Mikvaot 1

שֵׁשׁ מַעֲלוֹת בַּמִּקְוָאוֹת, זוֹ לְמַעְלָה מִזּוֹ, וְזוֹ לְמַעְלָה מִזּוֹ. מֵי גְבָאִים, שָׁתָה טָמֵא וְשָׁתָה טָהוֹר, טָמֵא. שָׁתָה טָמֵא וּמִלֵּא בִכְלִי טָהוֹר, טָמֵא. שָׁתָה טָמֵא וְנָפַל כִּכָּר שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה, אִם הֵדִיחַ, טָמֵא. וְאִם לֹא הֵדִיחַ, טָהוֹר:

There are six levels of <i>mikvaot</i> [gatherings of water collected by natural means and immersed in for purification], each [subsequent] one higher than the other: [The first and lowest level is] water collected in shallow pools [in the ground]. If an impure person drank [from one], and a pure person drank [from it afterwards], he is impure. If an impure person drank, and someone filled up a pure vessel [from those waters afterwards], it [the vessel] is impure. If an impure person drank, and then loaf of <i>terumah</i> fell in, if one rinsed [the loaf], it is impure; and if one did not rinse it, it is pure.

מִלֵּא בִכְלִי טָמֵא וְשָׁתָה טָהוֹר, טָמֵא. מִלֵּא בִכְלִי טָמֵא וּמִלֵּא בִכְלִי טָהוֹר, טָמֵא. מִלֵּא בִכְלִי טָמֵא וְנָפַל כִּכָּר שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה, אִם הֵדִיחַ, טָמֵא. וְאִם לֹא הֵדִיחַ, טָהוֹר:

If one filled an impure vessel [from water collected in such pools], and a pure person drank [from it], he is impure. If one filled using an impure vessel, and then filled a pure vessel [with the waters from the first vessel], it is impure. If one filled an impure vessel, and then a loaf of <i>terumah</i> fell in [the pool], if one rinsed it, it is impure; and if one did not rinse it, it is pure.

נָפְלוּ מַיִם טְמֵאִים וְשָׁתָה טָהוֹר, טָמֵא. נָפְלוּ מַיִם טְמֵאִים וּמִלֵּא בִכְלִי טָהוֹר, טָמֵא. נָפְלוּ מַיִם טְמֵאִים וְנָפַל כִּכָּר שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה, אִם הֵדִיחַ, טָמֵא. וְאִם לֹא הֵדִיחַ, טָהוֹר. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, בֵּין שֶׁהֵדִיחַ בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא הֵדִיחַ, טָמֵא:

If impure waters fell [into such a pool], and a pure person drank [from it], he is impure. If impure waters fell in, and one filled a pure vessel [from it], it is impure. If impure waters fell in, and then loaf of <i>terumah</i> fell in, if one rinsed [the loaf], it is impure; and if one did not rinse it, it is pure. Rabbi Shimon says: whether or not once rinsed it, it is impure.

נָפַל לְתוֹכָן מֵת, אוֹ שֶׁהָלַךְ בָּהֶן הַטָּמֵא, וְשָׁתָה טָהוֹר, טָהוֹר. אֶחָד מֵי גְבָאִים, מֵי בוֹרוֹת, מֵי שִׁיחִים, מֵי מְעָרוֹת, מֵי תַמְצִיּוֹת שֶׁפָּסְקוּ, וּמִקְוָאוֹת שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה, בִּשְׁעַת הַגְּשָׁמִים הַכֹּל טָהוֹר. פָּסְקוּ הַגְּשָׁמִים, הַקְּרוֹבִים לָעִיר וְלַדֶּרֶךְ, טְמֵאִים. וְהָרְחוֹקִים, טְהוֹרִין, עַד שֶׁיְּהַלְּכוּ רֹב בְּנֵי אָדָם:

If a dead person fell into them [the waters of such a pool], or if someone impure walked through them, if a pure person then drank [from them], he is [still] pure. As with the waters of shallow pools, [similarly] the waters of pits, the waters of trenches, the waters of caves, runoff waters that stopped [flowing from the mountains], and <i>mikvaot</i> that do not contain forty <i>se'ah</i> [a specific unit of volume], they are all pure during the rain. Once the rain stops, those [waters] close to cities and to the roads are presumed are [presumed to be] impure; and those far away are [presumed to be] pure, but only until [the rain damage of the nearby paths is repaired such that] most people walk by them.

מֵאֵימָתַי טָהֳרָתָן. בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, מִשֶּׁיִּרְבּוּ וְיִשְׁטֹפוּ. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, רַבּוּ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא שָׁטְפוּ. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, שָׁטְפוּ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא רַבּוּ. כְּשֵׁרִין לַחַלָּה וְלִטֹּל מֵהֶן לַיָּדָיִם:

When does their purity [that of the waters of shallow pools during the rain] begin? Beit Shamai say: from when they [the rain waters] exceed [the amount of the pools' waters] and cause overflow. Beit Hillel say: [from when] they exceed, even if they do not cause overflow. Rabbi Shimon says: [from when] they cause overflow, even if they do not exceed. [Such waters are] valid to be used for <i>challah</i> [a portion of a batch of bread dough given to a priest which becomes holy upon separation, and can only be consumed by priests or their household], as well as for washing [literally: taking] one's hands with them.

