[If] someone immerses a utensil for [mei] chatas in water that is not suit- able for consecration, he must dry [it]; [if he im-merses it] in water that is suitable for consecration, he does not need to dry [it]; if [he immerses the utensil in order] to add consecrated water in it, in either case he must dry [it].

[Regarding] a gourd shell that one immersed in water that is not suitable for consecration, we may consecrate [mei chatas] in it until it becomes tamei. [If the gourd shell subsequently] became tamei, we may not consecrate [mei chatas] in it. R’ Ye-hoshua says: If one may consecrate [mei chatas] in [the shell] initially, he should also [be able to] consecrate [mei chatas] in it at the end. [And] if one may not consecrate [mei chatas] in it at the end, he should also not [be able to consecrate mei chatas in it] initially. In either case, one may not add consecrated water in it.

Regarding] a tube that one cut for chatas [purposes], R’ Eliezer says: He may immerse [it] immediately. R’ Yehoshua says: He must render [the tube] tamei and [only then] immerse [it].  All are qualified to consecrate [mei chatas], except for a deaf-mute, a mentally deranged person, and a minor. R’ Yehudah rules a minor qualified, but disqualifies a woman and an androgyne.

We may consecrate [mei chatas] in all [types of] vessels, even in dung vessels, stone vessels, and clay vessels. And we may consecrate [mei chatas] in a boat.  We cannot consecrate [mei chatas] in the walls of a vessel, nor in the bottom of a machatz, nor in the cover of a barrel, nor in the palms of one’s hands, because we cannot draw [water for mei chatas], nor consecrate [mei chatas], nor sprinkle mei chatas except with a vessel.  Nothing with a sealed cover protects [its contents from tumah] besides vessels, and nothing is protected from [being rendered tamei in] an earthenware vessel besides vessels.