1. Rabbi Eliezer said, “the red heifer must be a calf of a year old or a heifer of two years.” But the Sages say, “a calf of two years and a heifer of three years or of four years.” Rabbi Meier said, “even of five years she is allowed, or older. But they are not to wait (longer) for her, lest she turn black and be disallowed.” Rabbi Joshua said, “I only heard, third.” They said to him, “what is the meaning of ‘third’?” He said to them, “thus I heard it, without explanation.” The son of Azai said, “I will explain it, if you say ‘third,’ that is to others in counting; but if you say ‘one of three,’ that is, of three years.” As when they say, “a fourth vineyard.” They said to him, “what means ‘fourth’?” He said to them, “thus I heard it, without explanation.” Said the son of Azai, “I will explain. If you say ‘fourth,’ that is, to others in counting. But as you say ‘one of four,’ that is, of four years. As when they say, he who eats in a leprous house a half-loaf,720 of three loaves to the cab of flour.” They say to him, “say [pg 268] eighteen loaves to the seah of flour.” He said to them, “Thus I heard it, without explanation.” Said the son of Azai, “I will explain. If you say, ‘three to the cab,’ there is no dough-offering. But if you say, ‘eighteen to the seah,’ the dough-offering diminishes it.”

2. R. JosÉ the Galilean said, “the cleansing of the Levites required bullocks of two years old,” as is said, “And another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering.”721 But the Sages say, “even of three years.” R. Meier said, “bullocks even of four and five years are allowed, but old ones are not brought, for honor's sake.”

3. Sacrifices required lambs of a year old and rams of two years old, and all (are reckoned) from day to day.722 If they be thirteen months old, neither ram nor lamb is allowed. R. Tarphon called it, “half and between.” The son of Azai called it, “pointed out.” R. Ishmael called it, “recalled coin.” If the ram be brought for offering, and the libation of the ram be brought with him, it does not pass for his offering, except he be thirteen months and one day old. That is the law for the ram.

4. The sin-offering of the congregation and their burnt-offerings, the sin-offering of an individual and the trespass-offering of the Nazarite and the trespass-offering of the leper are allowed for thirty days and upward, and even on the thirtieth day. And if they are brought on the eighth day, they are allowed; vows, freewill-offerings, the first-born, and the tithe and the passover are allowed from the eighth day and upward, and even on the eighth day.

1. Rabbi Eliezer said, “a heifer for a sin-offering is allowed even in pregnancy.” But the Sages disallow her. R. Eliezer said, “she is not to be taken from foreigners.” But the Sages allow her. And not only she, but all the offerings of the congregation, and of the individual, may come from the Land (of Israel), or from outside the land, from the fresh harvest and [pg 269] from the old harvest, except the omer,723 and the two loaves,724 which may only come from the fresh harvest, and from the Land.

2. A heifer whose horns and hoofs are black should have them cut away. The pupil of the eye and the teeth and the tongue cause no blemish in the heifer. If she be diminutive, she is allowed. “Had she a wen which was cut away?” R. Judah “disallowed her.” Rabbi Simon said, “every place which was cut down, and no red hair sprang up in its place, renders her blemished.”

3. A heifer produced from the side or from the hire of immorality or exchanged for a dog is disallowed. R. Eliezer allowed it, “as is said, ‘Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God.’725 But she did not come into the house.” All blemishes which are disallowed in holy things are disallowed in the heifer. If one rode on her or leaned on her or hung something on her tail or crossed a river on her or doubled the rope over her or put his garment on her, she is disallowed. But if one bound her with a rope or made a shoe to prevent her slipping or spread his garment over her because of the flies, she is allowed. This is the rule: Everything which was necessary for her is allowed; if there be any use of her for another's benefit, she is disallowed.

4. If a bird rested on her, she is allowed. If the male came to her, she is disallowed. R. Judah said, “if he were brought, she is disallowed, but if he came of himself, she is allowed.”

5. If she had two black or white hairs in one cavity, she is disallowed. R. Judah said, “even in one pore.” “If they be in two pores and they prove united?” “She is disallowed.” Rabbi Akiba said, “even four or five, if they be scattered, may be plucked out.” Rabbi Eleazar said, “even fifty.” R. Joshua, son of Bathira, said, “if there be even one in her head [pg 270] and one in her tail, she is disallowed.” “If there be two hairs, their roots black and their tops red, their roots red and their tops black?” “All follows after the appearance,” the words of Rabbi Meier. But the Sages say, “after the root.”

