  Pouring Water—Vessels—Water—Who May Pour—How It Is to Be Poured—Hindrances to Cleanness—Doubting—Primary Uncleanness—Secondary Uncleanness—Derived Uncleanness—Rabban Simeon, Son of Gamaliel—Straps of Phylacteries—Rolls of the Law—Holy Scriptures—Canticles and Ecclesiastes—Foot-baths—Ammon and Moab—Discussion between Rabbis Eleazar, Ishmael, and Tarphon—Weeping of R. Eleazar—An Ammonite Proselyte—Chaldee Writing—Assyrian Writing—The Sadducees—The Books of Homer—The Pharisees—Writing the Name. Chapter I1. A quarter-log760 of water is poured on the hands of one person; also on the hands of two persons. Half a log on three or four. From a log for five, ten, or even 100 (persons). R. JosÉ says, “provided there be not less for the last than a quarter-log.” Men may add (water) for the second washing,761 but they must not add it for the first. 2. They may put water for hands in all vessels, even in vessels of dung or vessels of stone or vessels of earth. But they must not pour it on hands out of the (broken) sides of vessels or the bottom of a tub or the bung of a cask. Nor may one give it to his neighbor out of the hollow of his hand: because they must not draw or consecrate, or sprinkle the water of purification, or put it on hands, except it be in a vessel. They can only preserve vessels by the covering bound762 upon them. Nor can they preserve from uncleanness water in open earthen vessels,763 only in (covered) vessels. 3. Water which is unfit for animals to drink, is unfit (for washing) in vessels; but on the ground it is fit. If ink, gum, [pg 291] 4. If one rinsed vessels in it, or rinsed out measures, it is unfit. If one rinsed in it vessels already washed, or new ones, it is fit. R. JosÉ “disallows it for new vessels.” 5. Water in which the baker had dipped rolls, is unfit; but if he only dipped in his hands, it is fit. All are allowed to pour water on hands, even one deaf, an idiot, or a minor. A man may rest a cask between his knees and pour it. He may incline the barrel on its side and pour it. An ape may pour water on hands. R. JosÉ “disallows these two cases.” Chapter II1. “If one poured on his hand one gush?” “His hand is clean.” “If on both hands one gush?” R. Meier pronounces them “unclean, until one poured out of a quarter-log (vessel) upon them.” “If a heave-loaf fall (on the water)?” “It is clean.” R. JosÉ “pronounces it unclean.” 2. “If one poured out his first (ablution) in one place, and his second in another place, and a heave-loaf fall on the first?” “It is unclean.” “If on the second?” “It is clean.” “If one poured out both the first and second (ablutions) into one place, and a heave-loaf fall on them?” “It is unclean.” “If one poured out his first ablution, and find on his hand a splinter or small stone?” “His hands are unclean, as the second water only purifies the first washing on the hand.”764 R. Simon, the son of Gamaliel, says, “whatsoever is a creation of the water is clean.” 3. The hands become legally unclean, or legally clean up to the wrist. “How?” “If one poured the first (ablution) up to the wrist, and the second above the wrist, and the water ran back into the hand?” “It is clean.” “If one poured the first and second (ablutions) above the wrist, and the water ran back into the hand?” “It is unclean.” “If one poured the first (ablution) over one hand, and afterward the second [pg 292] 4. “There is a doubt if the water has been used, there is a doubt if it has not been used; there is a doubt if it be the prescribed quantity, there is a doubt if it be not the prescribed quantity: there is a doubt if it be (legally) unclean, there is a doubt if it be (legally) clean?” “In doubting he is clean,” because the Sages said, “if there be a doubt of his hands being unclean, or imparting uncleanness, or being clean, he is clean.” R. JosÉ said, “if there be a doubt of cleanness it is uncleanness.” “How?” “His hands are clean, and before him are two unclean loaves, it is doubtful if he touched them, it is doubtful if he did not touch them: his hands are unclean, and before him are two clean loaves, it is doubtful if he touched them, it is doubtful if he did not touch them?” “His hands are one unclean and one clean.” “And before him are two clean loaves: he touched one of them, it is doubtful if he touched the unclean, it is doubtful if he touched the clean?” “His hands are clean.” “And before him are two loaves, one unclean and one clean, he touched one of them, it is doubtful if he touched the unclean, it is doubtful if he touched the clean?” “His