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Keilim 19:8-9

Keilim 19:8

If a shepherd’s bag is damaged, its interior pocket retains its ritual impurity and is not considered an attachment to it. Let’s say that a water skin has scrotal sacks that also serve as receptacles. If these were damaged, they are rendered ritually clean because they can no longer operate in their prescribed fashion.

Keilim 19:9

A counter whose opening is on the side is susceptible to both midras impurity and corpse impurity. Rabbi Yosi says that this is the case when it is less than ten handbreadths tall (about 30”) or when it doesn’t have a rim one handbreadth wide (about 3”). If it lost a piece on top, it remains susceptible to corpse impurity. If it was damaged on the bottom, Rabbi Meir says that it remains susceptible to impurity but the Sages declare it ritually clean. This is because once the counter’s primary function (storage) is nullified, its secondary function (use as a seat) is also nullified.

Author: Rabbi Jack Abramowitz