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Mishnayos Parah Perek 11 Mishnah 9

פרה פרק י"א משנה ט׳

9

The mitzvah of the hyssop: it should have three stalks bearing three buds. Rabbi Judah says: each stalk should have three buds. Hyssop that consists of a growth of three stalks should be cut apart and then bound together. If the stalks were cut apart but were not bound together, or if they were bound together but were not cut apart, or if they were neither cut apart nor bound together, they are nevertheless valid. Rabbi Yose says: the mitzvah of the hyssop is that it should have three stalks, and on them three buds, but its remnants need only have two, while its stumps may be of the smallest size.

מִצְוַת אֵזוֹב, שְׁלשָׁה קְלָחִים וּבָהֶם שְׁלשָׁה גִבְעוֹלִין. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, שֶׁל שְׁלשָׁה שְׁלשָׁה. אֵזוֹב שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ שְׁלשָׁה קְלָחִים, מְפַסְּגוֹ וְאוֹגְדוֹ. פִּסְּגוֹ וְלֹא אֲגָדוֹ, אֲגָדוֹ וְלֹא פִסְּגוֹ, לֹא פִסְּגוֹ וְלֹא אֲגָדוֹ, כָּשֵׁר. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, מִצְוַת אֵזוֹב, שְׁלשָׁה קְלָחִים, וּבָהֶם שְׁלשָׁה גִבְעוֹלִים, וּשְׁיָרָיו שְׁנַיִם, וְגַרְדֻּמָּיו כָּל שֶׁהוּא:

ט׳
Bartenura

שלשה קלחים ובהן שלשה גבעולים (three stalks and on them are three buds) – one bud on each stalk (see Rashi’s commentary on Talmud Sukkah 13a). But we require three stalks, we derive [by analogy/Gezerah Shavah] "לקיחה לקיחה"/taking, taking from the bunch of hyssop (see Exodus 12:22: "ולקחתם אגדת אזוב וטבלתם בדם אשר-בסף"/Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin) from the Egyptian Passover/פסח מצרים, just as there [it requires] three, and in this it is called an אגודה/bunch, even here, it is called a bunch/אגודה, even here it is three (and see Numbers 19:18: “A person who is pure shall take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle on the tent and on all the vessels and people who were there, or on him who touched the bones or the person who was killed or died naturally or the grave.” – and just as it is a Mitzvah to take them as a bunch for the Exodus from Egypt, so here as well).

מפסגו ואוגדו (he severs the stalks of hyssop and ties them) – he separates it and divides it so that there will the three stalks that are separated one from the other.

ר' יוסי אומר מצות אזוב שלשה – Rabbi Yossi is more stringent that the first Tanna/teacher [of the Mishnah] (see Talmud Sukkah 13a), for according to Rabbi Yossi, at the beginning, two stalks [and two buds] are invalid, but according to the first Tanna/teacher two are fit/appropriate, and it is not invalid until there would be at the outset that its remnants are one. But when the first Tanna/teacher says that the Precept of the hyssop is three stalks, it is for the mere commandment, and it is not to be indispensable. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yossi.

וגרדומיו כל שהוא (but its stump is any size at all) – the stumps of the buds is any size at all. But its remnants and stumps are two words, for its remnants are the remnants of the three stalks, which are two stalks, and its stumps is the bud itself, that I comb and is broken and there remains from it just a little bit.

שלשה קלחין ובהן שלשה גבעולין. גבעול אחד בקלח אחד. ושלשה קלחים דבעינן, ילפינן לקיחה לקיחה מאגודת אזוב מפסח מצרים, מה להלן שלשה, דבהכי מקרי אגודה, אף כאן שלשה:

מפסגו. מפרידו ומחלקו שיהיו השלשה קלחים מפורדים זה מזה:

ר׳ יוסי אומר מצות אזוב שלשה. רבי יוסי מחמיר טפי מת״ק, דלרבי יוסי תחילתו שנים פסול, ולת״ק תחילתו שנים כשר, ואינו פסול עד שיהא תחילתו כשייריו אחד. ודקאמר ת״ק מצות אזוב שלשה קלחים, למצוה בעלמא ולא לעכב. והלכה כרבי יוסי:

וגרדומיו כל שהוא. גרדומי הגבעול כל שהוא. ושייריו וגרדומיו תרי מילי נינהו, דשייריו הוו שיירי השלשה קלחין, דהיינו שני קלחין, וגרדומיו הוא הגבעול עצמו דאגרדום ונשבר ונשתייר ממנו כל שהוא: