- Why washing hands was necessary
The Mishnah on 28a stated the general rule, וכל המטיל מים טעון קידוש ידים ורגלים – Anyone who urinates requires “sanctification” of his hands and feet, referring to washing from the kiyor. The Gemara at the bottom of 29b asks, that while it is understandable that the feet must be washed משום ניצוצות – because droplets of urine fall on them, what is the reason one needs to wash his hands? Rebbe Abba said, this ruling indicates מצוה לשפשף – that there is a d’Rabbanon mitzvah to rub off any droplets of urine with one’s hand. Since the hands become unclean through this, they too must be washed.
Rebbe Abba’s explanation supports Rebbe Ami’s statement that אסור לאדם שיצא בניצוצות שעל גבי רגליו – It is forbidden for a person to go out in public with droplets of urine on his feet, מפני שנראה ככרות שפכה – because he will appear like a person with a cut member ומוציא לעז על בניו שהן ממזרים – and it will cast aspersions on his children that they are ממזרים.
- אין אדם נכנס לעזרה לעבודה אפילו טהור עד שיטבול
The next Mishnah states, אין אדם נכנס לעזרה לעבודה אפילו טהור עד שיטבול – No person may enter the azarah to do the avodah, even if he is tahor, until he immerses himself in a mikveh. Ben Zoma was asked why a Kohen needs to do this tevilah even if he is tahor, and he answered that regarding the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur, ומה המשנה מקודש לקודש - If the one who switches from one holy place on Yom Kippur to another holy place, וממקום שענוש כרת למקום שענוש כרת – and from a place of kares punishment to another place of kares punishment, טעון טבילה – requires immersion, then is it not a kal v’chomer that one who switches on any day מחול לקודש – from a non-sacred place (his home) to a sacred place (the Beis Hamikdash), and from a place where there is no kares punishment to a place where there is a kares punishment, should require tevilah? Rebbe Yehudah disagreed and said, סרך טבילה היא זו – This is only a “reminder ” immersion, כדי שיזכור טומאה ישנה שבידו ויפרוש – so that one will recall any old tumah that is upon himself and stop from entering the Temple. The Gemara clarifies that they disagree over whether one who did not immerse in the morning has violated a mitzvas aseh. Ben Zoma holds he has and Rebbe Yehudah holds that he has not.
- Does a metzorah do tevilah on the day of his taharah?
The Gemara seeks to reconcile conflicting Baraisos. In the first Baraisa, Rebbe Yehudah holds that a metzorah does not need to do a tevilah on the day of his purification שכבר טבל מבערב - because he had already immersed the previous evening. The second Baraisa asked what the purpose was for the לשכת המצורעין, and answers ששם מצורעין טובלין – because there the metzoraim would immerse themselves before inserting their thumbs and toes into the azarah. Rebbe Yehudah says that not only would metzoraim immerse there אלא כל אדם – rather all people immersed themselves there before entering the azarah. This contradicts the first Baraisa where Rebbe Yehudah states that a metzorah is not required to immerse himself on the eighth day. The Gemara answers that the first Baraisa refers to where he immersed the previous day על דעת ביאת מקדש – for the intended purpose of entering the Beis Hamikdash. The second Baraisa is where he did not, and the tevilah only purified him from the tumah of tzaraas. Two more answers are given.
