Mikvaot 7

יֵשׁ מַעֲלִין אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה וְלֹא פוֹסְלִין, פּוֹסְלִין וְלֹא מַעֲלִין, לֹא מַעֲלִין וְלֹא פוֹסְלִין. אֵלּוּ מַעֲלִין וְלֹא פוֹסְלִין, הַשֶּׁלֶג, וְהַבָּרָד, וְהַכְּפוֹר, וְהַגְּלִיד, וְהַמֶּלַח, וְהַטִּיט הַנָּרוֹק. אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, הָיָה רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל דָּן כְּנֶגְדִּי לוֹמַר, הַשֶּׁלֶג אֵינוֹ מַעֲלֶה אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה. וְהֵעִידוּ אַנְשֵׁי מֵידְבָא מִשְּׁמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם, צְאוּ וְהָבִיאוּ שֶׁלֶג וַעֲשׂוּ מִקְוֶה בַּתְּחִלָּה. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי אוֹמֵר, אֶבֶן הַבָּרָד, כַּמָּיִם. כֵּיצַד מַעֲלִין וְלֹא פוֹסְלִין. מִקְוֶה שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה חָסֵר אַחַת, נָפַל מֵהֶם סְאָה לְתוֹכוֹ וְהֶעֱלָהוּ, נִמְצְאוּ מַעֲלִין וְלֹא פוֹסְלִין:

There are those that raise [i.e. that count towards the measure of it waters to reach forty <i>se'ah</i>, to complete] a <i>mikveh</i> [a gathering of water collected by natural means and immersed in for purification] and do not invalidate it, [those that] invalidate but do not raise, [and those that] do not invalidate and do not raise. These raise and do not invalidate: snow, and hail, and frost, and ice, and salt, and mud that can be poured. Rabbi Akiva says: Rabbi Yishmael would rule against me, saying, "Snow does not raise a <i>mikveh</i>." But the people of Midva testified in his name that he said to them, "Go out and bring snow to make a <i>mikveh</i> from the outset." Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri says: A hailstone is like water. How do these raise and not invalidate? If there is a <i>mikveh</i> containing forty <i>se'ah</i> [a specific unit of volume] less one, and a <i>se'ah</i> [of one] of these fell into it, and raised it [to be a complete <i>mikveh</i> containing forty <i>se'ah</i>], we find thus that these raise and do not invalidate.

אֵלּוּ פוֹסְלִין וְלֹא מַעֲלִין, הַמַּיִם, בֵּין טְמֵאִים בֵּין טְהוֹרִים, וּמֵי כְבָשִׁים וּמֵי שְׁלָקוֹת, וְהַתֶּמֶד עַד שֶׁלֹּא הֶחֱמִיץ. כֵּיצַד פּוֹסְלִין וְלֹא מַעֲלִין. מִקְוֶה שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה חָסֵר קֹרְטוֹב, וְנָפַל מֵהֶן קֹרְטוֹב לְתוֹכוֹ, לֹא הֶעֱלָהוּ, פּוֹסְלוֹ בִשְׁלשָׁה לֻגִּין. אֲבָל שְׁאָר הַמַּשְׁקִין, וּמֵי פֵרוֹת, וְהַצִּיר, וְהַמֻּרְיָס, וְהַתֶּמֶד מִשֶּׁהֶחֱמִיץ, פְּעָמִים מַעֲלִין וּפְעָמִים שֶׁאֵינָן מַעֲלִין. כֵּיצַד. מִקְוֶה שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה חָסֵר אַחַת, נָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ סְאָה מֵהֶם, לֹא הֶעֱלָהוּ. הָיוּ בוֹ אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה, נָתַן סְאָה וְנָטַל סְאָה, הֲרֵי זֶה כָשֵׁר:

