Mikvaot 4

הַמַּנִּיחַ כֵּלִים תַּחַת הַצִּנּוֹר, אֶחָד כֵּלִים גְּדוֹלִים וְאֶחָד כֵּלִים קְטַנִּים, אֲפִלּוּ כְלֵי גְלָלִים, כְּלֵי אֲבָנִים, כְּלֵי אֲדָמָה, פּוֹסְלִין אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה. אֶחָד הַמַּנִּיחַ וְאֶחָד הַשּׁוֹכֵחַ, כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית שַׁמַּאי. וּבֵית הִלֵּל מְטַהֲרִין בְּשׁוֹכֵחַ. אָמַר רַבִּי מֵאִיר, נִמְנוּ וְרַבּוּ בֵית שַׁמַּאי עַל בֵּית הִלֵּל. וּמוֹדִים בְּשׁוֹכֵחַ בֶּחָצֵר שֶׁהוּא טָהוֹר. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, עֲדַיִין מַחֲלֹקֶת בִּמְקוֹמָהּ עוֹמָדֶת:

If one places vessels under a [drain] pipe, whether they are large vessels or whether they are small vessels, or even vessels made from feces, stone vessels, or earthen vessels, [if rainwater flowed through the pipe and into them] they invalidate a <i>mikveh</i> [a gathering of water collected by natural means and immersed in for purification; if the waters flow through these vessels and into a <i>mikveh</i> they invalidate it, since they are considered drawn waters]. Whether one places them [under the drainpipe] or forgets them, [this still applies,] according to Beit Shammai. And Beit Hillel consider it pure [i.e. the waters do not render a <i>mikveh</i> invalid from being able to purify] in the case of one who forgets. Rabbi Meir says: they voted [on this matter], and Beit Shammai had the majority over Beit Hillel. And they [Beit Shammai] agree in case of one who forgets [vessels] in a courtyard, that it [a <i>mikveh</i> into which rainwater from those vessels was poured] is pure. Rabbi Yose says: the disagreement still stands in its place.

הַמַּנִּיחַ טַבְלָא תַּחַת הַצִּנּוֹר, אִם יֶשׁ לָהּ לְבִזְבֵּז, פּוֹסֶלֶת אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה. וְאִם לָאו, אֵינָהּ פּוֹסֶלֶת אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה. זְקָפָהּ לִדּוֹחַ, בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ אֵינָהּ פּוֹסֶלֶת אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה:

One who places a board under a [drain] pipe, if it [the board] has a rim, it renders a <i>mikveh</i> invalid; and if not, it does not render a <i>mikveh</i> invalid. If one stood it up [the board] to be rinsed [under the drainpipe], either way [whether or not it has a rim] it does not render a <i>mikveh</i> invalid.

הַחוֹטֵט בְּצִנּוֹר לְקַבֵּל צְרוֹרוֹת, בְּשֶׁל עֵץ, כָּל שֶׁהוּא. וּבְשֶׁל חֶרֶס, רְבִיעִית. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, אַף בְּשֶׁל חֶרֶס, כָּל שֶׁהוּא. לֹא אָמְרוּ רְבִיעִית אֶלָּא בְשִׁבְרֵי כְלֵי חֶרֶס. הָיוּ צְרוֹרוֹת מִתְחַלְחֲלִים בְּתוֹכוֹ, פּוֹסְלִים אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה. יָרַד לְתוֹכוֹ עָפָר וְנִכְבַּשׁ, כָּשֵׁר. סִלּוֹן שֶׁהוּא צַר מִכָּאן וּמִכָּאן וְרָחָב מִן הָאֶמְצַע, אֵינוֹ פוֹסֵל, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא נַעֲשָׂה לְקַבָּלָה:

If one carves out [furrows] in a [drain] pipe to collect stones, [a furrow] of any size in one of wood, and of a <i>revi'it</i> [a specific measure of volume, a quarter of a <i>log</i>] in one of earthenware [is sufficient for the pipe to be considered a vessel, and thus for its waters to render a <i>mikveh</i> invalid as drawn waters]. Rabbi Yose says: even for one of earthenware, [a furrow] of any size [is sufficient to invalidate waters flowing through a pipe]; they [the Sages] only said [that the minimum measure is] a <i>revi'it</i> regarding shards of earthenware vessels [that they are considered vessels as long as they can still contain that amount]. If there were stones rolling around inside it [the furrow], they [its waters] render a <i>mikveh</i> invalid. If dust descended into it and was compressed, it is valid. A duct which is narrow on either end and widens in the middle [built that way in order to increase water pressure] does not render [its waters] invalid, since it was not made to be a receptacle.

