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First Reading, Second Reading, Third Reading, Fourth Reading, Fifth Reading, Sixth Reading, Seventh Reading, Last Reading |
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First Reading, Second Reading, Third Reading, Fourth Reading, Fifth Reading, Sixth Reading, Seventh Reading, Last Reading |
Matot |  |
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| | 31:23 |
whatever was used over fire must be brought over fire and purged, and [then] purified with the sprinkling water. However, that which was not used over fire need only be immersed in a mikvah.
Kol-davar asher-yavo va'esh ta'aviru va'esh vetaher ach bemey nidah yitchata vechol asher lo-yavo ba'esh ta'aviru vamayim. |
| 31:24 |
You yourselves must also immerse [your bodies and] your garments on the seventh day, and you will then be clean so that you can enter the camp.
Vechibastem bigdeychem bayom hashvi'i utehartem ve'achar tavo'u el-hamachaneh. |
| 31:25 |
Fourth Reading
God spoke to Moses, saying,
Vayomer Adonay el-Moshe lemor. |
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Commentary:
over fire
This teaches that any vessels used for cooking must first be purged to remove any taint of forbidden food. If it is used for cooking with water, it must be boiled out with water (see Leviticus 6:21). If it is used directly over fire without water, it must be burned out (Targum Yonathan; Rashi). Others say that this is speaking specifically of articles used in fire without water, such as baking pans and spits (Sifri; Ramban).
| sprinkling water
Mey Niddah; see Numbers, 19:9
| immersed in a mikvah
(Targum Yonathan; Rashi). From here, the law is derived that metal vessels procured from a gentile must be immersed before they can be used (Avodah Zarah 75b). This is like a 'conversion' process, very much like the immersion of a proselyte (Yerushalmi, Avodah Zarah 5:15). Some say that this teaches that cooking vessels that are used with water need merely be purged, and not burnt out, and hence translate the verse, 'must be brought through [boiling] water' (Sifri; Ramban).
| bodies and
(Chizzkuni). See Exodus 19:10.
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