Tahorot 3

הָרֹטֶב וְהַגְּרִיסִים וְהֶחָלָב, בִּזְמַן שֶׁהֵן מַשְׁקֶה טוֹפֵחַ, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ תְּחִלָּה. קָרְשׁוּ, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ שְׁנִיִּים. חָזְרוּ וְנִמֹּחוּ, כַּבֵּיצָה מְכֻוָּן, טָהוֹר. יוֹתֵר מִכַּבֵּיצָה, טָמֵא, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁיָּצְאָה טִפָּה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, נִטְמֵאת בְּכַבֵּיצָה:

Sauce, ground beans, and milk, when they are a liquid and able make other things wet, [they are considered liquids such that] they are [made] primary [i.e. of a first degree level of impurity, if they become impure]. If they congeal, they are [able to become] of second degree [like foods in general]. If [when impure] they were then re-softened [into liquid], if there is exactly the equivalent of an egg [in volume] of them, they are pure [since they lost their impurity status in shifting states]; if there is more than the equivalent of an egg [in volume] of them, they are impure, since once the first drop came out [and softened into liquid] it was rendered impure by the [remaining] egg's volume [which is a sufficient amount of food to render impurity, and the rest of the food, as it softens, is rendered impure by that impure liquid, since liquids of any amount can be rendered impure; but when there is exactly an egg's volume of food, the first drop of it that softens into liquid is not rendered impure by it, since there is not a sufficient measure of food left there to render it impure, since foods are only rendered impure and render impurity when there is at least an egg's volume of them].

רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, הַשֶּׁמֶן תְּחִלָּה לְעוֹלָם. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אַף הַדְּבָשׁ. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן שְׁזוּרִי אוֹמֵר, אַף הַיָּיִן. וְגוּשׁ שֶׁל זֵיתִים שֶׁנָּפַל לְתַנּוּר וְהֻסַּק, כַּבֵּיצָה מְכֻוָּן, טָהוֹר. יוֹתֵר מִכַּבֵּיצָה, טָמֵא, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁיָּצָאת טִפָּה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, נִטְמֵאת בְּכַבֵּיצָה. אִם הָיוּ פְרוּדִין, אֲפִלּוּ הֵן סְאָה, טָהוֹר:

Rabbi Meir says: Oil is always primary [in its impurity, i.e. of a first degree level, even if it congeals into a solid]. The sages say: even honey. Rabbi Shimon Shezuri says: even wine. A clump of [impure] olives which fell into an oven and it was lit, if [the olives are] exactly the equivalent of an egg [in volume], it [the oven] is pure [since foods cannot render a vessel impure]; if they are greater than the equivalent of an egg [in volume], it is impure, since once the first drop came out, it [that drop of liquid] was rendered impure by the [remaining] egg's volume [which is a sufficient amount of food to render impurity, and that impure drop then renders the oven impure; but when there is exactly an egg's volume of olives, the first drop of it that melts into liquid is not rendered impure by it, since there is no longer a sufficient measure of food left to render it impure]. If they [the impure olives] are separated [from one another], even if there is a <i>se'ah</i> [a large measure] of them, it [the oven] is pure.

טְמֵא מֵת שֶׁסָּחַט זֵיתִים וַעֲנָבִים, כַּבֵּיצָה מְכֻוָּן, טָהוֹר, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יִגַּע בִּמְקוֹם הַמַּשְׁקֶה. יוֹתֵר מִכַּבֵּיצָה, טָמֵא, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁיָּצְאָה טִפָּה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, נִטְמֵאת בְּכַבֵּיצָה. אִם הָיָה זָב אוֹ זָבָה, אֲפִלּוּ גַרְגֵּר יְחִידִי, טָמֵא, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁיָּצְאָה טִפָּה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, נִטְמֵאת בְּמַשָּׂא. זָב שֶׁחָלַב אֶת הָעֵז, הֶחָלָב טָמֵא, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁיָּצְאָה טִפָּה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, נִטְמֵאת בְּמַשָּׂא:

