Chullin Daf 24 צולין דַף 24

The next Mishnah states that what is valid for Kohanim is not valid for Leviim, and vice versa. A Baraisa explains: כהנים במומין פסולים בשנים כשרים – Kohanim are disqualified with blemishes, but are not disqualified by years. Leviim are not disqualified by מומין, but are disqualified by years, and may only serve between thirty and fifty years old. These age restrictions only applied in the מדבר, where the passuk mentions עבודת משא – the work of burden (i.e., carrying the משכן and its כלים), but did not apply in שילה or the Beis Hamikdash. Still, they are disqualified בקול – because of their voice (if they cannot sing together with the choir of Leviim). A Baraisa poses a contradiction between pesukim whether Leviim are qualified from age twenty-five or age thirty, and explains that twenty-five is ללמוד – to learn the laws of avodah, and thirty is לעבודה – for actual service. מכאן לתלמיד שלא ראה סימן יפה במשנתו ה' שנים – From here we see that a student who did not see success in his learning after five years (and forgets what he learns), שוב אינו רואה – will no longer see success. Rebbe Yose says this about three years, and the Gemara explains the machlokes.

A Baraisa teaches that a Kohen is qualified to serve after growing two שערות (reaching maturity), עד שיזקין – until he grows old. Rebbe Chanina defines this as עד שירתת – until he shakes from weakness. [Tangentially, the Gemara relates that Rebbe Chanina, at eighty years old, was able to stand on one foot and remove his shoe and put on his shoe. He credited this to the hot water and oil his mother applied to him in his childhood.] Another Baraisa states: נתמלא זקנו – once [a man’s] beard has filled out, he is fit to be a שליח ציבור (e.g., to blow shofar), to lead the davening, and to perform ברכת כהנים. The Tanna Kamma says that a Kohen is fit for avodah after growing two שערות, but Rebbe says: he is not fit until he is twenty years old. A Baraisa teaches that a Kohen is fit for avodah after growing two שערות, אבל אחיו הכהנים אין מניחין אותו לעבוד – but his brothers the Kohanim do not let him serve עד שיהא בן כ' – until he is twenty. The Gemara first explains that this reflect Rebbe’s opinion, and he holds his avodah is valid בדיעבד before age twenty. Alternatively, Rebbe does disqualify such avodah מדרבנן, and this Baraisa follows the Rabbonon, who also do not allow avodah לכתחלה before age twenty.

The next Mishnah states that what is tahor for a כלי חרש – earthenware utensil is tamei for all other כלים, and vice versa. A Baraisa explains that אויר – airspace of a כלי חרש is tamei, i.e., tumah suspended in its airspace renders the כלי tamei, but גבו – its exterior surface is tahor, i.e., tumah touching the כלי’s surface does not make it tamei. Other כלים do contract tumah from their surfaces being touched, and do not contract tumah through their airspace. The law of כלי חרש is derived from the word "תוכו" – its interior, which means it contracts tumahfrom its interior ואף על פי שלא נגע – even though [the tumah] did not touch the כלי itself. This interpretation is derived from the word "תוכו" written regarding לטמא – the utensil’s capacity to convey tumah to food suspended in the כלי’s airspace, even without touching it. Rebbe Yonasan explains the source for this law: התורה העידה על כלי חרס – the Torah attested about an earthenware utensil that it conveys tumah to any food inside it, ואפילו מלא חרדל – even if it is full of mustard seeds, despite the inner seeds not touching the כלי.