Shabbat 26: Ritual Purity, Oils and Garments

Our Sages continue to discuss the different types of oil that are permitted or prohibited to use to light on Shabbat.  They suggest that oil from terumot cannot be used for lighting, unless it has been separated into ritually pure and impure piles.  The priest can benefit from the ritually pure teruma after it has been separated, and others may use the ritually impure teruma after it has been separated.  Any untithed teruma cannot be used, because some of that teruma will be ritually impure and not yet separated.  The rabbis speak to the possible ritual impurity that could come from using the sap of a tree, and so only the oils from fruits are permitted.  Rabbi Tarfon continues to insist that only olive oil is appropriate for lighting on Shabbat. 

And then Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri stand and says what about those in Babylonia who only have sesame oil?  And the people of Medea with only nut oil?  And the people of Alexandria with only radish oil?  And the people of Cappadocia, who have nothing but tar oil, do to light on Shabbat?  The rabbis back off of the olive-oil-only argument and discuss the use of gourd oil, tar, and fish oil.  The rabbis speak of what emerges from a tree smaller than three by three fingerbreadths.  This is not large enough to become ritually impure - one may use it for roofing one's sukka, for that roofing must be made of substances that cannot become ritually impure.  Only linen has a unique ritual status, we learn from Abaye.

The rabbis teach us about woolen and linen garments, the only fabrics woven from plant materials considered to be true fabrics.  It seems that leprosy will only transmit ritual impurity to woollen or linen garments and not to other clothing.  That piece of clothing would have to be three by three fingerbreadths, which are measured by the widest part of the thumb.  If a garment is at least three by three handbreadths, which are measured by the size of a clenched fist, or four fingerbreadths, is thought certainly to be a garment fit for use by rich or poor people.  We know that smaller garments are unsuitable for the wealthy not only because of an a fortiori, obviously stronger argument, but because it is mentioned in the Torah. 

The rabbis then argue about whether garments of materials other than wool and linen can become ritually impure. Even the small piece of fabric could become ritually impure from contact with a creeping animal.  It is noted that halachot around the transmission of ritual impurity from leprosy are more stringent.