All utensils have an exterior and an interior, and they have a tzeviah place. R’ Tarfon says: [It was said with regard] to a large wooden trough. R’ Akiva says: [It was said with regard] to cups. R’ Meir says: [It was said with regard] to tamei hands and tahor hands. R’ Yose said: [The Sages] stated this ruling only [with regard] to tahor hands.

How? [If] one’s hands were tahor and the exterior of the cup was tamei, [if] he held it by its tzeviah place, he need not be concerned that perhaps his hands were rendered tamei by the exterior of the cup. [If] one was drinking from a cup whose exterior was tamei, he need not be concerned that perhaps the liquid in his mouth was rendered tamei by the exterior of the cup and then rendered tamei the [interior of the] cup. [Regarding] a kettle that is boiling [water], one need not be concerned that perhaps liquid left it, touched its exterior, and then returned to its inside.

Utensils of kodesh do not have an exterior and an interior, and they do not have a tzeviah place. And we may not immerse utensils within [other] utensils for kodesh. All utensils descend to tumah through thought, but they do not emerge from their tumah except through a physical change, for an action negates an action or a thought, but a thought negates neither an action nor a thought.

[Regarding] an Imkean sandal, and a drawstring-purse — R’ Yehudah says: Also a palm-strip basket, Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel says: Also a Ludkean sandal [has] the same [law] — these are rendered tamei and rendered tahor without a craftsman. R’ Yose said: But are not all utensils rendered tamei and rendered tahor without a craftsman? Rather, these [utensils], even if they are undone, are tamei, for a layman is able to repair them. They only stated [the other law] with regard to a palm-strip basket, for even a craftsman is not able to repair it.