An individual rendered impure through contact with a dead body, who squeezed olives or grapes, if [the fruits he squeezed were] equivalent to exactly an egg [in volume], it [the liquid coming out of them] is pure, as long as he does not touch the part of the [fruit that was already squeezed into] liquid. [If they are] more than the equivalent of an egg [in volume], it is impure, since once the first drop emerged it was rendered impure by an egg's volume [of fruit, which is a sufficient amount to render impurity; but when there is only exactly an egg's volume of fruit, the first drop that emerges is not rendered impure by it, since there is no longer a sufficient measure of food left to render it impure]. If the individual was a <i>zav</i> or <i>zava</i> [a male or female, respectively, with a genital discharge that renders them an Origin of impurity], even with [the squeezing of] one berry, it [the liquid from the fruit] is impure, since when the first drop emerged it became impure through carrying [since a <i>zav</i>/<i>zava</i> also renders impure anything he or she carries or moves]. A <i>zav</i> who milked a goat, the milk is impure, because when the first drop emerged, it became impure through carrying.

כַּבֵּיצָה אֳכָלִין שֶׁהִנִּיחָן בַּחַמָּה וְנִתְמַעֲטוּ, וְכֵן כַּזַּיִת מִן הַמֵּת, וְכַזַּיִת מִן הַנְּבֵלָה, וְכָעֲדָשָׁה מִן הַשֶּׁרֶץ, כַּזַּיִת פִּגּוּל, כַּזַּיִת נוֹתָר, כַּזַּיִת חֵלֶב, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ טְהוֹרִים, וְאֵין חַיָּבִין עֲלֵיהֶן מִשּׁוּם פִּגּוּל, נוֹתָר וְטָמֵא. הִנִּיחָן בַּגְּשָׁמִים וְנִתְפְּחוּ, טְמֵאִין, וְחַיָּבִין עֲלֵיהֶם מִשּׁוּם פִּגּוּל, נוֹתָר וְטָמֵא:

The equivalent [in volume] of an egg of [impure] foods which one placed in the sun and they shrank, and similarly the equivalent of an egg [in volume] of a dead body, or the equivalent of an egg [in volume] of an animal carcass, or the equivalent of a lentil [in volume] of a vermin, or the equivalent of an olive of <i>pigul</i> [any sacrifice about which the priest bringing it had any invalidating intention], or the equivalent of an olive of remainders [leftover sacrifices left past their designated time, which then become forbidden for eating], or the equivalent of an olive of forbidden fats, [if one placed any of these in the sun and they shrunk to less than their initial measure,] these things [the impure foods, the body, the carcass, and the vermin, all of which were impure] are pure, and these [the final three items on the list], one is not subject to liability on account of them, not for <i>pigul</i>, nor for remainders, nor for [eating] forbidden fats [literally: for impurity]. If one placed them in the rain and they swelled [back to their original full measure], they are impure, and one is subject to liability on account of them for <i>pigul</i>, for remainders, and for [eating] forbidden fats [literally: for impurity].

כָּל הַטֻּמְאוֹת, כִּשְׁעַת מְצִיאָתָן. אִם טְמֵאוֹת, טְמֵאוֹת. וְאִם טְהוֹרוֹת, טְהוֹרוֹת. אִם מְכֻסּוֹת, מְכֻסּוֹת. אִם מְגֻלּוֹת, מְגֻלּוֹת. מַחַט שֶׁנִּמְצֵאת מְלֵאָה חֲלֻדָּה אוֹ שְׁבוּרָה, טְהוֹרָה, שֶׁכָּל הַטֻּמְאוֹת, כִּשְׁעַת מְצִיאָתָן:

All impurities [are determined] as they are found: if items are [found] impure, they are [deemed to have been] impure [at the relevant moment for an object in question]; if they are [found] pure, they are [deemed to have been] pure [at the relevant moment for the object in question]. If they are [found] covered [such as an earthenware vessel which protects its contents from impurity when covered by a tight seal], they are [assumed to have been] covered [at the relevant time, and we do not worry that it may have initially been uncovered in the presence certain impurities, and that its contents are therefore impure]; if they are [found] uncovered, they are [assumed to have been] uncovered [at the relevant time]. A needle found full of rust or broken [and therefore unusable, and thus unable to retain impurity], it is pure [and we do not worry that it came into contact with the object in question before it became invalid, i.e. while it was still impure and therefore able to render the object impure], since all impurities [of items are determined] as they are found.