These invalidate and do not raise: [drawn] waters, whether pure or impure, and picking waters, and waters in which foods were boiled, and inferior wine [made by fermenting grape residue steeped in water] that has not yet fermented. How do they invalidate and not raise? If there is a <i>mikveh</i> containing forty <i>se'ah</i> less one <i>kortov</i> [A minute volume measure], and one <i>kortov</i> [of one] of these fell into it, it has not raised it [to be a full forty <i>se'ah</i> and thus a complete <i>mikveh</i>]; and three <i>log</i> of it [of any of these] would invalidate [such a <i>mikveh</i>]. But the remaining liquids [such as oils and wines], and fruit juices, and juices of salted fish, and fish brine, and inferior wine once it has fermented, [all of these] at times raise [a <i>mikveh</i> to be complete] and at times do not raise. How so? If there is a <i>mikveh</i> containing forty <i>se'ah</i> less one, and a <i>se'ah</i> [of one] of these fell into it, it has not raised it [to be complete]. If it contained forty <i>se'ah</i> [at the outset], and one added a <i>se'ah</i> [of one of these] and [then] took out a <i>se'ah</i>, it is thereby valid.

הֵדִיחַ בּוֹ סַלֵּי זֵיתִים וְסַלֵּי עֲנָבִים, וְשִׁנּוּ אֶת מַרְאָיו, כָּשֵׁר. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, מֵי הַצֶּבַע פּוֹסְלִין אוֹתוֹ בִשְׁלשָׁה לֻגִּין, וְאֵינָן פּוֹסְלִין אוֹתוֹ בְשִׁנּוּי מַרְאֶה. נָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ יַיִן, וּמֹחַל, וְשִׁנּוּ אֶת מַרְאָיו, פָּסוּל. כֵּיצַד יַעֲשֶׂה. יַמְתִּין לוֹ עַד שֶׁיֵּרְדוּ גְשָׁמִים וְיַחְזְרוּ מַרְאֵיהֶן לְמַרְאֵה הַמָּיִם. הָיוּ בוֹ אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה, מְמַלֵּא בַכָּתֵף וְנוֹתֵן לְתוֹכוֹ עַד שֶׁיַּחְזְרוּ מַרְאֵיהֶן לְמַרְאֵה הַמָּיִם:

If one rinsed baskets of olives or baskets of grapes in it [in a <i>mikveh</i>] and they changed its appearance, it is valid. Rabbi Yose says: dyed waters invalidate it if there are three <i>log</i> of them, but they do not invalidate it due to a change in appearance. If wine or olive juices fell into it and they changed its appearance, it is invalid. What should one do [in such a case]? One should wait until it rains and its appearance returns to that of water. If it contained forty <i>se'ah</i> [of valid waters], one can fill [water] by one's shoulder [i.e. drawn waters which one carried over] and add them into it, until its appearance returns to that of water.

נָפַל לְתוֹכוֹ יַיִן אוֹ מֹחַל וְשִׁנּוּ מִקְצָת מַרְאָיו, אִם אֵין בּוֹ מַרְאֵה מַיִם אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה, הֲרֵי זֶה לֹא יִטְבֹּל בּוֹ:

If wine or olive juices fell into it, and they changed its appearance in part [i.e. the appearance of part of the <i>mikveh</i> was changed], if it does not contain forty <i>se'ah</i> that have the appearance of water, one should thereby not immerse in it.

שְׁלשָׁה לֻגִּין מַיִם, וְנָפַל לְתוֹכָן קֹרְטוֹב יַיִן, וַהֲרֵי מַרְאֵיהֶן כְּמַרְאֵה הַיַּיִן, וְנָפְלוּ לְמִקְוֶה, לֹא פְסָלוּהוּ. שְׁלשָׁה לֻגִּין מַיִם חָסֵר קֹרְטוֹב, וְנָפַל לְתוֹכָן קֹרְטוֹב חָלָב, וַהֲרֵי מַרְאֵיהֶן כְּמַרְאֵה הַמַּיִם, וְנָפְלוּ לְמִקְוֶה, לֹא פְסָלוּהוּ. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי אוֹמֵר, הַכֹּל הוֹלֵךְ אַחַר הַמַּרְאֶה:

