Sukkah 16A

מטה מטמאת חבילה ומטהרת חבילה, דברי רבי אליעזר. וחכמים אומרים: מטמאת אברים ומטהרת אברים. מאי ניהו? אמר רבי חנן אמר רבי: ארוכה ושתי כרעים, קצרה ושתי כרעים.

A bed becomes ritually impure as a complete entity if it comes into contact with a source of impurity. And it becomes ritually pure as a single entity through immersion, and in the case of impurity imparted by a corpse, through sprinkling and immersion. However, it may be neither impurified nor purified when dismantled. This is the statement of R' Eliezer. The Rabbis say: It becomes ritually impure even when it is dismantled into its component parts, and, so too, it becomes ritually pure even when it is dismantled into its component parts. The Talmud asks: If the bed breaks into parts that serve no purpose, it is pure; what are these component parts mentioned by the Rabbis? R' Ḥanan said that R' Yehuda HaNasi said: The component parts are a long board and two legs attached to it and a short board and two legs attached to it.

למאי חזיא? למסמכינהו אגודא ולמיתב עלייהו ומשדא אשלי.

The Talmud asks: And for what purpose are these parts suited; what function qualifies their status as vessels? The Talmud answers: It is possible for one to lean them against the wall and to sit on them, after placing boards across the top and placing ropes across their length and width. The boards of the bed can thereby be used for the purpose of sitting or lying upon them; consequently, they are considered vessels.

גופא, אמר רבי אמי בר טביומי: סככה בבלאי כלים פסולה. מאי בלאי כלים? אמר אביי: מטלניות שאין בהם שלש על שלש, דלא חזיין לא לעניים ולא לעשירים.

§ The Talmud returns to discuss the matter itself cited above. R' Ami bar Tavyomei said: If one roofed the sukka with worn, incomplete, vessels, the sukka is unfit. The Talmud asks: What are these worn vessels? Abaye said: They are small cloths that do not have an area of 3 by 3 fingerbreadths, which, due to their size, are not suited for use either by the poor or by the wealthy.