Rabah and R. Zeira visited the Reish Galusa's house; they saw a slave put a flask of [cold] water on top of a kettle. Rabah rebuked him.

R. Zeira: It is permitted to put a kettle on top of a kettle!

Rabah: It is permitted to keep the top kettle warm in that way - here, he heats cold water for the first time.

The slave spread a turban over a flask and put a ladle on top; Rabah rebuked him.

R. Zeira: What is wrong with this?

Rabah: See what will happen!

The slave later squeezed out water absorbed in the turban.

Question (R. Zeira): Since people may come to squeeze, why do Chachamim permit spreading a cloth over a flask?

Answer (Rabah): We are not concerned lest one squeeze a cloth, for people do not care if it is wet; people do not want a turban to be wet.

(Mishnah): [Hatmanah in the following is permitted if they are dry and forbidden if they are moist -] straw...[tufts].

Question (Rav Ada bar Masnah): If one did Hatmanah in tufts, may he move them on Shabbos?

Answer (Abaye): If someone has no straw, will he squander tufts [to dedicate them for Hatmanah?! Even if he used them now for Hatmanah, surely they are still destined to be used to make felt, they are Muktzeh.]

Support (Beraisa): Hatmanah is permitted in wool shearings, or pieces of combed wool, or in strips of purple wool, and in tufts, but we may not move them.

Rejection: The Beraisa means, if one was not Matmin in them, they may not be moved.

Objection: This is obvious!

Answer: One might have thought that they may be moved because one can lie on them - the Beraisa teaches, this is not so.

Rav Chisda permitted returning tufts to a pillow [from which they fell out].

Question (Rav Chanan bar Chisda - Beraisa): One may untie the neck-opening of a garment [tied by a launderer], but one may not open it for the first time;

One may not insert tufts in a pillows or blanket on Yom Tov, there is no need to say it is forbidden on Shabbos.

Answer (Rav Chisda): It is forbidden to insert tufts for the first time (this if Makeh b'Patish, finishing a Kli), but one may return them if they fell out.

Support (Beraisa): One may not insert tufts [for the first time] in a pillow or blanket on Yom Tov, there is no need to say it is forbidden on Shabbos;

If they fell out one may return them on Shabbos, there is no need to say it is permitted on Yom Tov.

(Rav Yehudah): If one opens the neck-opening of a garment for the first time, he must bring a Chatas.

Question (Rav Kahana): Why is this different than a cork of a barrel (one may puncture it)?

Answer (Rava): The garment is all connected, the cork is separate from the barrel.

Question (R. Yirmeyah - Mishnah #1): Clothes tied together for the sake of laundering (so small items will not get lost), or garments tied with Sha'atnez (e.g. wool garments connected by a thread of linen) are connected regarding Tum'ah (if Tum'ah touches one, all become Tamei) until one begins to untie them;

Inference: It is connected even when not in use.

Contradiction (Mishnah #2): If a stick was used for a handle for an axe, it is connected [regarding Tum'ah] while it is being used.

Inference: It is not connected when it is not in use!

Answer: An axe handle is not connected when not in use because one normally throws it in the wood pile - clothes tied together are connected when not in use because one leaves them connected, in case they will get dirty and he will have to wash them again.

Question: Which Tana says that anything connected is like what it is connected to [regarding Tum'ah]?

Answer (Rav Chisda or Rav Kahana or Rava, citing Rav Yehudah): It is R. Meir:

(Mishnah - R. Meir): A receptacle in the wall of a Kirah for oil (to warm it), spices or a Ner is Mekabel Tum'ah through Maga [if something touches the Kirah], not through the airspace [of the Kirah];

R. Shimon is Metaher.

Question: We understand R. Shimon - he does not consider these like [part of] the Kirah;

But if R. Meir considers them like the Kirah, they should Mekabel Tum'ah even through the airspace; if they are not like the Kirah, they should not Mekabel Tum'ah through Maga!

Answer: Mid'Oraisa, they are not like the Kirah; mid'Rabanan, they are.

Question: If so, they should Mekabel Tum'ah even through the airspace!

Answer: Chachamim decreed that they are not, so people will know that the Tum'ah is only mid'Rabanan and therefore we do not burn Terumah or Kodshim on account of it.

(Beraisa): Scissors that come apart, and a [carpenter's] plane (the blade can be removed from the wood) are connected regarding [Kabalas] Tum'ah, but not regarding Haza'ah (one must sprinkle Mei Chatas on each part by itself).

Question: If they are considered connected, they should be connected even for Haza'ah; if they are not connected, they should not be connected for Tum'ah!

Answer (Rabah): Mid'Oraisa, when they are being used, they are connected, at other times they are not;

Chachamim decreed [to consider them connected for] Tum'ah when they are not being used on account of when they are being used, and they decreed [to consider them disconnected for] Haza'ah when they are being used on account of when they are not.