Any of the items that convey tumah through ohel, that were divided and brought in-to a house, R’ Dosa ben Harkinas rules [him] tahor, while the Sages rule [him] tamei. How so? [If] someone touches two pieces of [animal] carcass, each [one] half the size of an olive, or carries them; or, [in the case of] a corpse, if someone touches [a piece of flesh] half the size of an olive and [simultaneously] forms a roof over [an-other] piece half the size of an olive; or he touches [a piece of flesh] half the size of an olive, and [another piece] half the size of an olive forms a roof over him; or he forms a roof over two pieces, each half the size of an olive; or the person forms a roof over [a piece of corpse] half the size of an olive, and a piece half the size of an olive forms a roof over him, R’ Dosa ben Harkinas rules [him] tahor, while the Sages rule [him] tamei. But [if] someone touches [a piece of corpse flesh] half the size of an olive and [simultaneously] something forms a roof over him and [a different piece of corpse flesh] half the size of an olive, or one forms a roof over a piece [of corpse flesh] half the size of an olive and [simultaneously] something forms a roof over him and [a dif-ferent piece of corpse flesh] half the size of an olive, he remains tahor. R’ Meir said: Even in this case R’ Dosa ben Harkinas rules [him] tahor and the Sages rule [him] tamei. Everyone becomes tamei [in the above situations] except [where tumah contracted through] touch coincides with [tumah contracted through] carrying, and [the cases in which tumah contracted through] carrying coincides with [tumah contracted through] ohel. This is the rule: Anything in the same category is tamei; whereas those in dif-ferent categories remain tahor.

[If] a ladleful of corpse powder was scattered inside a house, the house becomes tamei. R’ Shimon declares [it] tahor. [If] a quarter [-log] of blood was absorbed into a house, the house is tahor. [If blood] was absorbed into a garment — if a quarter [-log] of blood comes out when [the garment] is washed, [the garment] is tamei. If not, it remains tahor, because whatever is absorbed and cannot come out is tahor.

. [A quarter-log of corpse blood] was spilled in the air — if the place [where the blood spilled] was on an incline, and [a person] formed an ohel over part [of the blood], he remains tahor. [If the blood] was in a crack or if it congealed, [the person] becomes tamei. [If the blood] was spilled onto the threshold [of a house] that inclines either inward or outward, and the house forms a roof over it, [the house] remains tahor. [If the blood] was in a crack or [if] it congealed, [the house] becomes tamei. Every part of a corpse is tamei, except for the teeth, hair, and nails. But while they are connected [to the body], they are all tamei.

How so? [If] a corpse is outside, and its hair is inside, the house becomes tamei. A bone has on it an olive-sized piece of flesh. If part of this bone was brought under the roof of a house, [the contents of the house] become tamei. There are two bones, each of which has on it half an olive’s size piece of flesh. [If] part of [each bone] was brought under the roof of a house, [the contents of the house] become tamei. [If they were] attached by man, [the house] remains tahor, because whatever is attached by man is not considered an [inherent] attachment.

What qualifies as ‘‘death blood’’? An eighth [of a log of blood] flowed out of a dy-ing person while he was still alive, and an eighth [flowed out] after he died. These are the words of R’ Akiva. R’ Yishmael says: A quarter [-log of blood that flowed out] while [the person] was alive and a quarter [-log that flowed out] after his death [were combined, and from this mixture] a quarter [-log] was taken. R’ Eliezer the son of R’ Yehudah says: Both of these are like water. What is ‘‘death blood’’? When there is a hanged person whose blood was flowing out and a quarter [-log] of blood was found beneath him, [the blood] is tamei. But if a corpse’s blood was dripping, and a quarter-log of blood was found underneath it, [the blood] is tahor. R’ Yehudah says: Not so; rather, that which flows out is tahor, and that which drips is tamei.

An olive-sized piece of corpse [in a room] must have an opening of one hand-breadth and a [whole] corpse must have an opening of four handbreadths to prevent tumah from spreading to the [other] openings. But to allow tumah to spread, one [square] handbreadth [suffices]. [If it is] larger than the volume of an olive, it is treated as a [whole] corpse. R’ Yose says: A spinal column and skull are treated like a [whole] corpse.

[A cavity] one handbreadth by one handbreadth squared that is one handbreadth high conveys tumah and acts as a barrier against tumah. How so? [In the case of] a sewer beneath a house that contains a [cubic] handbreadth and has an outlet of a [square] handbreadth — [if there is] tumah in-side [the sewer], the house remains tahor; [if there is] tumah in the house, whatever is inside [the sewer] remains tahor, because it is the way of the tumah to exit, but it is not its way to enter. [In the case where] the sewer contains a [cubic] handbreadth and its outlet is smaller than a [square] handbreadth — [if there is] tumah inside [the sewer], the house becomes tamei; [if there is] tumah in the house, whatever is inside [the sewer] remains tahor, because it is the way of tumah to exit, but it is not the way of tumah to enter. [In the case where the sewer is] smaller than a [cubic] handbreadth and its outlet is smaller than a [square] handbreadth — [if there is] tumah inside [the sewer], the house becomes tamei; [if there is] tumah in the house, whatever is inside [the sewer] becomes tamei. [This law is true] whether the hole was hollowed out by water, by small ani-mals, or by erosion, and [is also true if it is formed by] a pile of boulders or a stack of beams. R’ Yehudah says: Any roof that is not man made is not considered an ohel. However, he agrees with respect to crags and projecting rock formations [that they are considered ohalim].

[If] a cabinet is standing in the open air, and has tumah inside it, [the] utensils inside its sides remain tahor. [If] tumah is inside its sides, the utensils inside [the cabinet] remain tahor. R’ Yose says: Half and half. [If the cabinet] is standing inside a house, [and] tumah is inside [the cabinet], the house becomes tamei. [If] tumah is inside the house, whatever is inside [the cab-inet] remains tahor, because it is the way of the tumah to exit, but it is not the way [of the tumah] to enter. [In a case where] there are utensils between [the cabinet] and either the ground, the wall, or the ceiling beams — if there is a space of one handbreadth, they are tamei; but if not, they are tahor. [If] tumah is there, the house becomes tamei.

A drawer of a cabinet contains a [cubic] handbreadth of empty space and has an opening smaller than a [square] handbreadth. [If there is] tumah inside [the drawer], the house becomes tamei. [If] there is tumah inside the house, whatever is inside [the drawer] remains tahor, because it is the way of the tumah to exit, but it is not the way [of the tumah] to enter. R’ Yose rules [the house] tahor, because one can remove [the tumah] in halves, or burn it in its place.

[If the cabinet] is standing in the doorway, open to the outside, [and there is] tumah inside [the cabinet], the house remains tahor. [If there is] tumah in the house, what-ever is inside [the cabinet] becomes tamei, because it is the way of the tumah to exit, but it is not the way [of the tumah] to enter. If its wheel extends [no more than] three fingerbreadths beyond [the basket], [and the wheel contains] tumah that is beneath the ceiling beams [of a house], the house remains tahor. When does this ruling apply? When (1) there is a space of one [cubic] handbreadth [in the wheel], (2) [the wheel] is not removable, and (3) the cabinet is large.