Oholot 6

אָדָם וְכֵלִים נַעֲשִׂין אֹהָלִין לְטַמֵּא, אֲבָל לֹא לְטַהֵר. כֵּיצַד. אַרְבָּעָה נוֹשְׂאִין אֶת הַנִּדְבָּךְ, טֻמְאָה תַחְתָּיו, כֵּלִים שֶׁעַל גַּבָּיו טְמֵאִין. טֻמְאָה עַל גַּבָּיו, כֵּלִים שֶׁתַּחְתָּיו טְמֵאִים. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר מְטַהֵר. נָתוּן עַל אַרְבָּעָה כֵלִים, אֲפִלּוּ כְלֵי גְלָלִים, כְּלֵי אֲבָנִים, כְּלֵי אֲדָמָה, טֻמְאָה תַחְתָּיו, כֵּלִים שֶׁעַל גַּבָּיו טְמֵאִים. טֻמְאָה עַל גַּבָּיו, כֵּלִים שֶׁתַּחְתָּיו טְמֵאִים. נָתוּן עַל אַרְבָּעָה אֲבָנִים, אוֹ עַל דָּבָר שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ רוּחַ חַיִּים, טֻמְאָה תַחְתָּיו, כֵּלִים שֶׁעַל גַּבָּיו טְהוֹרִין. טֻמְאָה עַל גַּבָּיו, כֵּלִים שֶׁתַּחְתָּיו טְהוֹרִין:

People and vessels act like tents to impurify but not to protect purity. How so? If four people were carrying a slab, if the impurity is under it, the vessels on top of it are impure. If the impurity was on top of it, the vessels underneath it are impure, but Rabbi Eliezer declares [them] pure. If it was placed down on four vessels even if they are made of dung, stone, or earth, if the impurity is underneath the vessels on top are impure and if the impurity is on top the vessels underneath are impure. If it was placed on four stones or on top of any living thing, if the impurity is underneath, the vessels on top of it are pure and if the impurity is on top the vessels underneath are pure.

קוֹבְרֵי הַמֵּת שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹבְרִים בְּאַכְסַדְרָה, וְהֵגִיף אַחַד מֵהֶן אֶת הַדֶּלֶת וּסְמָכוֹ בַמַּפְתֵּחַ, אִם יָכוֹל הַדֶּלֶת לַעֲמֹד בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, טָהוֹר. וְאִם לָאו, טָמֵא. וְכֵן חָבִית שֶׁל גְּרוֹגָרוֹת אוֹ קֻפָּה שֶׁל תֶּבֶן שֶׁהֵן נְתוּנוֹת בְּחַלּוֹן, אִם יְכוֹלִין הַגְּרוֹגָרוֹת וְהַתֶּבֶן לַעֲמֹד בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן, טְהוֹרִין. וְאִם לָאו, טְמֵאִין. בַּיִת שֶׁחֲצָצוֹ בְקַנְקַנִּים וְטָח בְּטִיחַ, אִם יָכוֹל הַטִּיחַ לַעֲמֹד בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, טָהוֹר. וְאִם לָאו, טָמֵא:

Those who bury dead bodies that were passing through an alleyway if one of them closed the door and fastened it with a key, if the door can stand on its own it is pure, but if not it is impure. Similarly a jug of dried figs or a basket of straw which were placed in a window [where a dead body was], if the dried figs or the straw could stand on their own they are pure, but if not they are impure. A house [containing a dead body] which was partitioned by barrels and coated with plaster, if the plaster can stand on its own it is pure but if not it is impure.

כֹּתֶל הַמְשַׁמֵּשׁ אֶת הַבַּיִת, יִדּוֹן מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה. כֵּיצַד. כֹּתֶל שֶׁהוּא לָאֲוִיר וְהַטֻּמְאָה בְתוֹכוֹ, מֵחֶצְיוֹ וְלִפְנִים, הַבַּיִת טָמֵא, וְהָעוֹמֵד מִלְמַעְלָן טָהוֹר. מֵחֶצְיוֹ וְלַחוּץ, הַבַּיִת טָהוֹר, וְהָעוֹמֵד מִלְמַעְלָן טָמֵא. מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה, הַבַּיִת טָמֵא. וְהָעוֹמֵד מִלְמַעְלָן, רַבִּי מֵאִיר מְטַמֵּא, וַחֲכָמִים מְטַהֲרִין. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, כָּל הַכֹּתֶל לַבָּיִת:

A wall that serves a house is ruled half and half. How so? A wall which is open to the air and the impurity is inside it, from the midpoint inward the house is impure but one who stands above it is pure, from the midpoint outside the house is pure and one who stands on top of it is impure. If it is halfway between, the house is impure and one who stands above it, Rabbi Meir declares him impure but the Sages declare him pure. Rabbi Yehuda says the whole wall [is ruled according] to the house.

