דָּגִים מֵאֵימָתַי מְקַבְּלִין טֻמְאָה, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, מִשֶּׁיִּצֹּדוּ. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, מִשֶּׁיָּמוּתוּ. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, אִם יְכוֹלִין לִחְיוֹת. יִחוּר שֶׁל תְּאֵנָה שֶׁנִּפְשַׁח וּמְעֹרֶה בַקְּלִפָּה, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מְטַהֵר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אִם יָכוֹל לִחְיוֹת. תְּבוּאָה שֶׁנֶּעֶקְרָה וּמְעֹרָה אֲפִלּוּ בְשֹׁרֶשׁ קָטָן, טְהוֹרָה:
Beginning when do fish become susceptible to being rendered impure? Beit Shammai say: once they have been captured; and Beit Hillel say: once they have died. Rabbi Akiva says: if they could still live [they are not susceptible]. Regarding a branch of a fig tree which was broken off but is still attached by its bark, Rabbi Yehuda considers it to be pure; but the Sages say: if it could still live [and produce fruit, the figs on the branch are not susceptible to being rendered impure, as they are still connected to the earth]. Grain which was uprooted but is still attached [to the soil], even by a small root, is pure [i.e. is insusceptible to being rendered impure].
Tosefta Kelim Kamma
And just as when they were in the desert, there were three camps -- the Camp of the Divine Presence (Shekhinah), the Camp of the Levites, and the Camp of Israel, so too it was in Jerusalem: From the entrance of Jerusalem until the entrance of the Temple Mount was the Camp of Israel. From the entrance of the Temple Mount until the Gates of Nicanor was the Camp of the Levites. From the Gates of Nicanor and within was the Camp of the Divine Presence, and this was [the area within] the hangings that was in the desert. But at the time that they journeyed ("וּבִשְׁעַת מַסָּעוֹת", see Bam. Rabbah 7:8), [that area] did not have any sanctity [as God's presence arose from the Ark as it traveled], and the people did not incur liability on account of impurity. (And how much is required to promote healing? We look at it as if it was the branch of a fig tree that was broken off, but was still attached by a little bark. If it could [continue] living from that [little bark], it is impure, and if not, it is pure. (Note: Per the commentators, the section "(And how...it is pure.)" is certainly misplaced. It appears to correspond to Oktzin 3:8.)
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