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Baker's Boards

Keilim (15:2) | Yisrael Bankier | a day ago

With the beginning of the fifteenth perek we begin discussing keilim made of other materials. The Mishnah teaches that when it comes to wooden keilim, they are only susceptible to tumah if the kli has a receptacle. If however, it is a simple flat kli then it is not susceptible to tumah.

The second Mishnah however discuses the flat wooden boards that were used by bakers to prepare dough prior to baking. The Mishnah teaches that they are indeed susceptible to tumah -- even though they are flat. This is in contrast to the boards used by regular homeowners that are not. We need to understand why.

The Bartenura explains that the baker's boards have a form of a kli, therefore, despite not having a receptacle, they were considered susceptible to tumah on a rabbinic level. The Tosfot Yom Tov explains that its having a form of kli is what differentiates between a baker's board and the regular homeowner's board that is not susceptible to tumah.

The Mishnah Achrona notes that this is indeed how most mefarshim explain the Mishnah. He however directs our attentions to the Shach (YD 201:35) who cites the Bach that understands that this law is biblical, and the Mishnah Achrona is unsure of the basis for this understanding.

The Tosfot (Bava Batra 66a, s.v. shani) explain that this board is susceptible rabbinically, since it can "serve a person and things that serve a person". He cites the Torat Kohanim that brings a pasuk to derive this requirement -- "mi'kol kil etz". Nevertheless, the Tosfot explain that the law is still rabbinic and the use of the pasuk is an asmachta. The Ramban and Rashba however understand that the law is biblical and the derivation in the Torat Kohanim is to be taken literally.

The Rambam (Keilim 4:1) explains this definition in more detail. A kli that only servers a person is tahor (not susceptible to tumah). The example he brings for such a kli is a ladder. A kli that serves a person and what he uses, is a table, tray or bed.

The Even HaAzel notes that in the first perek (1:10) the Rambam teaches the law that wooden keilim must have a receptacle in order to be susceptible to tumah. He however lists a number of wooden keilim that are susceptible rabbinically: boards, a chair or leather that one eats upon. The Even HaAzel notes that this list is different to the list of those wooden keilim we mentioned above, implying that a flat wooden kli that both serves a person and that which he uses is susceptible on a biblical level. Again, we need to understand why? Especially since the necessity for a beit kibbul is learnt from pesukim.

The later Mishnah (27:1) discuss a tray without an edging or frame, and explains that if it is wooden, it is tameh (susceptible to tumah). The Tifferet Yisrael there explains that this ruling is once again rabbinic. The Eliyahu Raba however explains that since it is designed (see 2:1) for having things resting on it, it is considered as if it has a beit kibbul. According to this understanding, we have a broader definition of what is considered a beit kibbul. It is not just that it has a containing volume, but rather it is designed for having other items upon it. In that case, we can understand how the baker's board could be susceptible to tumah on a biblical level even if it is flat.

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