Mishnayos Related to Tumas Yadayim

(9) [Contact with] the Pesach sacrifice after midnight renders one's hands impure. [Contact with] piggul [a sacrifice that becomes unfit, due to the intention of the officiating priest, while offering it, to consume it after its permitted time] or notar [a sacrifice that becomes unfit, due to being left unconsumed until after the time limit for its consumption] renders one's hands impure. [If] one recited a blessing over the Pesach sacrifice, he exempts [himself from the obligation to make a blessing] on [another] sacrifice [that he eats]. If he recited a blessing over [the eating of another] sacrifice, he has not exempted [himself from the obligation to make a blessing] on the Pesach sacrifice - so says Rabbi Yishmael. Rabbi Akiva says, "Neither this nor that [blessing] exempts the other."

(6) Ordinary harps are susceptible to impurity, but the harps of the Levites are pure. All liquids are susceptible to impurity, but the liquids in the [Temple] slaughtering house are clean. All sefarim [books of the Tanach written in holiness, on parchment, and used for personal or public study, or for reading aloud in public. Sometimes the intent is specifically Torah scrolls] convey impurity to the hands, except the scroll [kept in] the Temple courtyard. A wooden toy horse is clean. The belly-lute, the donkey-shaped musical instrument and the erus [a musical instrument used at weddings and funerals] are susceptible to impurity. Rabbi Judah says: the erus is susceptible to sitting impurity since the wailer sits on it. A weasel-trap is susceptible to impurity, but a [trap] for mice is pure.

(8) One [a priest] who was pure and decided not to eat [terumah], Rabbi Yehuda declares him pure because it is the way of impure individuals to stay away from him [lest they render him impure]; but the Sages say he is impure. If his hands were pure and he decided not to eat [terumah], even if he says, "I know that my hands were not rendered impure," his hands are impure, because hands are active.

(12) The following invalidate teruma, one who eats food of the first degree [of uncleanliness] one who eats food of the second degree [of uncleanliness], one who drinks unclean liquids, one immerses [ritually] his head and the greater part [of his body] in water drawn, a clean person upon whose head and greater part of his body fell three log [measure of volume] of drawn water [for until he has obtained complete immersion his touch invalidates terumah], or a scroll [of scriptures], [unwashed] hands, a tevul yom [one who has immersed in a mikvah but must wait until sunset to be rendered clean], food or vessels that became unclean by liquids.

(9) Challah and Terumah carry the death penalty [if a non-Kohen knowingly eats from them] and the one-fifth penalty [if a non- Kohen unwittingly eats from them] and they are forbidden to non-Kohanim, and they are the property of the Kohanim, and they are neutralized in 101 parts, and they require washing of the hands [before handling] and they require the setting of the sun [in order to eat them after purification] and they may not be set aside from the pure for the defiled, and they may be [only] set aside for that which is nearby, and from that which its preparation has been completed. [If one says that] "All of my threshing floor is Terumah all my dough is Challah," they have said nothing, unless they have some leftover.

(1) Terumah [a portion of a crop given to a Kohen, priest; pl. Kohanim, which becomes holy upon separation, and can only be consumed by Kohanim or their household] and Bikkurim [first-fruits that must be brought to the Temple in Jerusalem and given to the Kohen] are subject to the [laws of the] death penalty [if a non-Kohen deliberately consumes them] and [the penalty of an additional] fifth, and they are forbidden to non-Kohanim, and they are the property of the Kohen, and they are neutralized in one hundred and one [of non-sanctified foodstuff], and they require hand-washing [before handling] and [a Kohen who became impure and then immersed himself to become pure again may eat them only] after sunset. All of the above is all for Terumah and Bikkurim, and not for Ma'aser [Sheni, the second tithe of produce, which must be taken to Jerusalem and consumed there].

(5) One ritually washes one's hands for chullin [unsanctified food], ma'aser [tithed food] and for terumah [food tithed as the priest's gift]. For kodesh [portions of offerings eaten by the priests] one must immerse [in a mikveh]. And for chattat [water of purification] if one's hands are [ritually] impure, one's body is [ritually] impure.

(2) Food [in] separate [pieces] does not combine [together to contract impurity]: the words of Rabbi Dosa the son of Harkinas. And the Sages say: It does combine. [One may] exchange [produce from] the second tithe for uncoined metal: the words of Rabbi Dosa. And the Sages say: [One may] not exchange. Hands [alone must be] immersed in order to [touch] the sin-cleansing [water]: These are the words of Rabbi Dosa. And the Sages say: If his hands have become impure, his body [also] becomes impure.

