An uncertainty of [tumah involving] beverages with regard to acquiring tumah is [deemed] tamei; how so? [If] a tamei person stretched his leg among tahor beverages, [and] it is uncertain whether he touched [the beverages] or did not touch [them], the uncertainty is [ruled] tamei. [If] there was a tamei loaf in one’s hand, and he threw it among tahor beverages, [and] it is uncer-tain whether [the loaf] touched [the beverages] or did not touch [them], the uncertainty is [ruled] tamei.  And [an uncer-tainty concerning beverages] with regard to conveying tumah is [ruled] tahor; how so? [If] there was a staff in one’s hand and on its tip there was a tamei beverage and he threw it among tahor loaves, [and] it is uncertain whether [the liquid] touched [the loaves] or did not touch [them], the uncertainty is [ruled] tahor.

R’ Yose says: A [tumah] uncertainty of bev-erages, [with regard] to food, it is [ruled] tamei; [with regard] to utensils, it is [ruled] tahor. How so? [If there were] two barrels, one tamei and one tahor, and he made a dough using one of them, and it is uncertain whether he made it from the tamei [water] or if he made it from the tahor [water], this is an uncertainty concerning beverages [which with regard] to food is [ruled] tamei but [with regard] to utensils is [ruled] tahor.

An uncertainty concerning [tumah of] hands, with regard to acquiring tumah, to conveying tumah, and to becoming tahor, is [deemed] tahor.  An uncertainty in a public domain is [deemed] tahor.  An uncertainty concerning Rabbinical edicts: [if] one ate tamei foods, [or] drank tamei beverages, [or] if one’s head and the greater part of [his body] enters into drawn water, or if three lugin of drawn water fell on one’s head and the greater part of [his body], the uncertainty is [deemed] tahor. But [regarding] something which is an av hatumah of Rabbinic enactment, its uncertainty is [deemed] tamei.

An uncertainty pertaining to chullin: this [refers to] the taharah of perishus.  An uncertainty concerning sheratzim: [it is judged] according to its [status at the] time of discovery.  An uncertainty concerning afflictions [of tzaraas]: at the outset it is [deemed] tahor, as long as [the one afflicted] has not been confirmed to be tamei. [But] once he has been confirmed to be tamei, an uncertainty is [deemed] tamei.  An uncertainty concerning nezirus is permitted.  An uncertainty con-cerning firstborns: whether human firstborns or animal firstborns, either nonkosher or kosher [is decided leniently], for the bur-den of proof is on the one who seeks to extract [property] from his fellow.