חֵרֵשׁ שׁוֹטֶה וְקָטָן שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ בְמָבוֹי שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ טֻמְאָה, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ בְחֶזְקַת טָהֳרָה. וְכָל הַפִּקֵּחַ, בְּחֶזְקַת טֻמְאָה. וְכֹל שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ דַעַת לְהִשָּׁאֵל, סְפֵקוֹ טָהוֹר:

A deaf-mute, an idiot, or a child, if they were found in an alley that has an impurity in it [but there is a doubt as to whether it rendered them impure], they are assumed to be pure. But anyone fully competent is assumed to be impure. And [this is because] anyone who does not have sufficient understanding to be questioned [about his purity status], when his status is uncertain, he is [assumed to be] pure.

תִּינוֹק שֶׁנִּמְצָא בְצַד בֵּית הַקְּבָרוֹת וְהַשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים בְּיָדוֹ, וְאֵין הַשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים אֶלָּא בִמְקוֹם הַטֻּמְאָה, טָהוֹר, שֶׁאֲנִי אוֹמֵר, אַחֵר לִקְּטָן וְנָתַן לוֹ. וְכֵן חֲמוֹר בֵּין הַקְּבָרוֹת, כֵּלָיו טְהוֹרִין:

A toddler found at the edge of graveyard holding roses in his hand, and the only roses [in the graveyard] are in the impure area , he is pure, for I may say: Someone else picked them and gave them to him. Similarly a donkey among the graves, his vessels are pure [since the donkey and its vessels also cannot be questioned].

תִּינוֹק שֶׁנִּמְצָא בְצַד הָעִסָּה וְהַבָּצֵק בְּיָדוֹ, רַבִּי מֵאִיר מְטַהֵר. וַחֲכָמִים מְטַמְּאִים, שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ הַתִּינוֹק לְטַפֵּחַ. בָּצֵק שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ נְקִירַת תַּרְנְגוֹלִים, וּמַשְׁקִין טְמֵאִין בְּתוֹךְ הַבַּיִת, אִם יֵשׁ בֵּין מַשְׁקִין לַכִּכָּרוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּנַגְּבוּ אֶת פִּיהֶם בָּאָרֶץ, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ טְהוֹרִין. וּבְפָרָה וּבְכֶלֶב, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּלַחֲכוּ אֶת לְשׁוֹנָם. וּשְׁאָר כָּל הַבְּהֵמָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְנַגֵּב. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב מְטַהֵר בְּכֶלֶב, שֶׁהוּא פִקֵּחַ, שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכּוֹ לְהַנִּיחַ אֶת הַמָּזוֹן וְלֵילֵךְ לַמָּיִם:

If a baby was found next to a pile of dough and a piece was in his hand [and it is unclear whether he himself took the piece off rendering all the dough impure, or if someone else tore the piece off for him], Rabbi Meir considers it pure. And the Sages consider it impure, because it is the way of babies to touch [the dough]. Dough which has peck-holes from chickens and there are impure liquids in the house, if there is enough space between the liquids and the loaves for them to wipe their beaks on the ground, then they are pure. And regarding a cow or a dog, enough space for them [to have time] to lick [their lips with] their tongues. And with all other animals, enough space [for them to travel] for it to be dried up. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov considers it pure in the case of a dog, since he is intelligent, and it is not his way to leave the food and go get water [first, before he finishes eating; and therefore it can be assumed that he did not touch the loaves after touching the impure liquids].