Preceding the festivals (lit., calamities) of idolaters [for] three days it is forbidden to transact business (lit., take and give) with them, to lend them articles or to borrow articles from them, to lend them money or to borrow money from them, to repay a debt to them or to accept repayment from them. R’ Yehudah says: We may accept repayment from them, since this causes him distress. They said to him: Even though it causes him distress now, he rejoices afterwards.

R’ Yishmael says: It is forbidden [for] three days preceding them, and for three days following them. But the Sages say: Before their festivals is forbidden, [but] after their festivals is permitted.

Menachem ben Signai testified concerning the supplement of the cauldron of olive boilers that it is [capable of becoming] tamei, while that of dyers is tahor, because they used to say that the reverse is true.

R' Nechunya ben Gudgeda testified concerning a deaf-mute girl whose father gave her in marriage, that she may be divorced with a get. And [he also testified] concerning a minor, the daughter of a Yisrael who married a Kohen, that she may eat terumah; and if she dies, her husband inherits her. And [he testified] concerning a stolen beam that [a thief] built into a mansion, that he give its value. And [he testified] concerning a stolen chatas-offering unknown to the public, that it atones, for the benefit of the Altar.

R' Yehoshua ben Beseira testified concerning the blood of neveilos that it is tahor. R' Shimon ben Beseira testified concerning the ash of the chatas [parah adumah ashes] that if a tamei touched part of it, he has rendered all of it tamei. R' Akiva added regarding the fine flour [of minchah-offerings], the incense [used for the twice-daily incense-offering in the Temple], the frankincense [used with various minchah-offerings], and the coals [of the Altar] that [if] a tevul yom touched part of them, he has rendered the whole of them unfit.

R' Yehudah ben Bava and R' Yehudah HaKohen testified concerning a minor, the daughter of a Yisrael, who married a Kohen, that she may eat terumah once she has entered the chuppah, even though her marriage has not yet been consummated. R' Yose the Kohen and R' Zecharyah ben HaKatzav testified concerning a young girl who was given as a pledge in Ash-kelon and her family [thereafter] distanced her. However, her witnesses testified regarding her that she had not secluded her-self and had not been violated. The Sages said to [the family]: If you believe that she was given as a pledge, believe [as well] that she did not seclude herself [with an idolater] and was not violated. And if you do not believe that she did not seclude herself and that she was not violated, do not believe that she was given as a pledge.

R' Yehoshua and R' Yehudah ben Beseira testified concerning an issah widow, that she is permitted to marry into the Kehunah; [and] that an issah family is permitted to render tamei or tahor, to distance or to bring closer. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said to them: We accept your testimony, but what can we do [about this in practice] when Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai has decreed not to seat courts for this purpose? [For] the Kohanim [will] heed you to distance, but not to bring close.

R' Yose ben Yoezer, the leader of Tzereidah, testified about the Ayal grasshopper [that it is] tahor, and [he testified] about the beverages of the Temple's butchering place that they are tahor, and [he testified] that one who touched a corpse is tamei. And they called him “Yose the Permitter.”

R' Akiva testified in the name of Nechemyah, the leader of Beis Deli, that we allow a woman to remarry based on the testimony of one witness. R' Yehoshua testified about bones that were found in the woodshed [of the Temple] [that] the Sages said [about them]: One should collect [them] bone by bone, and everything is tahor.

R' Eliezer said: I have heard that when they were building in the Sanctuary they made cur-tains for the Sanctuary and curtains for the Courtyards; except that in [the case of] the Sanctuary they would build outside the [curtains], whereas in [the case of] the Courtyard they would build inside [the curtains]. R' Yehoshua said: I have heard that we may offer sacrifices even though there is no [Sanctuary] building, and [that] we may eat kodshei kodashim even though there are no curtains, [and that we may eat] kodashim kalim and maaser sheni [in Jerusalem] even though there is no wall [around it], because the original sanctification sanctified for that time and sanctified for the future.

R' Yehoshua said: I have a tradition from Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai who heard it from his teacher and his teacher from his teacher [as] a law [taught orally] to Moses at Sinai, that Elijah will not come to declare impure or pure, to distance or to draw near; rather, [Elijah will act] to distance those who were drawn near through force, and to draw near those who were dis-tanced by force. There was a family [by the name of] Tzerifah on the east bank of the Jordan and Ben Tzion distanced [its members] by force, and there was another [family] there and Ben Tzion drew them near with force. Like these, Elijah will come to declare impure or pure, to distance or draw near. R' Yehudah says: [He will come] to draw near but not to distance. R' Shimon says: [He will come] to reconcile the differences of opinion. And the Sages say: [He will come] neither to distance nor to draw near but only to make peace in the world. As it states: Behold, I send you Elijah the Prophet etc. [before the coming of the great and awesome day of Hashem]. And he will reconcile the hearts of the fathers to the sons and the hearts of the sons to the fathers.