei only if it is an old one ...

(b)... because it is possible that the town used to extend to a point that is within fifty Amos of the mound, only the people have long forgotten about it.

(c)If it is a new one - it is Tahor (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(d)According to R. Meir, the definition of an old mound is one that has been there for at least sixty years. R. Yehudah defines ...

1. ... close as that - there is none closer (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

2. ... an old mound as - 'that nobody remembers a time when it did not exist (Tos. Yom-Tov).

(e)The Halachah is - like R. Yehudah.

8)

(a)The Mishnah now permits reburying a corpse that one finds ba'Techilah, Mushkav ke'Darko'. ba'Techilah' means that - nobody seems to know that a Meis is buried in that spot.

(b)He is also obligated to take Tefusaso together with it - some of the loose earth from the grave (see also Tos. Yom-Tov in Nazir, Perek 9, Mishnah 3).

(c)One is obligated to remove - three Etzba'os (finger-breadths) of loose earth together with the corpse.

(d)We learn from the Pasuk in Vayechi (in connection with Ya'akov's request of Yosef to re-inter his body in Eretz Yisrael "u'Nesasa'ni mi'Mitzrayim") - the Din of ve'es Tefusaso (see also Tos. Yom-Tov, Nazir).

(e)The Rambam's text reads (not Tefusaso, but) Tevusaso - (earth which is mixed with blood and liquids from the Meis).

9)

(a)The word ...

1. ... ha'Motzei - comes to preclude there where the Meis was known to be buried there (like we learned above from three x six ba'Techilah, seemingly duplicating the Limud [see also Tos. Yom-Tov, Nazir 9:3]).

2. ... Meis - comes to preclude there where the person was killed (see also Tos. Yom-Tov, Nazir) ...

(b)... which is subject neither to the Din of Tefusah, nor to that of Shechunas Kevaros (where three corpses are found, which the Mishnah will discuss shortly).

(c)And when the Tana writes ...

1. ... Mushkav, he comes to preclude - a Meis which is found in a lying position, and ...

2. ... ke'Darko - one which is sitting, but with its head between its thighs ...

(d)... which we preclude - because we suspect the corpse to be that of a Nochri (since that is the way they bury their dead [see also Tos. Yom-Tov, Nazir]).

10)

(a)The Mishnah rules that somebody who finds ...

1. ... two corpses - may follow the same procedure as one who finds one.

2. ... three corpses, assuming that there is a distance of four to eight Amos between the first corpse and the third one (see also Tos. Yom-Tov, Nazir) - is forbidden to move it ...

(b)... because the size of a cave in a Shechunas Kevaros (a burial area) is four by six Amos, in which case diagonally across it measures eight.

(c)The difference between a single corpse and three corpses is that - in the former, we assume that the Meis was placed there only temporarily.

(d)It will be forbidden to move even one (or two) corpses however - if there are signs indicating that the Meis was buried there permanently.

11)

(a)The twenty Amos that one has to examine in the event that it is a Shechunas Kevaros - comprises the space of two caves, with a courtyard in between.

(b)The size of ...

1. ... each cave is - six by four Amos.

2. ... the Chatzer in between them is - six by six Amos.

(c)The reason that one needed to examine twenty Amos and not just eighteen (three x six) was - to allow for the tendency to occasionally dig a cave diagonally off the courtyard (which added two Amos on to the regular six (see also Tos. Yom-Tov, Nazir).

(d)Nevertheless, one did one not need to examine twenty-two Amos (in case both caves were built diagonally) - because nobody digs both caves diagonally.

12)

(a)One is obligated to examine another forty Amos - twenty Amos to the east (in case the Meisim that one found belonged to another Shechunas Kevaros in the west), and twenty Amos to the west (in case the Meisim that one found belonged to a Shechunas Kevaros in the east).

(b)If one examines and finds one Meis at the end of twenty Amos - the Mishnah rules that one is obligated to examine another twenty Amos beyond that.

(c)We do not apply here the Din of Notlo ve'es Tefusaso - because having discovered one Shechunas Kevaros in the area, it is more likely to belong to a Shechunas Kevaros.

13)

(a)One is obligated to dig every second section of one square Amah (see Tos. Yom-Tov) ...

(b)... because of the Amah space that one must leave between two Meisim (see Tos. Yom-Tov) ...

(c)... and one is obligated to keep on digging downwards - until one reaches rock or virgin soil.

14)

(a)The Mishnah says about a Kohen (see Tos. Yom-Tov) who is removing earth from an area where there is a suspicion of being a Meis Ochel be'Dim'o - he is permitted to continue eating his Terumah (see Tos. Yom-Tov) as long as he has not yet come across a Meis ...

(b)... even though - Lechatchilah, he ought not to be performing the search.

(c)On the other hand - the Tana forbids a Kohen who is searching in a pile of rubble for a person who may have died as a result of the stoned falling on him to carry on eating Terumah ...

(d)... because, as opposed to the first case - it is known for sure that there is somebody buried there (who is either alive or dead [see also Tos. Yom-Tov Pesachim 8:6 DH 'she'Hu Tamei mi'Techilaso').

15)

(a)The Mishnah now discusses someone who is examining the twenty-Amah area, who arrives at a river or a Sh'lulis - a pool of water from which rivulets flow.

(b)The Tana exempts him from searching any further ...

(c)... and the same apply should he arrive at a public thoroughfare.

16)

(a)The Tana rules that a field ...

1. ... that contains the remains of people who were killed - needs only to be cleared, bone by bone (but not the Tefusah [see Tos. Yom-Tov]) in order to become Tahor, and the same applies to a field ...

2. ... from which one removes a grave (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(b)The Tana Kama issues the same ruling with regard to a mound of earth that was used for burying stillborn babies or people who were killed. R. Shimon qualifies this ruling - by confining it to a field that was not designated for burial; because if it was, the Din of Tefusah applies.