1)

(a)According to R. Akiva, if a person places his hands inside a house stricken with Tzara'as (see Tos. Yom-Tov), they become a Rishon le'Tum'ah - a Sheini, according to the Chachamim.

(b)The ramifications of this Machlokes regarding ...

1. ... Chulin are - whether they will render it Pasul (R. Akiva) or not.

2. ... Terumah are - whether they make a Sheini, which renders Terumah Pasul (R. Akiva), or whether they only render Terumah Pasul (the Chachamim).

3. ... Kodshim are - whether they make a Sheini and a Shelishi, which renders Kodshim Pasul (R. Akiva), or whether they only make a Shelishi, which renders Kodshim Pasul (the Chachamim).

(c)R. Akiva rules that anything that is Metamei the person's clothes as he touches it (see Tos. Yom-Tov) - renders the hands a Rishon (such as the Zov of a Zav or his spit).

(d)According to the Chachamim - they only render the hands Sheniyos

2)

(a)When the Chachamim asked R. Akiva where we find hands that ever become a Rishon - they meant that when hands touch an Av ha'Tum'ah, it is the entire body that becomes a Rishon, and not just the hands (see Mishnah Achronah).

(b)R. Akiva replied that - the two above cases are exceptions to the rule (See Tos. Yom-Tov).

(c)The Halachah is - like the Chachamim.

3)

(a)R. Yehoshua rules that food and Keilim that become Tamei by touching Tamei liquid - render the hands Sheniyos.

(b)According to the Chachamim - it is only something (food & vessels [see Tos. Yom-Tov]) that becomes Tamei through an Av ha'Tum'ah that is Metamei hands, but not through a V'lad ha'Tum'ah ...

(c)... since a Sheini cannot make a Sheini.

(d)The Halachah is - like the Chachamim.

4)

(a)Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel records an incident where a woman came before his father - and told him that she had placed her hands inside a Tamei earthenware jar.

(b)Before issuing a ruling, he asked her how the jar had become Tamei - but Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel did not hear what she answered.

(c)The Chachamim subsequently commented that - if the jar had become Tamei via an Av, then her hands were Tamei, but not via a V'lad.

5)

(a)The Mishnah rules that anything that renders Terumah Pasul - renders hands that touch it Sheniyos (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(b)Anything that renders Terumah Pasul is referring to - whatever is a Sheini le'Tum'ah.

(c)According to R. Yehoshua, one hand renders the other Tamei. The Chachamim maintain - that a Sheini cannot make a Sheini (with regard to Terumah [see Tos. Yom-Tov]).

6)

(a)R. Yehoshua queried the Chachamim from Kisvei Kodesh - which are themselves only a Sheini, yet they render hands that touch them a Sheini (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(b)They replied that - one can neither learn Divrei Torah from Divrei Sofrim (Rabbinical laws), nor Divrei Sofrim from Divrei Torah, nor even Divrei Sofrim from Divrei Sofrim.

(c)It is the latter ruling that is relevant in this case.

(d)The decree of ...

1. ... Tum'as Yadayim was issued by - Shlomoh ha'Melech (see Tos. Yom-Tov DH ve'Lo Divrei Sofrim ... ']).

2. ... Kisvei ha'Kodesh was one of the eighteen things issued by - the elders of Beis Shamei and Beis Hillel (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(e)The Halachah is - like the Chachamim (see Tos. Yom-Tov DH 'ha'Yad Metamei').

7)

(a)The Mishnah rules that Tefilin and Tefilin-straps - are both Metamei hands that touch them.

(b)The source for this ruling is - the Din of Kisvei Kodesh (which we just discussed).

(c)According to R. Shimon - Tefilin-straps are not Metamei hands.

(d)The Halachah - is like the Tana Kama.

8)

(a)The Mishnah now discusses the Gilayon - the margin [see Tos. Yom-Tov]) of a Seifer-Torah.

(b)The Tana is referring to - four Gilyonos: one at the top of the Amud, one at the bottom, one at the beginning of the Seifer and one at the end (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(c)One is obligated to leave ...

1. ... on top and at the bottom of the Amud - three Etzba'os (finger-breadths).

2. ... at the beginning of the Seifer - enough space to wrap round the entire Seifer.

3. ... at the end of the Seifer - enough space to wrap round the Eitz Chayim (the wood) to which it is attached.

(d)... because they would scroll a Seifer-Torah from the end to the beginning.

9)

(a)The equivalent Shi'ur regarding a Seifer that comprises the entire T'nach - is vice-versa ...

(b)... because (due to the fact that it is not respectful to use Torah to cover Nevi'im and Kesuvim) - they would scroll a T'nach from the beginning to the end.

(c)The Tana Kama now rules that - the Gilyonos are Metamei the hands just like the Seifer itself.

(d)R. Yehudah - disagrees with regard to the Gilyon at the end of the Seifer - which he says, must be the size of an Amud (see Tos. Yom-Tov [just like the one at the beginning]).

10)

(a)Eighty-five letters must remain in a Seifer in order to be Metamei the hands ...

(b)... the number of letters that is contained in the Parshah of "Vay'hi bi'Neso'a ha'Aron' (which is considered an independent Seifer) ...

(c)... as the Pasuk in Mishlei indicates when it writes "Chatzvah Amudehah Shiv'ah" - implying that the Torah comprises seven Sefarim (with Bamidbar divided into three [see also Tos. Yom-Tov]).

(d)The Tana issues the same ruling with regard to a Megilah that contains eighty-five letters - with reference to one Yeri'ah (a section of parchment on which part of a Seifer has been written).

11)

(a)The Tana Kama incorporates all Kisvei Kodesh in the previous ruling - including Shir ha'Shirim and Koheles.

(b)R. Yehudah concedes that ...

1. ... Shir ha'Shirim - is Metamei the hands, but that ...

2. ... Koheles - is a Machlokes.

(c)According to R. Yossi, Koheles is not Metamei the hands (see Tos. Yom-Tov) - because it is merely a presentation of Shlomoh ha'Melech's wisdom ...

(d)... whereas Shir ha'Shirim - is a Machlokes.

12)

(a)R. Shimon lists Koheles among the Kulos of Beis Shamai and the Chumros of Beis Hillel.

(b)R. Shimon ben Azai agrees with the Tana Kama (regarding Shir ha'Shirim and Koheles) - on the basis of a tradition that he received from the Sanhedrin, who told him that on the day that they appointed R. Elazar ben Azaryah Nasi, they ruled Shir ha'Shirim and Koheles are Metamei the hands.

(c)There were seventy-two members of the Sanhedrin (see Tiferes Yisrael).

(d)R. Akiva maintains that nobody could possibly deny that Shir ha'Shirim is Metamei the hands - based on the dual statement that a. The entire world was worthy of being created just for the day on which Shir ha'Shirim was written, and b. because if all the other writings are Kodesh, Shir ha'Shirim is Kodesh Kodshim.

(e)He conceded however - that Koheles may well be a Machlokes.

13)

(a)The final word goes to R. Yochanan ben Yehoshua - who was R. Akiva's father-in-law's son (i.e. R; Akiva's brother-in-law) ...

(b)... who agrees with ben Azai (see Tos. Yom-Tov) ...

(c)... and that is the Halachah.