Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Leviticus 11:35/רמב"ן על ויקרא י״א:ל״ה
אתַּנּוּר וְכִירַיִם יֻתָּץ - בָּא הַכָּתוּב לְלַמֵּד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה דִּין הַתַּנּוּר וְהַכִּירַיִם, שֶׁהֵן עֲשׂוּיִין מִן הַטִּיט וּמַסִּיקִין הָאוּר בְּתוֹכָן וְאוֹפִין הַפַּת בָּהֶן בְּחִבּוּרָן לַקַּרְקַע, כְּדִין כְּלֵי חֶרֶשׂ שֶׁהֵן הַקְּדֵרוֹת וְהַקִּיתוֹנִיּוֹת הָאֲפוּיִין בַּכִּבְשָׁן וְהֵן מִטַּלְטְלִין, שֶׁאַף הֵם יְקַבְּלוּ טֻמְאָה וְאֵין לָהֶם טַהֲרָה בְּמִקְוֶה. וְאָמַר "יֻתָּץ" וְלֹא אָמַר יִשָּׁבֵר, לְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵין צָרִיךְ לְשַׁבְּרָן עַד שֶׁלֹּא יִמָּצֵא בִּמְכִתָּתוֹ חֶרֶס לַחְתּוֹת אֵשׁ מִיָּקוּד, אֶלָּא יֶהֶרְסֵם וְלֹא יִבְנֵם לַעֲשׂוֹת מְלַאכְתָּם. וּלְלַמֵּד עוֹד שֶׁהֵם מְקַבְּלִין טֻמְאָה אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמְּחֻבָּרִין בָּאָרֶץ, וְיִתֹּץ אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה. כִּי עִנְיַן נְתִיצָה הֲרִיסַת בִּנְיָן, כְּמוֹ "וַתִּתְצוּ הַבָּתִּים" (ישעיהו כ"ב:י'), "וְנָתַץ אֶת הַבַּיִת" (ויקרא י"ד:מ"ה):
1AND EVERYTHING WHEREUPON ANY PART OF THEIR CARCASS FALLETH SHALL BE UNCLEAN; WHETHER OVEN, OR RANGE FOR POTS, ‘YUTATZ’ (IT SHALL BE BROKEN DOWN). Scripture teaches you here that the law of the oven and range for pots which are made of clay — in which fire is kindled and bread baked — is, [although they are] attached to the ground, like the law of earthenware pottery such as pots and jugs, which are burnt in a furnace and are movable objects, in that they too [oven and ranges], can become impure, and cannot [thereafter] be purified in an immersion-pool [in the same way that movable pottery cannot be purified].255 Scripture states ‘yutatz’ (it shall be broken down) and does not say yishaber [“it shall be broken in pieces” — as it says in speaking of movable earthenware which has become impure,]256 in order to teach that the oven and range need not be broken so that there shall not be found among the pieces thereof a shard to take fire from the hearth,257 but instead they should be destroyed to the extent that they should no longer be capable of serving their [original] purpose. [The word ‘yutatz’ is] further used to teach that they become impure even though they are attached to the earth,258 and [the owner] must break down what he built, for the meaning of the term nethitzah is the breaking down of something built, such as the expressions: ‘vatitzu’ (and ye broke down)the houses;259, 22:10. ‘v’nathatz’ (and he shall pull down) the house.260