1. Until when does hide serve as a יד during skinning?

The next Mishnah states regarding the skinning process of all בהמות and חיות, kosher or nonkosher, small or large: if it is being skinned לשטיח – for use as a spread (where the hide is first cut lengthwise and then peeled along the animal’s sides), the hide can transmit tumah (as a יד) until כדי אחיזה – it is sufficient for grasping, but beyond that point, it no longer functions as a יד. If the hide is being skinned לחמת – for use as a flask (where it is peeled back from the neck without being cut), it functions as a yad עד שיפשיט את החזה – until he skins the chest, which is the most difficult part of skinning. If one begins skinning from the hind legs (to use as a flask), the entire hide is considered attached regarding transmitting tumah, since this method reaches the chest last. After one skins beyond כדי אחיזה in the Mishnah’s first case, Rav says: טהור המופשט – all [the hide] which was skinned is tahor (i.e., does not transmit tumah). Rebbe Assi says: טפח הסמוך לבשר טמא – the tefach of skinned hide closest to the meat is tamei, because it functions as a יד.

1. A טלית whose majority is torn – and the גזירה that one might not tear רוב

A Mishnah discusses a tamei טלית which one began to tear and states: כיון שנקרע רוב – once a majority of it is torn, it is no longer considered attached, and is tahor. Rav Nachman says this only applies when the טלית was immersed in a mikveh that day (but tore it so it would be immediately tahor, without waiting for nightfall). Here, דמיגו דלא חס עלה ואטבלה – since he was not concerned about [the טלית] and immersed it, we are confident he will properly tear its majority without concern for the טלית. However, if he did not immerse the טלית that day, it does not become tahor, because of a gezeirah דלמא לא אתי למיקרעה רובה – perhaps he will not tear its majority. The Gemara proves that regarding טומאה דרבנן, Rav Nachman concedes there is no such גזירה.

1. Machlokes if leather which is torn ברובו becomes tahor

Reish Lakish says that only a טלית (i.e., a cloth garment) becomes tahor when its majority is torn, because it cannot be fully restored even if it is sewn back together. אבל עור חלים – But leather is a strong connection, i.e., if one tore the majority of a leather garment, it remains tamei, because its remaining connection is strong, and it can be sewn back together and restored. Rebbe Yochanan disagrees and holds that even leather becomes tahor when its majority is torn. Rebbe Yirmiyah objects that our Mishnah teaches that hide ceases to be a יד after the hide is skinned beyond “כדי אחיזה”, and we do not consider the connection of the hide “strong” enough that it should be considered attached to the meat!? Rebbe Avin explains: ראשון ראשון עושה ניפול – each successive [skinning] causes the skinned hide to be considered as having fallen away from the meat, because it cannot be reattached to the meat.