Mishnayos Chagigah Perek 3 Mishnah 8
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חגיגה פרק ג׳ משנה ח׳
How do they pass all the vessels of the Temple courtyard through a process of purification? They immerse the vessels that were in the Temple. And they say to the am ha’aretz priests who served in the Temple during the Festival: Be careful that you not touch the table of the shewbread. If you defile it by touching it, it would need to be removed for immersion, and this would lead to the temporary suspension of the mitzva of the shewbread, which had to be on the table at all times. The mishna continues: All the vessels that were in the Temple had second and third substitute vessels, so that if the first ones became impure they could bring the second ones in their place. All the vessels that were in the Temple required immersion after the Festival, apart from the golden altar and the bronze altar, because they are considered like the ground and therefore, like land itself, not susceptible to impurity. This is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. And the Rabbis say: It is because they are coated.
כֵּיצַד מַעֲבִירִים עַל טָהֳרַת עֲזָרָה. מַטְבִּילִין אֶת הַכֵּלִים שֶׁהָיוּ בַמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְאוֹמְרִין לָהֶם, הִזָּהֲרוּ שֶׁלֹּא תִגְּעוּ בַּשֻּׁלְחָן וּבַמְּנוֹרָה וּתְטַמְּאוּהוּ. כָּל הַכֵּלִים שֶׁהָיוּ בַמִּקְדָּשׁ, יֵשׁ לָהֶם שְׁנִיִּים וּשְׁלִישִׁים, שֶׁאִם נִטְמְאוּ הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, יָבִיאוּ שְׁנִיִּים תַּחְתֵּיהֶן. כָּל הַכֵּלִים שֶׁהָיוּ בַמִּקְדָּשׁ, טְעוּנִין טְבִילָה, חוּץ מִמִּזְבַּח הַזָּהָב וּמִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן כַּקַּרְקַע, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן מְצֻפִּין:
Bartenura
ואומרין להם. לעמי הארץ ברגל. הזהרו שלא תגעו בשלחן. לפי שלא יוכלו להטבילו לאחר הרגל, שא״א לסלקו ממקומו דכתיב ביה (שמות כ״ח) לחם פנים לפני תמיד:
טעונים טבילה. מפני טומאת הרגל:
חוץ ממזבח הזהב ומזבח הנחושת מפני שהן כקרקע. מזבח הנחושת שהתורה קראתו מזבח אדמה. ומזבח הזהב כתיב (במדבר ג׳:ל״א) המנורה והמזבחות, אתקש מזבחות זה לזה. ושלחן הא אמרן דלא נגעו בו:
מפני שהן מצופין. הכי קאמר, וחכמים מטמאין ואומרין שצריכין טבילה גם הם מפני שהן מצופין, דאי לא הוו מצופין יש לטהרן משום כלי עץ העשויין לנחת. פי׳ אחר וחכ״א דטעמא דאין צריכין טבילה לפי שהם מצופין זהב ונחשת וצפויין בטיל לגביהן, והוו ככלי עץ העשויין לנחת שאינן מטמאין, ולא פליגי על ר׳ אליעזר אלא בטעמא דמלתא בלבד. כך פי׳ הרמב״ם בהלכות מטמאי משכב ומושב:
ואומרים להם – to the ignoramuses on the Festival. Be careful not to touch the Table, because they would not be able to immerse it until after the Festival [had concluded]., for it was impossible to remove it from its place, as it is written (Exodus 25:30): “[And on the table] you shall set the bread of display, to be before Me always.”
טעונים טבילה – because of the defilement of the Festival.
חוץ ממזבח הזהב ומזבח הנחשת מפני שהן כקרקע – the copper altar, for the Torah called it the altar of earth (see Exodus 20:21) and the golden altar is written (Numbers 3:31): “[Their duties comprised: the ark, the table,] the lampstand, the altars, [and the sacred utensils that were used with them, and the screen – all the service connected with these],” they juxtaposed the altars (i.e., the copper altar and the golden altar) to each other. But they did not mention the table for they did not touch it.
מפני שהן מצופין – this is how it should be read: And the Sages declared them ritually impure and state that they require ritual immersion even them because they are overlaid [with gold or copper], for if they had been overlaid, it would be necessary to ritually purify them because wooden utensils are made as ornaments. Another explanation: And the Sages state that the reason that they don’t require ritual immersion is because they are overlaid with gold or copper and their overlaying is neutralized concerning them, and they are like wood utensils which do not become ritually defiled, and they don’t dispute Rabbi Eliezer other than on the reason for the matter alone. So also did Maimonides explain in his laws of the uncleanness of couch and seat (Chapter 1, Halakha 11).