Eighteen Treatises from the Mishna, by D. A. Sola and M. J. Raphall, [1843], at sacred-texts.com

CHAPTER II.

§ 1. If he [a person] has poured [water] on one hand at one gush, his hand is clean; [if] on both hands at one gush, R. Meir declares them [still to continue] unclean, until he has poured [water] out of a quarter-lug [vessel] upon them. Should a loaf of heave 1 fall [on the water], it [remains] clean. R. José [however] declares it unclean.

§ 2. Has he poured out his first [ablution] in one place, and his second in another place, should a loaf of heave fall on the first, it [becomes] unclean, if on the second, it [remains] clean. Has he poured out his first and second [ablutions] into one place, and a loaf of heave fall thereon, it [becomes] unclean. Should he pour out his first [ablution], and find on his hand a splinter or small stone, his hands continue unclean, as the second water only purifies the first [water] on the hand. 2 R. Simeon ben Gamaliel saith, "Whatsoever is a production of the water, [and is found on the hand after the first ablution, does not prevent the hand from being] clean."

§ 3. The hands become unclean or clean up to the wrist. How [is this meant]? Should he pour the first [ablution] up to the wrist, and the second [ablution] above the wrist, and some of the water runs back into the hand, that [continues] clean. Should he have poured [both] the first and the second [ablutions] above the wrist, and some of the water runs back into the hand, that [becomes] unclean. Should he have poured the first [ablution] over one hand, and then the second [ablution] over both hands together, they are unclean. Should he have poured the first [ablution] over both hands, and then the second [ablution] over one hand only, his hand is clean. Should he have poured [water] on one hand, and then rubbed it against its fellow [his other hand], it [the hand on which he poured the water] becomes unclean; [but if he rubbed it] against

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his head, or against the wall, it remains clean. They may [at once] pour [water] over [the hands of] four or five [persons] alongside of each other or above each other, provided always, they be careful that the water comes on [every part of] their hands.

§ 4. [Should he be] in doubt whether it [the water] has been used for any purpose or not; [should he be] in doubt whether he had the prescribed quantity or not; [or should he be] in doubt whether [the water was legally] unclean or clean: in all these [cases of] doubt he is clean, because they [the sages] decided, "That whenever it is questionable whether the hands are unclean, [or] impart uncleanness, or are clean, [they are to be considered as] clean." R. Jose [however] held "[That whenever it is questionable whether the hands are] clean, they are [to be considered as] unclean." How [is this rule to be applied]? Were his hands clean, and two unclean loaves before him, should he be in doubt whether he touched them or not, [or,] his hands being unclean, and two clean loaves before him, he is in doubt whether he touched them or not, [ore] one of his hands being unclean and the other clean, there were before him two clean loaves, one of which he touched, should he be in doubt whether he touched it with the unclean [hand], or with the clean [one], [or,] his hands being clean, and there were before him two loaves, one unclean and the other clean, one of which he touched, should he be in doubt whether he touched the unclean or the clean [loaf, or,] his hands being one unclean and one clean, and before him two loaves, one unclean and one clean, both of which he touched, should he be in doubt [whether he touched] the unclean [loaf] with the unclean [hand], and the clean [loaf] with the clean [hand], or the clean [loaf] with the unclean [hand], and the unclean [loaf] with the clean [hand]: in all [these cases] the hands remain as they were, and the loaves as they were. 3

Footnotes

359:1 Or, should a man touch a loaf of heave after having performed his ablutions, but before his hands are quite dry.

359:2 As the splinter or stone intervenes between his skin and the water, it annuls the effect of the ablution, as the portion of his hand which it covers remains untouched by the water, and therefore unclean. And should he even perform the second ablution for heave, his hand still continues unclean, the second water having the effect only of purifying the first water, but not the hand.

360:3 What was clean remains so, and what was unclean also remains so.