Study Shabbat folio 27A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
מנא ליה? נפקא מ״או בגד״. דתניא: ״בגד״ — אין לי אלא בגד, שלשה על שלשה בשאר בגדים מניין? תלמוד לומר: ״או בגד״.
from where does R' Shimon ben Elazar derive that it can become ritually impure? The Talmud answers: In his opinion, it is derived from the verse that speaks of the ritual impurity of creeping animals: “Or a garment, or skin, or sack” (Leviticus 11:32). The additional “or” comes to include items that are not generally included in the definition of garment. As it was taught in a baraita: From the fact that it says garment, I have derived nothing other than a whole garment; however, a swatch that is 3 by 3 handbreadths in other garments, from where is it derived that it can become ritually impure? The verse states: Or a garment.
ואביי, האי ״או בגד״ מאי עביד ליה? מיבעי ליה לרבות שלש על שלש בצמר ופשתים דמטמא בשרצים.
The Talmud asks: And Abaye, who says that everyone agrees that other garments do not become ritually impure at all, this phrase: Or a garment, what does he do with it and what does it come to add? The Talmud answers: He needs it to include a small swatch of fabric that is 3 by 3 fingerbreadths made of wool or linen. Despite its size, it can become ritually impure from contact with creeping animals.
ורבא, גלי רחמנא גבי נגעים, והוא הדין לשרצים.
And Rava holds that there is no need for the verse to discuss that matter explicitly, as the Torah revealed in the case of tzara'at that it is considered to be a garment, and the same is true with regard to the ritual impurity of creeping animals.
ואביי, איכא למיפרך: מה לנגעים שכן שתי וערב מטמא בהם.
And Abaye holds that one cannot derive the halakhot of creeping animals from the halakhot of tzara'at, as there is room to refute that comparison in the following manner: What comparison is there to tzara'at, which has more stringent halakhot of ritual impurity, as even the warp and woof threads alone can become ritually impure from it, which is not the case with regard to ritual impurity from creeping animals? Therefore, even small scraps can become ritually impure from tzara'at.