Талмуд к Бамидбар 5:17

MISHNAH: He⁵²The officiating priest. brought a new⁵³The text of the Yerushalmi is also the text of most Mishnah mss. The word is missing in the Babli mss. earthenware bowl⁵⁴Greek φιάλη. and filled it with half a log⁵⁵0.27 1. Cf. Mishnah Kelim 17:11. of water from the laver; Rebbi Jehudah says, a quarter [log]⁵⁶A quarter log is the rabbinic minimum for any liquid used in any ceremony.. (Just as he⁵⁷Rebbi Jehudah; cf. Mishnah 3. shortens the writing so he decreases the amount of water.) He⁵²The officiating priest. entered the Temple building and turned right. There was a place there, one cubit square, where a handle was fastened to a marble plate. He lifted it, took dust from under it, and put it so that it was seen on the water, as it was said⁵⁸Num. 5:17.: “From the dust which will be on the ground of the Temple the Cohen shall take and put on the water.”

“Water⁸⁷Num. 5:17: מֵי הַמָּרִים הַמְאָרֲרִים.”, I could think it should look like water. The verse says, “dust”⁸⁸A translation (Arabism) of the word עָפָר “dust”; cf. Arabic ارض.. Or “dust”, I could think it should look like ink. The verse says, “water”. How is that? The looks of water and the looks of dust⁸⁹The dust should be a powder on the clear water.. The Sages estimated half a log of water from the wash basin. But did we not state⁹⁰In the Mishnah.: “Rebbi Jehudah says, a quarter [log]”. Rebbi Jehudah follows his particular way, as we have stated: “Just as he shortens the writing so he decreases the amount of water.”

“And from the dust.¹¹⁷Num. 5:17: “And from the dust which will be on the floor of the Sanctuary, the Cohen has to take and put on the water.” The parallel version in the Babli, 15b, [and Num. rabba 9(13)], is formulated differently.” One could think, from what lies in a chest. The verse says, “which will be on the floor of the Sanctuary”. If “which will be on the floor of the Sanctuary”, one could think only that he has to dig with a pick-axe¹¹⁸This דקל is not Aramaic “date palm” but the equivalent of Mishnaic דקר “pick-axe” by a change of liquids., the verse says “which will be”. How is that? If there is nothing there, one brings and puts it there. ¹¹⁹R. Abin reformulates the preceding argument from a slightly different angle. His polemic is directed against a baraita preserved only in the Babli (15b, bottom; variant readings in the critical edition p. רלו) which requires the dust to be prepared outside, brought inside, and spread on the floor of the Sanctuary. Rebbi Abin said, “which will be on the floor of the Sanctuary”, one could think [the dust] qualified only if he digs with a pick-axe, the verse says “which will be”. From anywhere. “The Sanctuary”, that includes the Tabernacle, Nob, Gibeon, Shilo, and the Eternal House¹²⁰The order given here is also in the Munich ms. of the Babli. The historic order would be: the Tabernacle, Shilo, Nob, Gibeon, and the Eternal House (the Temple which in rabbinic tradition cannot be replaced by a Sanctuary at any other place, Mishnah Zebaḥim 14:8.).