(5) When does their purity [that of the waters of shallow pools during the rain] begin? Beit Shamai say: from when they [the rain waters] exceed [the amount of the pools' waters] and cause overflow. Beit Hillel say: [from when] they exceed, even if they do not cause overflow. Rabbi Shimon says: [from when] they cause overflow, even if they do not exceed. [Such waters are] valid to be used for challah [a portion of a batch of bread dough given to a priest which becomes holy upon separation, and can only be consumed by priests or their household], as well as for washing [literally: taking] one's hands with them.

(6) Above these [mikvaot described, and next in the hierarchy of mikvaot,] are runoff waters that have not stopped [flowing down from the mountains]. If an impure person drank [from them], and a pure person drank [afterwards], he is [still] pure. If an impure person drank, and someone filled up a pure vessel [from those waters afterwards], it is pure. If an impure person drank, and then a loaf of terumah fell in, even if one rinsed [the loaf], it is pure. If one filled an impure vessel [from the runoff waters], and a pure person drank [from it], he is pure. If one filled using an impure vessel, and then filled a pure vessel [from the first vessel], it is pure. If one filled an impure vessel, and then a loaf of terumah fell in [the runoff waters], even if one rinsed it, it is pure. If impure waters fell [into the runoff waters], and a pure person drank [from it], he is pure. If impure waters fell in, and one filled a pure vessel [from it], it is pure. If impure waters fell in, and then a loaf of terumah fell in, even if one rinsed it, it is pure. [And these waters are] valid for [use with] terumah, as well as for washing [literally: taking] one's hands with them.

(2) The school of Shammai says, "Rinse the hands, and afterward pour the cup." The school of Hillel says, "Pour the cup, and afterward rinse the hands."

(3) The school of Shammai says, "One wipes his hands in a cloth, and [then] places it on the table." The school of Hillel says, "On the cushion."

(7) All vessels have [a distinction, with regard to purity status, between their] outsides and insides and a [similar distinction for their] holding-place. Rabbi Tarfon says: [this is the case] regarding a trough. Rabbi Akiva says: regarding cups. Rabbi Meir says: [the distinction of a holding-place was only said] regarding impure and pure hands. Rabbi Yose says: they said this only regarding pure hands.

(1) Regarding food taken as the [first] tithe, which was primed for impurity by a liquid, if it was then touched by a tevul yom [one who has immersed that day in a mikvah, but who must wait until nightfall to become fully pure, and is of a second degree impurity until then] or by one with soiled [i.e. impure] hands, terumat ma'aser [a tenth of the tithe given to a Levi which must, in turn , be given to a kohen and which becomes holy upon separation, and can only be consumed by kohanim or their household] may be separated from it in purity, because it is of a third degree [level of impurity], and something of a third degree is pure with regard to chullin [produce or food that is not sanctified, and is permitted for general consumption].

(10) We surround an area with reeds, but only if there is not [a gap of] three tefachim between one reed and another. They spoke [about allowing these leniencies specifically] concerning a caravan - so says Rabbi Yehuda. The Sages say, "They were only talking about a caravan in the present case [as an example]." Any mechitza [legal partition] which is not [made of] vertical and horizontal [parts] is not a mechitza - so says Rabbi Yose ben Rabbi Yehuda. The Sages say, "[Only] one of [those] two things [is required]." [The Rabbis] gave dispensation for four things in an army camp: We can take wood from any place, we are exempt from hand-washing; from [the prohibition to eat] demai [produce from which it is uncertain whether tithes were already taken]; and from the requirement to make an eruv [halachic merging of separate domains by means of setting aside an amount of food in a designated place][in order to carry within the camp].

(7) The following uncertainties [regarding impurity status] were declared pure by the Sages: the uncertainty of drawn waters for a mikvah [a pool for ritual immersion which must contain natural, undrawn water; the uncertainty is a case in which it is uncertain whether a mikvah contains enough drawn water to invalidate it from being able to purify those that immerse it in]; the uncertainty of an impurity floating on the water's surface; the uncertainty of liquids regarding whether they themselves have become impure--such [liquids] are impure, and [the uncertainty] regarding whether they rendered [something else] impure--such [items] are pure; the uncertainty of hands regarding whether they themselves have become impure, or have rendered [something] impure, or have themselves become pure, [in all three cases] they are pure; the uncertainty of the public domain [i.e. an uncertainty regarding purity status which was generated when something was in the public domain]; the uncertainty regarding [the purity status of something that came into contact with something that is impure only according to] the words of the Scholars; the uncertainty [regarding the purity status] of non-sanctified foods; the uncertainty regarding [the purity status of something which may have been rendered impure by] vermin; the uncertainty of blights [i.e. regarding the purity status of someone or something that may have been rendered impure by someone impure due to an illness, such as leprosy]; the uncertainty regarding [one's] status as a Nazirite[i.e. like someone who took a vow to be a Nazirite contingent on something which remains uncertain]; the uncertainty regarding [the status of] a first born; and the uncertainty regarding [one's obligation to bring] sacrifices.