לְמַעְלָה מֵהֶן, מֵי תַמְצִיּוֹת שֶׁלֹּא פָסְקוּ. שָׁתָה טָמֵא וְשָׁתָה טָהוֹר, טָהוֹר. שָׁתָה טָמֵא וּמִלֵּא בִכְלִי טָהוֹר, טָהוֹר. שָׁתָה טָמֵא וְנָפַל כִּכָּר שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵדִיחַ, טָהוֹר. מִלֵּא בִכְלִי טָמֵא וְשָׁתָה טָהוֹר, טָהוֹר. מִלֵּא בִכְלִי טָמֵא וּמִלֵּא בִכְלִי טָהוֹר, טָהוֹר. מִלֵּא בִכְלִי טָמֵא וְנָפַל כִּכָּר שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵדִיחַ, טָהוֹר. נָפְלוּ מַיִם טְמֵאִים וְשָׁתָה טָהוֹר, טָהוֹר. נָפְלוּ מַיִם טְמֵאִים וּמִלֵּא בִכְלִי טָהוֹר, טָהוֹר. נָפְלוּ מַיִם טְמֵאִים וְנָפַל כִּכָּר שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵדִיחַ, טָהוֹר. כְּשֵׁרִים לַתְּרוּמָה וְלִטֹּל מֵהֶם לַיָּדָיִם:

Above these [<i>mikvaot</i> described, and next in the hierarchy of <i>mikvaot</i>,] are runoff waters that have not stopped [flowing down from the mountains]. If an impure person drank [from them], and a pure person drank [afterwards], he is [still] pure. If an impure person drank, and someone filled up a pure vessel [from those waters afterwards], it is pure. If an impure person drank, and then a loaf of <i>terumah</i> fell in, even if one rinsed [the loaf], it is pure. If one filled an impure vessel [from the runoff waters], and a pure person drank [from it], he is pure. If one filled using an impure vessel, and then filled a pure vessel [from the first vessel], it is pure. If one filled an impure vessel, and then a loaf of <i>terumah</i> fell in [the runoff waters], even if one rinsed it, it is pure. If impure waters fell [into the runoff waters], and a pure person drank [from it], he is pure. If impure waters fell in, and one filled a pure vessel [from it], it is pure. If impure waters fell in, and then a loaf of <i>terumah</i> fell in, even if one rinsed it, it is pure. [And these waters are] valid for [use with] <i>terumah</i>, as well as for washing [literally: taking] one's hands with them.

לְמַעְלָה מֵהֶן, מִקְוֶה שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה, שֶׁבּוֹ טוֹבְלִין וּמַטְבִּילִין. לְמַעְלָה מֵהֶן, מַעְיָן שֶׁמֵּימָיו מֻעָטִין וְרַבּוּ עָלָיו מַיִם שְׁאוּבִין, שָׁוֶה לַמִּקְוֶה לְטַהֵר בְּאַשְׁבֹּרֶן, וְלַמַּעְיָן לְהַטְבִּיל בּוֹ בְּכָל שֶׁהוּא:

Above these [<i>mikvaot</i> described thus far, and next in the hierarchy of <i>mikvaot</i>,] is a <i>mikveh</i> containing forty <i>se'ah</i> [of water], in which one can immerse one's self and immerse other item [for purification]. Above these [<i>mikvaot</i>, and next in the hierarchy of <i>mikvaot</i>,] is a natural spring whose waters are few, and are exceeded by a greater quantity of drawn waters [which were added]. This [type of spring] is equivalent to a <i>mikveh</i> in that it purifies [only] when it is contained [in one place, standing still and not flowing], but [it is equivalent] to a spring in that one can immerse something in it [to purity it] when there is any amount of water [i.e. there is no minimum measure required].

לְמַעְלָה מֵהֶן, מַיִם מֻכִּין, שֶׁהֵן מְטַהֲרִין בְּזוֹחֲלִין. לְמַעְלָה מֵהֶן, מַיִם חַיִּים, שֶׁבָּהֶן טְבִילָה לַזָּבִים, וְהַזָּיָה לַמְצֹרָעִים, וּכְשֵׁרִים לְקַדֵּשׁ מֵהֶן מֵי חַטָּאת:

Above these [<i>mikvaot</i> described thus far, and next in the hierarchy of <i>mikvaot</i>,] are blighted waters, which purify even when flowing. Above these are living waters [i.e. pure, potable spring waters], that with them <i>zavim</i> [individuals who have certain types of atypical genital discharges, which render them impure] may be purified, and lepers may be sprinkled [as part of the process of purifying them], and they [these waters] are valid for use for the <i>chatat</i> ritual [i.e. to sanctify them with the ashes of a red heifer as part of the purification ritual].