1. Seven days before the burning of the heifer, the priest who burned the heifer was removed from his house to the chamber in front of the Temple Palace toward the northeast;726 and it was called the Stone House. And he was sprinkled during all the seven days from all the ashes of red heifers which were there. R. JosÉ said, “they did not sprinkle him save on the third and seventh days only.” R. Hananiah, the deputy high-priest, said, “on the priest who burned the heifer they sprinkled during all the seven days, but on him who took service on the Day of Atonement they did not sprinkle save on the third and seventh days only.”

2. There were courts in Jerusalem built of stone, and beneath they were hollow,727 through fear of an unseen grave. And pregnant women were brought, and they were delivered there. And there they reared their sons, and oxen were brought with doors on their backs, and the lads were seated on them with stone cups in their hands. They came to Siloam, they dismounted, and filled them. They remounted, and returned on the backs of the oxen. R. JosÉ said, “from their seats on the backs of the oxen they let down (the cups) and filled them (with water).”

3. The lads came back to the Mountain of the House and dismounted. The Mountain of the House and its courts were hollow below, through fear of an unseen grave. And at the door of the court there were prepared the ashes of the red heifers; and they brought a ram from the sheep, and they twisted a rope between his horns, and they twisted a stick and [pg 271] stuck it into the end of the rope, and it was dipped into the ashes, and the ram got a blow, and he skipped backward, and took them, and caused them to appear on the surface of the water. R. JosÉ said, “you should not give an opportunity to the Sadducees for scoffing: but (the lad) took and prepared the ashes.”

4. They did not make use of (what pertained) to one red heifer for a second one, nor did they use another lad for728 his (prepared) companion. “And the lads themselves were in need of sprinkling,” the words of Rabbi JosÉ the Galilean. R. Akiba said, “they had no need of sprinkling.”

5. If they did not find (ashes) of seven red heifers, six were sufficient, five, four, three, two, one. “And who made them?” “Moses made the first, and Ezra the second, and (there were) five from Ezra and afterward,” the words of Rabbi Meier. But the Sages say, “seven from Ezra and afterward.” “And who made them?” “Simon the Just, and John the High-priest made each two. Elihueni, son of Hakuf, and Hanamel the Egyptian, and Ishmael, son of Piani, made one each.”

6. And a causeway was made from the Mountain of the House to the Mount of Olives, with arches over arches. And there was an arch in front of the last pillar for fear of an unseen grave. Over it the priest who burned the heifer, and the heifer with all her attendants, proceeded to the Mount of Olives.

7. If the heifer were unwilling to go, they did not bring with her a black one, lest it be said, “they slaughtered a black one” nor a red one, lest it be said, “they slaughtered two.” R. JosÉ said, this was not the reason, but because it is only said, “That he may bring her forth.”729 And the elders of Israel preceded her on foot to the Mount of Olives. And a house for washing was there. And the priest who burned the heifer was rendered unclean because of the Sadducees,730 lest they should say, “it is needful for sunset to pass over him.”731

8. The elders put their hands on the priest and said, “my Lord High-priest, wash once.” He descended and washed, [pg 272] and he came up and wiped himself. And wood was set in order there, cedar and ash and cypress and fig-wood smoothed. And it was made like a tower, and windows were opened in it, and their direction was westward.

9. The red heifer was bound with a rope of bulrushes and she was put on the place of preparation, with her head southward and with her face westward. The priest stood in the east with his face westward. He slaughtered the heifer with his right hand, and received (the blood) in his left hand. R. Judah said, “he received it in his right hand and put it into his left, and sprinkled it with his right hand.” He dipped his hand, and sprinkled the blood seven times in front of the House of the Holy of Holies. For every sprinkling of blood he dipped his hand. When he finished sprinkling the blood he wiped his hand on the body of the heifer. He went down and kindled the fire with chips. Rabbi Akiba said, “with palm-branches.”

10. She burst and moved from her place. He took cedar-wood and hyssop and scarlet (wool). He said to them, “is this cedar-wood, is this cedar-wood?” “is this hyssop, is this hyssop?” “is this scarlet, is this scarlet?” three times for each thing. And they said to him, “yes,” “yes,” three times for each thing.

11. He wrapped them in the remainder732 of the tongue of scarlet wool, and cast them into the midst of the burning. When the fire was burned down, the ashes were beaten with sticks and sifted with sieves. R. Ishmael said, “with stone hammers, and the work was finished with stone sieves.” A black piece in which there are ashes must be pulverized, and that which has no ashes is left. Bones with or without ashes were pulverized. And they were divided into three parts. One part was put in the Chel, and one was put on the Mount of Olives, and one was divided for all the guards733 (i.e., the representatives of all Israel).