כֹּתֶל שֶׁבֵּין שְׁנֵי בָתִּים וְהַטֻּמְאָה בְתוֹכוֹ, בַּיִת הַקָּרוֹב לַטֻּמְאָה, טָמֵא. וְהַקָּרוֹב לַטָּהֳרָה, טָהוֹר. מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה, שְׁנֵיהֶם טְמֵאִין. טֻמְאָה בְאַחַד מֵהֶן וְכֵלִים בַּכֹּתֶל, מֵחֶצְיוֹ וּכְלַפֵּי טֻמְאָה, טְמֵאִין. מֵחֶצְיוֹ וּכְלַפֵּי טָהֳרָה, טְהוֹרִין. מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה, הֲרֵי הֵן טְמֵאִין. מַעֲזִיבָה שֶׁבֵּין הַבַּיִת לָעֲלִיָּה, טֻמְאָה בְתוֹכָהּ, מֵחֶצְיָהּ וּלְמַטָּן, הַבַּיִת טָמֵא וַעֲלִיָּה טְהוֹרָה. מֵחֶצְיָהּ וּלְמַעְלָן, הָעֲלִיָּה טְמֵאָה וְהַבַּיִת טָהוֹר. מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה, שְׁנֵיהֶן טְמֵאִין. טֻמְאָה בְאַחַד מֵהֶן וְכֵלִים בַּמַּעֲזִיבָה, מֵחֶצְיָהּ וּכְלַפֵּי טֻמְאָה, טְמֵאִין. מֵחֶצְיָהּ וּכְלַפֵּי טָהֳרָה, טְהוֹרִין. מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה, הֲרֵי הֵן טְמֵאִין. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, כָּל הַמַּעֲזִיבָה לָעֲלִיָּה:

A wall that is between two houses and there is impurity inside it, the house close to the impurity is impure and the house closer to the purity is pure. If it is half way between they are both impure. If there is impurity in one of them and vessels are in the wall, from the halfway point towards the impurity they are impure and from the halfway point to the pure side they are pure. If they are halfway between they are impure. If there is plaster between the house and the upper story, and there was impurity in it, from the midpoint down the house is impure and the upper story is pure, from the midpoint up, the upper story is impure and the house is pure. If it is halfway between they are both impure. If there was impurity in one of them and vessels in the plaster, from the halfway point towards the impurity they are impure and from the halfway point to the pure side they are pure. If they are halfway in between they are impure. Rabbi Yehuda says the whole plaster area belongs to the upper story.

טֻמְאָה בֵין הַקּוֹרוֹת וְתַחְתֶּיהָ כִקְלִפַּת הַשּׁוּם, אִם יֶשׁ שָׁם פּוֹתֵחַ טֶפַח, הַכֹּל טָמֵא. אִם אֵין שָׁם פּוֹתֵחַ טֶפַח, רוֹאִין אֶת הַטֻּמְאָה כְּאִלּוּ הִיא אֹטֶם. הָיְתָה נִרְאֵית בְּתוֹךְ הַבַּיִת, בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ, הַבַּיִת טָמֵא:

If there was impurity between beams, and [the partition] underneath was [as thin] as a garlic peel, if there is a handbreadth's space, everything is impure. If there is not a handbreadth's space, we view the impurity as if it were blocked. If it is visible within the house in either case the house is impure.

בַּיִת הַמְשַׁמֵּשׁ אֶת הַכֹּתֶל, יִדּוֹן כִּקְלִפַּת הַשּׁוּם. כֵּיצַד. כֹּתֶל שֶׁבֵּין שְׁנֵי כוּכִין, אוֹ בֵין שְׁתֵּי מְעָרוֹת, טֻמְאָה בַבָּתִּים וְכֵלִים בַּכֹּתֶל וַעֲלֵיהֶם כִּקְלִפַּת הַשּׁוּם, טְהוֹרִין. טֻמְאָה בַכֹּתֶל וְכֵלִים בַּבָּתִּים וְעָלֶיהָ כִקְלִפַּת הַשּׁוּם, טְהוֹרִין. טֻמְאָה תַחַת הָעַמּוּד, טֻמְאָה בוֹקַעַת וְעוֹלָה, בּוֹקַעַת וְיוֹרָדֶת:

A house which serves a wall [is ruled according] to the garlic peel. How so? A wall between two crypts or between two caves, if there was impurity in the houses and vessels in the wall and [the partition] above them was [as thin] as a garlic peel, they are pure. If the impurity is in the wall and the vessels are in the house and [the partition] above them was as [thin as] a garlic peel they are pure. If the impurity was under a pillar the impurity pierces and goes up, pierces and goes down.

כֵּלִים שֶׁתַּחַת הַפֶּרַח, טְהוֹרִים. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן נוּרִי מְטַמֵּא. הַטֻּמְאָה וְהַכֵּלִים שֶׁתַּחַת הַפֶּרַח, אִם יֶשׁ שָׁם פּוֹתֵחַ טֶפַח, טְמֵאִין. וְאִם לָאו, טְהוֹרִין. שְׁנֵי פַרְדַּסְקִים זֶה בְצַד זֶה, אוֹ זֶה עַל גַּב זֶה, נִפְתַּח אַחַד מֵהֶן, הוּא וְהַבַּיִת טָמֵא, וַחֲבֵרוֹ טָהוֹר. וְרוֹאִין אֶת הַפַּרְדַּסְקִין כְּאִלּוּ הוּא אֹטֶם, יִדּוֹן מֶחֱצָה לְמֶחֱצָה לְהָבִיא אֶת הַטֻּמְאָה לַבָּיִת:

Vessels that are under a flower [decoration on a column under which impurity was buried] are pure. Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri declares [them] impure. If the impurity and vessels were under the flower, if there was a handbreadth's space they are impure but if not they are pure. Two cabinets next to each other or one on top of the other, if one of them was opened, it and the house is impure but the other one is pure and we view the cabinets as if they were blocked - it is ruled [according to the rule of] half and half with regard to bringing the impurity into the house.