hands are one unclean and one clean.” “And before him are two loaves, one unclean and one clean, he touched both of them, it is doubtful if it were the unclean (loaf) with the unclean (hand), or the clean (loaf) with the clean (hand), or the clean loaf with the unclean (hand), or the unclean loaf with the clean hand?” “The hands remain as they were, and the loaves as they were.”765 Chapter III1. “Whosoever puts his hands into a house smitten with leprosy?” “His hands are unclean in a primary degree.”766 The words of R. Akiba. But the Sages say, “his hands are unclean in a secondary degree.”767 “Whatever renders garments unclean at the time of contact, renders hands unclean in a primary degree.” The words of R. Akiba. But the Sages say, “in a secondary degree.” They said to R. Akiba, “where do we find the hands (unclean) in a primary degree?” “Everywhere,” he said to them; “and how is it possible for them to be unclean in a primary degree, unless his body is unclean, excepting this.”768 “Victuals, and vessels which are unclean through liquids, render hands unclean in a secondary degree.” The words of R. Joshua. But the Sages say, “that which is unclean through a source of uncleanness,769 renders the hands unclean; but derived uncleanness770 does not render the hands unclean.” Rabban Simeon, the son of Gamaliel, said, “it happened that a woman came before my father. She said to him, ‘my hands entered into the hollow of an earthen vessel.’ He said to her, ‘my daughter, from what was its uncleanness?’ But I did not hear what she said to him.” The Sages said, “the thing is clear, that which is unclean through a source of uncleanness renders the hands unclean; but derived uncleanness does not render the hands unclean.” 2. “Whatever disallows the heave-offering, renders the hands unclean in a secondary degree. One hand can render the other hand unclean.” The words of R. Joshua. But the Sages say, “a secondary cannot make a secondary.”771 He said to them, “and are not Holy Scriptures secondaries, and they render the hands unclean?” They said to him, “we cannot judge the words of the Law from the words of the scribes, nor the words of the scribes from the words of the Law, nor the words of the scribes from other words of the scribes.” [pg 294]3. Straps of phylacteries with the phylacteries, render the hands unclean. R. Simeon says, “the straps of phylacteries do not render the hands unclean.” 4. The margin in a book of the Law, at the top and bottom, at the beginning and end, renders the hands unclean. R. JosÉ says, “in the end it does not render the hands unclean, until the roller be attached.” 5. A book of the Law which is erased, but in which there remain eighty-five letters like the portion, “And it came to pass when the Ark set forward,”772 renders the hands unclean. Any roll in which there are written eighty-five letters like the portion, “And it came to pass when the Ark set forward,” renders the hands unclean. All sacred Scriptures render the hands unclean. The Canticles and Ecclesiastes render the hands unclean. R. Judah says, “Canticles render the hands unclean, but Ecclesiastes is in dispute.” R. JosÉ says, “Ecclesiastes does not render the hands unclean, but the Canticles are in dispute.” R. Simeon says, “Ecclesiastes is one in which the school of Shammai is less strict, and the school of Hillel more rigid.” R. Simeon, the son of Azai, said, “I received by tradition from the mouths of the seventy-two elders, on the day they inducted R. Eleazar, the son of Azariah, into the president's seat, that Canticles and Ecclesiastes render the hands unclean.” R. Akiba said, “God forbid! no man in Israel ever questioned that the Canticles render the hands unclean, as the whole world is not equal to the day on which the Canticles were given to Israel; for all the Scriptures are holy, but the Canticles are Holy of Holies. They only disputed in reference to Ecclesiastes.” R. Jochanan, the son of Joshua, the son of R. Akiba's father-in-law, said, “according to the words of the son of Azai, thus they disputed, and thus they decided.” Chapter IV1. On that day773 they voted and decided, “that a foot-bath containing from two logs to nine cabs,774 which was split,775 may become unclean from pressure,”776 although R. Akiba says, “that a foot-bath is as its name.”777 2. On that day they said, “that all sacrifices offered without due intention are allowed, but they do not absolve the owners from their obligation, except the passover-offering, and the sin-offering—the passover-offering in