מַיִם שְׁאוּבִין וּמֵי גְשָׁמִים שֶׁנִּתְעָרְבוּ בֶחָצֵר, וּבָעֻקָּה, וְעַל מַעֲלוֹת הַמְּעָרָה, אִם רֹב מִן הַכָּשֵׁר, כָּשֵׁר. וְאִם רֹב מִן הַפָּסוּל, פָּסוּל. מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה, פָּסוּל. אֵימָתַי, בִּזְמַן שֶׁמִּתְעָרְבִין עַד שֶׁלֹּא יַגִּיעוּ לַמִּקְוֶה. הָיוּ מְקַלְּחִין בְּתוֹךְ הַמַּיִם, אִם יָדוּעַ שֶׁנָּפַל לְתוֹכוֹ אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה מַיִם כְּשֵׁרִים, עַד שֶׁלֹּא יָרַד לְתוֹכוֹ שְׁלשָׁה לֻגִּין מַיִם שְׁאוּבִין, כָּשֵׁר. וְאִם לָאו, פָּסוּל:

Drawn water and rainwater that mixed in a courtyard, or in a hole, or on the upper steps of a cavern [and from there flowed into a <i>mikveh</i>], if the majority [of the water in the <i>mikveh</i>] is from the valid [waters], it is valid; if the majority is from the invalid, it is invalid; if it is half and half, it is invalid. When is this the case? At a time when they mix before they arrive at the <i>mikveh</i>. If they are flowing into the waters [of the <i>mikveh</i> directly, rather than first mixing together], if it is known that forty <i>se'ah</i> [a specific unit of volume] of valid water fell into it before three <i>log</i> [a specific measure of volume] of drawn water, it is valid; and if not, it is invalid.

הַשֹּׁקֶת שֶׁבַּסֶּלַע, אֵין מְמַלְּאִין מִמֶּנָּה, וְאֵין מְקַדְּשִׁין בָּהּ, וְאֵין מַזִּין מִמֶּנָּה, וְאֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה צָמִיד פָּתִיל, וְאֵינָהּ פּוֹסֶלֶת אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה. הָיְתָה כְלִי וְחִבְּרָהּ בְּסִיד, מְמַלְּאִין בָּהּ, וּמְקַדְּשִׁין בָּהּ, וּמַזִּין מִמֶּנָּה, וּצְרִיכָה צָמִיד פָּתִיל, וּפוֹסֶלֶת אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה. נִקְּבָה מִלְּמַטָּה אוֹ מִן הַצַּד וְאֵינָהּ יְכוֹלָה לְקַבֵּל מַיִם כָּל שֶׁהֵם, כְּשֵׁרָה. וְכַמָּה יִהְיֶה בַנֶּקֶב. כִּשְׁפוֹפֶרֶת הַנּוֹד. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן בְּתֵירָא, מַעֲשֶׂה בְשֹׁקֶת יֵהוּא שֶׁהָיְתָה בִירוּשָׁלַיִם, וְהָיְתָה נְקוּבָה כִשְׁפוֹפֶרֶת הַנּוֹד, וְהָיוּ כָל הַטָּהֳרוֹת שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם נַעֲשׂוֹת עַל גַּבָּהּ, וְשָׁלְחוּ בֵית שַׁמַּאי וּפְחָתוּהָ, שֶׁבֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, עַד שֶׁיִּפְחֲתוּ רֻבָּהּ:

Regarding a trough in a rock [in which water gathers fromn a nearby spring], one may not fill [water to be sanctified with ashes of the red heifer] from it, and one may not sanctify [water with red heifer ashes] in it, and one may not sprinkle [sanctified waters, as part of the purification ritual,] from it, and it does not require a 'tight-seal' [to protect its contents from impurity, rather a mere covering suffices], and it does not invalidate a <i>mikveh</i> [if water gathered in the trough and then flowed into a <i>mikveh</i>, it is not considered drawn water]. If a vessel was attached [to the ground] with plaster, one may fill [water for sanctification] with it, and one may sanctify [water] in it, and one may sprinkle from it, and it requires a 'tight-seal' [to protect its contents from impurity], and it invalidates a <i>mikveh</i> [if water flowed in from it, it is considered to be drawn water and thus invalid]. If it was punctured from below or from the side, and it cannot hold any amount of water, it [any <i>mikveh</i> filled with its waters] is valid. And how far must the hole span? Like [the width of] the tube of a flask. Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira says: It happened regarding the Yehu trough in Jerusalem, which was punctured like the tube of flask, and upon which all the purifications of Jerusalem were done, and Beit Shammai sent [emissaries] and diminished it, since Beit Shammai say: [even if it has a small hole, it is still considered a vessel and thus invalidates a <i>mikveh</i>] until the majority of it is diminished.