Reference for Shekalim 8:1

כָּל הָרֻקִּין הַנִּמְצָאִים בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם טְהוֹרִין, חוּץ מִשֶּׁל שׁוּק הָעֶלְיוֹן, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, בִּשְׁאָר יְמוֹת הַשָּׁנָה, שֶׁבָּאֶמְצַע טְמֵאִין וְשֶׁבַּצְּדָדִין טְהוֹרִין. וּבִשְׁעַת הָרֶגֶל, שֶׁבָּאֶמְצַע טְהוֹרִין וְשֶׁבַּצְּדָדִין טְמֵאִין, שֶׁמִּפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן מֻעָטִין מִסְתַּלְּקִין לַצְּדָדִין:

All the spittle found in Jerusalem is (ritually) clean [and it is not assumed to be the spittle of a zav or of a zavah, which causes uncleanliness in man and vessels, for we follow the majority (of instances)], except for the upper marketplace, [for gentile washers were found there, and the sages decreed that the gentiles be like zavin in all respects and that their spittle is unclean. And some say it is because the upper marketplace was unfrequented by most people and tended to be frequented only by zavin and zavoth, who would isolate themselves from others.] These are the words of R. Meir. R. Yossi says: The other days of the year (i.e., not on festivals) (spittle found) in the middle (of the road) is unclean; and on the sides, clean. During the festival, in the middle, it is clean; on the sides, unclean, for since they (the zavin) are unclean, they move to the sides. [(The other days of the year), zavin and zavoth are numerous and they walk in the middle of the road; and those who are clean move to the sides of the road, where most people do not walk and they exhort all those who are unclean not to touch them. But during the festival, when most of Israel are clean, the unclean ones remove themselves to the sides so as not to make the people unclean, and the clean ones walk in the middle of the road. Therefore, during the festival, the spittle found in the middle is clean and that found on the sides is unclean. The halachah is in accordance with R. Yossi.]

Explore reference for Shekalim 8:1. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.