Slaughter-blood of cattle, of beasts, or of fowl, whether unclean or clean; blood [shed as a result] of piercing; or blood [shed as a result] of tearing; or the blood of bloodletting, by which life escapes — they are liable for it. The blood of the spleen; the blood of the heart; the blood of eggs; the blood of fish; the blood of locusts; or the blood that oozes out — they are not liable for it. R’ Yehudah holds [one] liable for the blood that oozes out.

R’          Akiva holds [one] liable to an asham talui for a doubtful case of me’ilah, but the Sages exempt [him]. R’ Akiva agrees, however, that he does not bring his restitution until it becomes known to him, and he [then] accompanies it with the unconditional asham. Said R’ Tarfon: Why should this [person] bring two ashamos? Rather, let him bring restitution and its fifth, and let him bring an asham for two selaim and say, ‘‘If I am surely guilty of me’ilah, let this be my restitution and this my asham’’; and if it is doubtful, the money is a donation and the asham is an asham talui, for, from the [same] species from which he brings for an obligation of doubt, he brings for an obligation of certainty.

Replied R’ Akiva to him: Your words are acceptable in the case of a small me’ilah. [But] what if he is guilty of a doubtful case of me’ilah of one hundred maneh, is it not better for him that he bring an asham for two selaim and not bring a doubtful restitution of one hundred maneh? R’ Akiva [then] agrees with R’ Tarfon in the case of a small me’ilah. [If] a woman brought a bird chatas of doubt: If it became known to her before its neck was nipped that she had definitely given birth, she must make it an unconditional [chatas], for, from the [same] species from which she brings for an obligation of doubt, she brings for an obligation of certainty.

[If there was] a piece of ordinary [meat] and a piece of sanctified [meat], [if] he ate one of them, but it is not known which of them he ate — he is exempt. R’ Akiva holds [him] liable to an asham talui. [If] he ate the second [piece], he must bring an unconditional asham. [If] one [person] ate the first [piece], and another [person] came and ate the second [piece] — this one must bring an asham talui, and that one must bring an asham talui; [these are] the words of R’ Akiva. R’ Shimon says: They both bring one asham. R’ Yose says: Two do not bring one asham.

[If there was] a piece of ordinary [meat] and a piece of cheilev, [if] he ate one of them, and it is not known which one of them he ate, he must bring an asham talui. [If] he ate the second [piece], he must bring a chatas. [If] one person ate the first [piece], and another came and ate the second [piece] — this one must bring an asham talui, and that one must bring an asham talui. [These are] the words of R’ Akiva. R’ Shimon says: They both bring one chatas. R’ Yose says: Two do not bring one chatas.

[If there was] a piece of cheilev and a piece of sanctified [fat], [if] he ate one of them and it is not known which of them he ate, he must bring an asham talui. [If] he ate the second [piece], he must bring a chatas and an unconditional asham. [If] one person ate the first [piece], and another came and ate the second [piece] — this one must bring an asham talui, and that one must bring an asham talui. R’ Shimon says: They both bring a chatas and an asham. R’ Yose says: Two do not bring a chatas and an asham.

[If there was] a piece of cheilev and a piece of sanctified cheilev, [if] he ate one of them, and it is not known which of them he ate, he must bring a chatas. R’ Akiva says: He must bring an asham talui. [If] he ate the second [piece], he must bring two chataos and an unconditional asham. [If] one person ate the first [piece], and another came and ate the second [piece] — this one must bring a chatas, and that one must bring a chatas. R’ Akiva says: This one must bring an asham talui, and that one must bring an asham talui. R’ Shimon says: This one [brings] a chatas and that one [brings] a chatas, and both must bring one asham. R’ Yose says: Two do not bring one asham.

[If there was] a piece of cheilev and a piece of cheilev that was nossar, [if] he ate one of them, and it is not known which of them he ate, he must bring a chatas and an asham talui. [If] he ate the second [piece], he must bring three chataos. [If] one person ate the first [piece] and another came and ate the second [piece] — this one must bring a chatas and an asham talui, and that one must bring a chatas and an asham talui. R’ Shimon says: This one [brings] a chatas and that one [brings] a chatas, and both must bring a [third] chatas. R’ Yose says: Any chatas that comes for sin, two may not bring it.

[If] one brings an asham talui, and then discovers that he has not sinned: If it has not yet been slaughtered, it may go forth and graze with the flock; [these are] the words of R’ Meir. The Sages [however] say: It must graze until it develops a blemish; then it is sold and the proceeds deposited for a voluntary offering. R’ Eliezer says: It is sacrificed, for, if it is not brought for this sin, it may be brought for another sin. If, after it is slaughtered, it becomes known to him, the blood must be spilled, and the meat must be removed to the place of burning. [If] the blood had [already] been thrown, the meat may be eaten. R’ Yose says: Even if the blood is [still] in a vessel, it may be thrown, and the meat may be eaten.

An asham vaddai is unlike this. If it had not yet been slaughtered, it may go forth and graze with the flock. [If] it had already been slaughtered, it must be buried. [If] the blood had been thrown, the meat must be removed to the place of burning. An ox which is [to be] stoned is unlike this. If it had not yet been stoned, it may go forth and graze with the herd. If it had already been stoned, it is permissible to derive benefit from it. A calf that is [to be] decapitated is unlike this. If it had not yet been decapitated, it may go forth and graze with the herd. [After the calf] has been decapitated, it must be buried at its site, for it originally came [to atone] for a doubtful situation — [once] it has atoned for its doubt, its purpose has been fulfilled.

R’ Eliezer says: A person may donate an asham talui any day or any time that he wishes, and this is called the asham of the pious. It was said concerning Bava ben Buti that he would donate an asham talui every day, except one day after Yom Kippur. He said: By this Temple! Were they to permit me, I would bring it, but they tell me: Wait until you come into a doubt. But the Sages say: We may not bring an asham talui except for something which, if intentional, [bears a penalty of] kares and, if unintentional, [is liable to a] chatas.