Cloth can contract tumah in five categories; sack [can contract tumah] in four [categories]; hide [can contract tumah] in three [categories]; wood [can contract tumah] in two [categories]; and earthenware [can contract tumah] in one [category]. Earthenware is susceptible to tumah as a receptacle. Any earthenware utensil that has no interior has no exterior. Wood exceeds [earthenware] in that [wood] is subject to tumah as a seat. Similarly, [regarding] a tray that has no rim: If it is a wooden utensil, it is susceptible to tumah; but if it is an earthenware utensil, it is tahor. Hide exceeds [wood] in that [hide] is subject to roof-tumah. Sack exceeds [hide] in that [sack] is subject to tumah as a woven article. Cloth exceeds [sack] in that [cloth] is subject to tumah when it measures three [fingerbreadths] by three [fingerbreadths].

Cloth can contract midras [tumah if it measures] three [handbreadths] by three [handbreadths], and it can contract corpse-tumah [if it measures] three [fingerbreadths] by three [fingerbreadths]. Sack [can contract tumah if it measures] four [handbreadths] by four [handbreadths]; hide [can contract tumah if it measures] five [handbreadths] by five [handbreadths]; a mat [can contract tumah if it measures] six [handbreadths] by six [handbreadths]. [This measure applies] equally to midras [tumah] and to corpse-tumah. R’ Meir says: [Regarding] sack, its remnants [can contract tumah if they measure] four [handbreadths]; but initially, [it contracts tumah] when it has been completed.

[If] one made [a piece of material with] two [handbreadths] of cloth and one [handbreadth] of sack, three [handbreadths] of sack and one [handbreadth] of hide, [or] four [handbreadths] of hide and one [handbreadth] of matting, it is tahor. [But if he made a piece of material with] five [handbreadths] of matting and one [handbreadth] of hide, four [handbreadths] of hide and one [hand- breadth] of sack, [or] three [handbreadths] of sack and one [handbreadth] of cloth, it is tamei. This is the rule: Whatever has [a different material] attached to it; [if it is] from a [material] more stringent than it, it is tamei; [if it is] from a [material] less stringent than it, it is tahor.

[If] one trims any [of these materials into a piece measuring] one handbreadth by one handbreadth, it is tamei. [If one trims] from the bottom of a basket [a piece measuring] one handbreadth by one handbreadth, it is tamei. [If he trimmed a piece] from the sides of the basket, R’ Shimon rules that it is tahor. But the Sages say: [If] one trims [a piece of the basket measuring] one handbreadth by one handbreadth in any place, it is tamei.