We continue our study of the mishnayos of Maseches Keilim. We began the twenty-ninth chapter with Mishnah 1, and now we continue with Mishnah 2.
In Mishnah 1 we learned about nimin - the threads that protrude from various garments - and to what extent these threads are considered part of the garment, so that if the garment is tamei they are tamei as well. We identified the point at which the threads extend and protrude from the garment so far that their outer ends are no longer considered attached to it, and they do not become tamei along with it. That was the essence of Mishnah 1.
Background to Mishnah 2 - tying garments together at the launderer:
Mishnah 2 continues with a somewhat similar subject. There was a common practice, and to a certain extent it still exists today, that when many people hand over many items to a launderer for washing and cleaning, the launderer needs to distinguish between one person's items and another's. He therefore ties together with one string all the shirts belonging to one person, and with another string all the shirts belonging to his fellow.
The items listed in the Mishnah:
"Shalosh kesatos shel tzemer" - three pillows or cushion covers made of wool.
"O shesh shel pishtan" - if they are made of linen, even six of them.
"Sheloshah sedinin" - three sheets.
"Sheteim esreh mitpachos" - twelve cloths.
"Shnei savrikin" - some say these are a type of trousers, and some say they are a type of sleeve worn over the arms while working, in order to protect one's clothes from getting dirty.
"Chaluk echad, tallis achas, kilov korin echad" - a chaluk is a tunic, and a kilov korin is a thick woolen garment. We will return to these items later.
Regarding all of these the Mishnah rules: "Chibbur letum'ah ulehaza'ah" - they are considered a single object for both matters at once:
With regard to tumah - this is the bad news: once they have been tied together in this way they all become one, and if one of them becomes tamei, they are all tamei.
With regard to sprinkling - this is the good news: if they became tamei with the tumah of a corpse, one must sprinkle upon them the mei chatas prepared from the ashes of the parah adumah. When a garment becomes tamei with the tumah of a corpse, it is enough to sprinkle the water on part of it for all of it to become tahor; so too here, one who sprinkles on one of the three woolen pillows, on one of the six linen ones, or on one of the three sheets - that entire tied group becomes tahor.
"Yeser miken":
When the number exceeds the stated measure - more than three woolen pillows, more than six linen ones, more than three sheets and so on - the Mishnah rules: "Chibbur letum'ah ve'eino chibbur lehaza'ah". Here both pieces of news are bad:
They are attached with regard to tumah - four woolen pillows, seven linen ones, or four sheets are all considered one with regard to tumah, and if one of them becomes tamei, they are all tamei.
But they are not attached with regard to sprinkling - if they all became tamei with the tumah of a corpse and the mei chatas was sprinkled on one of them, they are not considered a single garment, and only that one becomes tahor and not the others.
It emerges that in both situations, when the number exceeds the specified measure, we rule stringently.
Now we can also understand why the tunic, the cloak and the kiluv korin appear on the list: more than one tunic, or more than one cloak, tied together - they are joined for tumah but not joined for sprinkling. A stringency in both directions.
Rabbi Yosei disagrees and says: "af lo l'tumah" - when there is more than the stated number, they are not considered joined even regarding tumah. Not being joined for sprinkling is bad news; but not being joined for tumah is good news: if one of the four woolen pillowcases became tamei, or one of the seven linen ones, or one of four sheets, or one of thirteen kerchiefs - the others do not become tamei. The halachah, however, does not follow Rabbi Yosei.
In summary: in Mishnah 2 we learned about garments tied together by the launderer in order to tell one owner's clothes from another's. In the quantities listed in the Mishnah - three woolen pillowcases, six linen ones, three sheets, twelve kerchiefs, two savrikin, one tunic, one cloak and one kiluv korin - they are considered joined both for tumah and for sprinkling, which works as a stringency and as a leniency at once. When there is more than that number, they are joined for tumah alone and are not joined for sprinkling, and both results are stringencies. Rabbi Yosei holds that when there is more than the stated number they are not joined even regarding tumah, and the halachah does not follow him.