its time, and the sin-offering at all times.” R. Eleazar says, “also the trespass-offering, the passover-offering in its time, and the sin or trespass-offering at all times.” R. Simeon, the son of Azai, said, “I received it by tradition from the mouth of the seventy-two elders, on the day they inducted R. Eleazar, the son of Azariah, into the president's seat, that all sacrifices offered without due intention, are allowed, but they do not absolve the owners from their obligation, except the passover-offering, and the sin-offering.” The son of Azai only added the burnt-offering, but the Sages did not agree with him. 3. On that day they said, “how is it with Ammon and Moab778 in the Sabbatical year?” R. Tarphon decided “they must pay tithes for the poor”;779 but R. Eleazar, son of Azariah, decided “second tithes.”780 R. Ishmael then said, “Eleazar, son of Azariah, it behoves thee to prove it, for thou addest to the burden (of the Law); and whoever adds to the burden (of the Law) it behoves him to prove it.” R. Eleazar, son of Azariah, said to him, “Ishmael, my brother, I have not changed from the order of the years,781 but my brother Tarphon has changed, therefore it behoves him to prove it.” R. Tarphon replied, “Egypt is out of the land, and Ammon and Moab are out of the land: as Egypt pays tithes for the poor in the Sabbatical year, so Ammon and Moab pay tithes for [pg 296] 3. On that day came Judah, an Ammonitish proselyte, and stood before them in the college. He said to them, “How am I to come into the congregation?” Rabban Gamaliel said to him, “thou art forbidden.” R. Joshua said to him, “thou art allowed.” Rabban Gamaliel said, “the Scripture says, ‘An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation, etc.’ ”784 To him said R. Joshua, “Are then the Ammonites or Moabites still in their own land? Sennacherib, King of Assyria, aforetime came up, and commingled the nations, as is said, ‘And I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant (man).’ ”785 Rabban Gamaliel said to him, “the Scripture says, ‘And afterward I will bring again the captivity of the children of Ammon’;786 and they are already returned.” To him said R. Joshua, “the Scripture says, ‘And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel,787 and Judah.’ But they are not yet returned.” And they allowed him to come into the congregation. 4. The Chaldee passages in Ezra and Daniel render the hands unclean. Chaldee written in Hebrew, and Hebrew written in Chaldee, or in Hebrew,788 do not render the hands unclean. In no case do they cause uncleanness, unless the writing be Assyrian, on parchment with ink. 5. The Sadducees said, “we blame you Pharisees, because you say sacred Scriptures render the hands unclean, but the books Hameram789 do not render the hands unclean.” Rabban Jochanan, the son of Zachai, said, “and have we nothing else against the Pharisees but this? Behold they say, ‘that the bones of an ass are clean, but the bones of Jochanan the high-priest are unclean.’ ” They said to him, “according to their value is their uncleanness, so that no one may make the bones of his father and mother into spoons.” He said to them, “so [pg 298] 6. The Sadducees said, “we blame you Pharisees, that you declare the stream flowing (from a clean into an unclean vessel) to be clean.” The Pharisees said, “we blame you Sadducees, that you declare a stream of water flowing from a graveyard to be clean.” The Sadducees said, “we blame you Pharisees, because you say, if my ox or my ass cause damage, we are responsible; but if my slave or my bondwoman cause damage, we are free. What! if I be responsible for my ox and my ass, for which I have no obligation, I am bound for my slave or bondwoman for whom I have obligation. It is just that I should be bound for their damages.” They said to them “no! if you speak of my ox and my ass which have no knowledge, as you speak of my slave and bondwoman who have knowledge: then, if I offend them, they may go and set fire to the stacks of corn of another, and I should be bound to pay.” 7. A Galilean Sadducee said, “I blame you Pharisees, because you write the name of the reigning sovereign in the letter of divorce with Moses.” The Pharisees said, “we blame you Galilean Sadducee, that you write the sovereign on the same page with the NAME, and not only so, but you write the sovereign above, and the name below, as is said, ‘And Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?” ’ ”790 But when he was punished, what did he say? “The LORD is righteous.”791 |
|