If there are three <i>log</i> of [drawn] water, and a <i>kortov</i> of wine fell into them, and their appearance is thereby like that of wine, and they [that mixture] fell into a <i>mikveh</i> [containing fewer than forty <i>se'ah</i>], they have not rendered it invalid [as drawn waters, since their appearance is that of wine]. If there are three <i>log</i> of water less one <i>kortov</i>, and a <i>kortov</i> of milk fell into them, and their appearance is thereby [still] like that of water, and they fell into a <i>mikveh</i>, they have not rendered it invalid [since there is still less than three <i>log,</i> of drawn water]. Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri says: everything follows the appearance.

מִקְוֶה שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה מְכֻוָּנוֹת, יָרְדוּ שְׁנַיִם וְטָבְלוּ זֶה אַחַר זֶה, הָרִאשׁוֹן טָהוֹר, וְהַשֵּׁנִי טָמֵא. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אִם הָיוּ רַגְלָיו שֶׁל רִאשׁוֹן נוֹגְעוֹת בַּמַּיִם, אַף הַשֵּׁנִי טָהוֹר. הִטְבִּיל בּוֹ אֶת הַסָּגוֹס וְהֶעֱלָהוּ, מִקְצָתוֹ נוֹגֵעַ בַּמַּיִם, טָהוֹר. הַכַּר וְהַכֶּסֶת שֶׁל עוֹר, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגְבִּיהַּ שִׂפְתוֹתֵיהֶם מִן הַמַּיִם, הַמַּיִם שֶׁבְּתוֹכָן שְׁאוּבִין. כֵּיצַד יַעֲשֶׂה, מַטְבִּילָן וּמַעֲלֶה אוֹתָם דֶּרֶךְ שׁוּלֵיהֶם:

Regarding a <i>mikveh</i> containing precisely forty <i>se'ah</i>, if two people descended and immersed [in it], one after the other, the first is pure, and the second is impure. Rabbi Yehuda says: if the feet of the first were touching the water [while the second was immersing], even the second is pure. If one immersed a thick wool coat [which absorbs a lot of water] in it, and raised it out, if a small part of it is touching the water [and another person then comes and immerses,] he is pure. Regarding a leather pillow or cushion, once one raised their edges out of the water, the water within them is [considered] drawn. What should one do [in such a case]? One should immerse them and raise them out by their undersides.

הִטְבִּיל בּוֹ אֶת הַמִּטָּה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁרַגְלֶיהָ שׁוֹקְעוֹת בַּטִּיט הֶעָבֶה, טְהוֹרָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַמַּיִם מְקַדְּמִין. מִקְוֶה שֶׁמֵּימָיו מְרֻדָּדִין, כּוֹבֵשׁ אֲפִלּוּ חֲבִילֵי עֵצִים, אֲפִלּוּ חֲבִילֵי קָנִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְפְּחוּ הַמַּיִם, וְיוֹרֵד וְטוֹבֵל. מַחַט שֶׁהִיא נְתוּנָה עַל מַעֲלוֹת הַמְּעָרָה, הָיָה מוֹלִיךְ וּמֵבִיא בַמַּיִם, כֵּיוָן שֶׁעָבַר עָלֶיהָ הַגַּל, טְהוֹרָה:

If one immerses a bed in it [in a <i>mikveh</i> containing precisely forty <i>se'ah</i>], even if its legs sink into thick mud [at the bottom of the <i>mikveh</i>, which is not counted as part of its waters] it is pure, because the waters precede it. If the waters of a <i>mikveh</i> are shallow [such that one cannot immerse one's whole body at once], one may weigh down even bundles of wood or bundles of reeds [with weights, on one side of the <i>mikveh</i>,] so that the waters will rise, and then he can descend and immerse. Regarding a [impure] needle on the steps of a cavern [which houses a <i>mikveh</i>], if one was moving the waters back and forth [by stirring the waters around with one's hands or feet], once a wave passes over it [the needle], it is pure.