[In the case of] barrels that are outdoors, standing upright or lying on their sides, which touch one another by a square handbreadth, [if there is] tumah underneath one [barrel], tumah penetrates directly up and directly down. In what case does this apply? When [the barrels] are tahor. However, if they are tamei, or a handbreadth above the ground, and there is tumah under one of them, [the area] beneath all of them becomes tamei.

[In the case of] a house divided by boards or curtains from the sides or from the joists, [if there is] tumah inside the house, utensils inside the partitioned section re-main tahor. [If there is] tumah inside the partitioned section, utensils inside the house become tamei. When there are utensils inside the partitioned section, if there is a cubed handbreadth, they become tamei; if not, they remain tahor.

[When] the partition is built on the floor and tumah is inside the partitioned sec-tion, utensils inside the house become tamei. When tumah is inside the house and utensils are inside the partitioned section, if the area containing the utensils is a handbreadth by a handbreadth and a handbreadth high, [the utensils] remain tahor. If not, they become tamei, because the floor of the house, as deep as one can go, is like the house.

[In the case of] a house full of straw where there is less than a cubed handbreadth between [the straw] and the joists and tumah is in the inner area, utensils near the exit become tamei. [If] tumah is in the outer area, and utensils are in the inner area — if the [inner] area is a handbreadth by a handbreadth and a handbreadth high, [the utensils remain] tahor; and if not, they become tamei. [However,] if there is a cubed handbreadth between the straw and the joists, [the utensils] become tamei in all circumstances.