(11) The uncertainty of hands regarding whether they themselves have become impure, or have rendered [something] impure, or have become pure, [in all three cases] they are pure. The uncertainty of the public domain [i.e. any uncertainty regarding purity status which was generated when something was in the public domain], is pure. As for the uncertainty regarding [the purity status of something that came into contact with something impure only according to] the words of the Scholars: If [there is an uncertainty as to whether] one ate impure foods or drank impure liquids, or whether one's head and the majority of one's body came into drawn water, or whether three login of drawn water fell on one's head and a majority of one's body, [all of which are instances of someone whom the Sages decreed becomes impure on a rabbinic level,] in the case of uncertainty, he is pure. But for something which is an Origin of impurity according to the words of the Scholars [i.e. something that the Sages decreed should be treated as an Origin of impurity], in the case of uncertainty [if someone might have come into contact with it], he is impure.

(6) Akavya the son of Mehalelel testified about four things. They said to him: Akavya, retract the four things you have said and we will make you the head of the court of Israel. He said to them: Better I be called a fool all my days, so long as I do not do wickedness for even a single moment before the Omnipresent, so that they will not say "he retracted because [he wanted] power." He used to declare impure the leftover hair [from leprous skin], and green [or yellow] blood. And the Sages declared [these things] pure. He would permit the [use of] wool that had fallen from a blemished firstborn animal and had been placed in a cavity [for safekeeping] and [the animal] was afterwards slaughtered, but the Sages forbade [the use of the wool]. He would say: One may not make a converted woman nor a freed maidservant drink [from the "bitter waters" that were drunk by a woman suspected of adultery as a test]. But the Sages say: [They are] made to drink. They said to him: There was the case of Karkamit, a freed maidservant in Jerusalem, who was made to drink by Shama'ya and Avtalyon! He said to them: They made her drink an "example" [i.e. the "bitter waters" they made her drink were not authentic]. They excommunicated him, and he died in excommunication, and the Court stoned his coffin. Said Rabbi Yehudah: God-forbid [one should say] that Akavya was excommunicated! For the [Temple] courtyard is never locked for any man of Israel who has wisdom and fear of sin like Akavya the son of Mehalelel [had]. So who did [the Court] excommunicate? It was Elazar the son of Khanoch, who mocked the [laws of] purity of hands. And when he died, the Court went and placed a stone on his coffin, teaching that anyone who was excommunicated and died in excommunication, they "stone" his coffin [i.e. they place a stone on his coffin].

(7) One who is pure for chatat, and whose hands became impure, his body becomes impure, and he renders impure his fellow, and his fellow [renders impure] his fellow, even if there are a hundred of them.

(2) Vessels finished in purity must be immersed [so that they can be used for] kodesh, but do not need to be immersed for terumah. A vessel unites with its contents [if any become impure] for kodesh, but does not unite for terumah. The fourth [degree of impurity] invalidates kodesh, but [no further than] the third [degree of impurity] invalidates terumah. Regarding terumah, if one hand of a person becomes impure, his other hand is still pure. Regarding kodesh, he must immerse both hands, for one hand makes the other hand impure regarding kodesh, but not terumah.

(3) Dry foods of terumah may be eaten with unwashed hands, but not kodesh. An onen [one whose close relative has died, in the period before the burial] and a mechusar kippurim [one who has not yet brought a sacrifice to complete purification from certain types of ritual impurity] require immersion for kodesh, but not for terumah.

(5) One who leaves olives in the press for them to soften to be easier to press, they are thereby primed [for impurity, by the liquid that emerges from them]. If [one left olives in a press] for them to soften to be salted, Beit Shammai says: they are primed [for impurity]; and Beit Hillel says: they are not primed. One who crushes olives with impure hands has rendered them impure.

(4) If one takes [grapes to the vat for pressing] from a basket or from an area on the ground designated for spreading them out, Beit Shammai says: he must take them with pure hands, and if he took them with impure hands he has rendered them impure. Beit Hillel says: he may take them with impure hands, and he separates his terumah from them in purity. If [one takes the grapes to the vat] from the large basket [into which the grapes are harvested, before being brought to the wine press] or from a leaf-covered area designated for spreading them out, everyone is in agreement that he must take them with pure hands, and if he took them with impure hands he has rendered them impure.

(9) If a woman went inside to bring out bread for a poor man and she came out to find him standing next to loaves of terumah, and similarly if a woman came out to find her friend raking coals under a pot of terumah, Rabbi Akiva declares them impure, but the Sages declare them pure. Rabbi Elazar ben Pilah says: What is the reason that Rabbi Akiva declares them impure but the Sages declare them pure? Because women are greedy [with regard to food], and she is suspected of having uncovered the pot of her friend to know what she is cooking.