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The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
1. He who brings earthen vessels for the ashes of the heifer must wash them, and place them in the furnace over night. Rabbi Judah said, "even if he bring them from his house they are allowed. Since every one is trusted about the heifer. But in the heave-offering he opens the furnace, and takes out the vessels." R. Simon said, "from the second 2 row." R José said, "from the third row."
2. He who washes vessels for the ashes of the red heifer in water unsuitable for purification, must dry them. If he
wash them in water suitable for purification, it is not necessary to dry them. If he add therein water for purification, whether of one sort or the other sort of water, he must dry them.
3. A pumpkin bottle which is washed in water unsuitable for purification, may be used for purification, till it becomes legally unclean. When it is unclean, they may no longer purify in it. R. Joshua said, "if one purify in it at first, one may purify in it to the last, if it cannot purify at last, it cannot purify at first." Whether it be clean or unclean, one must not add therein water for purification.
4. "A hollow reed cut for the ashes of the red heifer?" R. Eliezer said, "it must be washed at once." R. Joshua said, "it must be rendered legally unclean, and afterwards washed." Every one is suitable for purifying excepting a deaf person, an idiot, and a child. R. Judah "allows a child, but disallows a woman and a neuter."
5. Water may be prepared for purification in every vessel, even in vessels of dung, in vessels of stone, and vessels of clay, and in a boat. Water must not be prepared for purification in the sides of vessels, nor in the bottom of a vase, nor in the cork of a barrel, nor in one's fists, since they are not used for filling water, and they must not purify with them. And the water of the ashes of the heifer is not sprinkled without a vessel. There is no safety from defilement in the covering 1 bound except in proper vessels—there is no safety from the defilement of earthen vessels, except in proper vessels.
6. An egg-shaped vessel of the potters is allowed for the purifying water. R. José "disallows it." "The egg (shell) of a hen?" R. Meier and R. Judah "allow it," but the Sages "disallow it."
7. "A trough in a rock?" "They do not fill water with it, they do not purify in it, and they do not sprinkle from it, and it does not need the covering bound, and it does not disallow 2 the purifying pool." "If there were a vessel united (to it) with lime?" "They may fill water with it,
they may purify in it, and sprinkle from it, and it needs a covering bound, and (if it becomes legally unclean) it disallows the purifying pool." "It had a hole in the bottom, and it was stuffed with a rag?" "The water in it is disallowed, because it is not (entirely) surrounded with the vessel." "If the hole were in the side, and it was stuffed with a rag?" "The water within it is allowed, because it is surrounded with the vessel." "If a rim of mud was made for it, and the water rose up to it?" "It is disallowed." "If it was so strong that the vessel could be lifted by it?" "It is allowed."
8. "There are two troughs in one stone. One of them is legally purified. The water in the second is not purified. There are holes from one trough to the other like the pipe of a bottle, or water overflowed from above only as much as the peeling of a garlic, and the owner had purified one of them?" "The water in the second can also purify."
9. "Two stones which are placed near to each other, and one made of them a (drinking) trough, and also two kneading-troughs, and also a drinking-trough, which was divided?" "The water, which is between them, does not purify." "If one connected them with lime or gypsum, and they can be lifted at once?" "The water, which is between them, can purify."
307:2 If the vessels had been in the first row, some one might have touched them, or some vessel might have come in contact with them, so as to render them unclean.
308:1 Numb. xix. 15.
308:2 It does not disallow the purifying pool if water flowed through a crevice in the rock into the pool.