Parah Chapter 8

(1) Two who were guarding the jug [containing water for mixing with ashes], if one became impure, they [the waters] are valid, because they were in the domain of the second one. If he [the one who became impure] purified himself, and the second one became impure, they are valid because they are in the domain of the first. If they both became impure at once, they [the waters] are invalid. If one of them did work, they are valid because they were in the domain of the second one. If he [the one who was working] stopped and the second did work, they are valid because they were in the domain of the first. If they both did work at once, they [the waters] are invalid.

(2) One who is sanctifying the chatat waters should not wear shoes, for if liquid should fall on the shoe, it becomes impure [relative to the chatat], and it makes him [who wears it] impure. Behold [it is as though] he says [to the shoe]: "That which renders you impure [i.e. liquid] does not impurify me [for liquids to not render people impure], yet you have rendered me impure!" If liquid fell on his flesh, he is [still] pure. If it fell on his clothing, they become impure and they make him [who wears them] impure. Behold [it is as though] he says [to the clothing]: "That which renders you impure [i.e. liquid] does not impurify me, yet you have rendered me impure!"

(3) The person who burns the red cow (of Numbers 19:1–22) or the bulls (that are burned pursuant to Leviticus 4:3–21 or 16:27) and the person who leads away the scapegoat (pursuant to Leviticus 16:7-10 and 26) render clothes [that they wear while so doing] unclean. The red cow, the bulls, and the scapegoat do not themselves render clothes [with which they come in contact] unclean. This one [the clothing] says [to the person]: “Those that render you unclean do not render me unclean, but you render me unclean.”

(4) One who eats from the unslaughtered corpse of a kosher bird and it [the meat] is in his throat, the clothing [he is wearing] becomes impure. The corpse itself does not make the clothing impure [through contact]. Behold it [is as though the clothing] says [to the person]: That which renders you impure [i.e. the corpse] does not impurify me, yet you have rendered me impure!"

(5) All offspring of impurity [i.e. items which contracted secondary or tertiary levels of ritual impurity, as opposed to inherently impure items] cannot render vessels impure, but a liquid [they can render impure]. If a liquid became impure [from an offspring of impurity], it renders them [vessels with which it comes into contact] impure. Behold it [is as though the vessel] says [to the liquid]: That which renders you impure [i.e. the offspring of impurity] does not impurify me, yet you have rendered me impure!"

(6) An earthenware vessel cannot render its fellow [earthenware vessel] impure, but a liquid [it can render impure]. If a liquid became impure, it makes it [the vessel which holds it] ritually impure. Behold it [is as though the vessel] says [to the liquid]: That which renders you impure [i.e. the other earthenware vessel] does not impurify me, yet you have rendered me impure!"

(7) Anything which [is sufficiently impure such that it] invalidates trumah [a portion of produce which must be given to a priest and is not allowed to become ritually impure] upon contact makes liquids impure [to the extent] that they become a 'primary' [source of impurity] to make one thing impure, and [then] to invalidate another. [The intensity of ritual impurity depends on how many steps removed it was from the original source. Our Mishnah teaches that when a liquid becomes impure by coming into contact with something impure, it is considered 'primary' to the source of impurity, meaning that any liquid or food it comes into contact with then becomes impure as a 'secondary' source of impurity, which in turn is sufficient to impurify and therefore invalidate trumah with which it comes into contact.] The exception to this is one who immersed [for purification] that day and is yet to have the sun set [for such an individual invalidates trumah upon contact but does not make liquids he touches into 'primary' sources of impurity]. Behold it [is as though the food] says [to the liquid]: That which renders you impure [i.e. something of a 'secondary' level of impurity] does not impurify me, yet you [the liquid, after becoming impure through contact with that impurity of a 'secondary' level] have rendered me impure!"

(8) All the seas are like a mikvah [a collection of water in which one can immerse in order to remove certain ritual impurities], as it is Said (Genesis 1:10), "And the gatherings [literally: mikvahs] of water, he called seas," these are the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: [Only] the great sea [i.e. the Mediterranean] is like a mikvah. It only says "seas" [in the plural] regarding something contains many types of seas [i.e. the ocean, into which flow many bodies of water]. Rabbi Yose says: All seas purify [as a mikvah] with [even only] a gradual flow [of water], yet they are invalid for a zav [an individual who is ritually impure due to having had a type of seminal emission, and who must immerse in naturally flowing waters as part of the purification process], a metzorah [one who is ritually impure due to having a type of skin disease, and who must have a bird sacrificed above flowing waters as part of his purification process], and to sanctify the waters of a chatat [the red heifer ritual, which also must come from flowing waters; Rabbi Yossi says that seas are not a valid source for these three rituals, which require use of naturally flowing waters].

(9) Blighted waters are invalid [for sanctification for the chatat ritual]. The following are blighted: salted and warm [waters]. Inconsistent waters are [also] invalid. The following are inconsistent waters: those which flow inconsistently once in seven [years]. Inconsistent waters in wartimes or years of drought are valid. Rabbi Yehuda invalidates [them].

(10) Waters of Karmion and waters of Fugah [two of rivers in Israel] are invalid for they are marsh waters. The waters of the Jordan and waters of Yarmuch are invalid for they are mixed waters. And the following are mixed waters: one valid [water source] and one invalid which became mixed. Two valid [water sources] that became mixed are valid; Rabbi Yehuda invalidates [them].

(11) Achav's well and the cave of Pamyas are valid. Waters which were changed [in appearance] and the change occurred by itself are valid. A channel of water which came from afar is valid, so long as it was guarded such that [it is known] that a person did not stop it [in its flow from the spring]. Rabbi Yehuda says: Behold, it is presumed to be permitted [i.e. even without guarding it is presumed that no one stopped its flow]. A well into which fell earthenware shards or earth, one should wait [before using the water] until it becomes clear, according to Rabbi Yishmael; Rabbi Akiva says: There is no need to wait.