1. "A pan for purification which one left open, and he found it covered?" "It is disallowed." "He left it open and found a covering on it?" "If a weasel could drink of it, or a serpent, according to the words of Rabban Gamaliel, or there fell in it dew by night, it is disallowed." Water with ashes cannot be saved (from legal impurity) by the covering 2 bound upon it. And water in which there are no ashes, is saved by the covering bound upon it.
2. Every doubt implies cleanness in the heave-offering
and cleanness in purification. Every reason for suspense in the heave-offering, causes pouring away of the water in purification. If acts requiring legal cleanness be afterwards performed, they are in suspense. Shallow water 1 is clean for holy things, and the heave-offering and purification. R. Eleazar said, "trickling water 2 is unclean for purification."
3. "A dried fig of the heave-offering which has fallen into water for purification, and one has taken it out and eaten it?" "If it be the size of an egg, whether it be unclean or clean, the water is unclean, and he who ate it is guilty of death." R. José said, "if it be clean the water is clean." He who was cleansed for the sin-offering, and afterwards put his head and the greater part of his body into water of purification, is unclean.
4. Everyone charged by the words of the Law to enter water, renders unclean holy things, and the heave-offering and ordinary things and the tithe, and is prevented from entering the temple. "After entering (the water) he renders unclean holy things, and disallows the heave-offering." The words of R. Meier, but the Sages say, "he disallows holy things and the heave-offering, but he is permitted in ordinary things and tithes, and if he came to the temple, whether before or after entering (water), he is a debtor (to the Law)."
5. "Everyone charged by the words of the Scribes to enter water, renders unclean holy things, and disallows the heave-offering, but allows ordinary things and the tithes." The words of R. Meier, but the Sages "disallow him in tithes." After his entering (water) he is permitted in all these. And if he came to the temple whether before or after entering water, he is free.
6. Everyone charged to enter water, whether by the words of the Law or the words of the Scribes, renders unclean the water for purification and the ashes for purification, and the sprinkler of the water of purification, by touching or lifting. "The hyssop, and the water without ashes, and empty vessels cleansed for purification (render unclean), by
touching or lifting." The words of R. Meier, but the Sages say, "by touching but not by lifting."
7. All hyssop which has a distinctive name is forbidden, simple hyssop is allowed; Grecian hyssop, coloured hyssop, Roman hyssop, desert hyssop, are forbidden, and that of the unclean heave-offering is forbidden, but if it were of the clean (heave-offering) one should not sprinkle with it, but if one sprinkled with it, it is allowed. Men must not sprinkle with the sprouts or the berries of hyssop. When sprinkled with the sprouts, they are not prevented from entering the temple. R. Eliezer said, "not even with the berries." These are sprouts—stalks which have not ripened.
8. Hyssop used for sprinkling is allowed to cleanse the leper. "If one gathered it for wood, and fluid fell on it?" "He may dry it, and it is allowed." "If one gathered it for food, and fluid fell on it?" "Even though he dried it, it is disallowed." "If one gathered it for purification?" "It is reckoned as food." The words of R. Meier. R. Judah, and R. José, and R. Simon say, "it is reckoned as wood."
9. The order of the hyssop (requires) three roots, and in them three stalks. R. Judah said, "to every root three stalks." Hyssop which has three roots is to be separated and bound, if separated and not bound, if bound and not separated, if neither separated nor bound, it is allowed. R. José said, "the order of the hyssop is three roots and in them three stalks, and if there remain over from sprinkling two, and their fibres however small, they are allowed."
318:2 Numbers xix. 15.
319:1 Maimonides translates "Lattice-work."
319:2 Or trelliswork.
