An internal wall contains tumah. The house that is closer to the tumah becomes tamei, and the one closer to the tahor remains tahor. [If the tumah is] in the middle, both become tamei. [If there is] tumah inside one of [the houses], and there are utensils inside the wall, those [utensils] in the half closer to the tumah become tamei, and [the ones] in the half closer to the tahor remain tahor. [The utensils that are] in the middle become tamei. There is tumah in the ceiling that is between the [lower story of a] house and its upper story. [If the tumah is] inside the lower half [of the ceiling, the lower story of] the house becomes tamei, but the upper story remains tahor. [If the tumah is] in-side the upper half [of the ceiling], the upper story becomes tamei, but the lower story remains tahor. [If the tumah is] in the middle, both become tamei. [If there is] tumah in one of [the stories] and there are utensils in the ceiling, [the utensils that are in] the half nearer the tumah become tamei, and [the ones that are in] the half nearer the tahor remain tahor. [The utensils that are] in the middle become tamei. R’ Yehudah says: The entire ceiling is [ruled as] part of the upper story.

There is tumah between the joists, and underneath it is a very thin covering. If there is a handbreadth of empty space, everything becomes tamei. If there is no hand-breadth of empty space, the tumah is considered occluded. [If the tumah] is noticea-ble within the lower story, the lower story becomes tamei whether or not [there is a cubed handbreadth of empty space].

A wall that resulted from excavation is ruled as a garlic peel. How so? There is a wall between two recesses or between two underground chambers. [If] tumah is in the open areas of the catacomb, and there are utensils in the wall that are covered very thinly, [the utensils] remain tahor. [If] tumah is in the wall, covered very thinly, and in the open areas there are utensils, [the utensils] re-main tahor. [If] tumah is underneath a pillar, tumah penetrates upward and downward.

Utensils that are beneath a capital remain tahor. R’ Yochanan ben Nuri declares [them] tamei. [In a case where] the tumah and the utensils are beneath the capital, if there is a space of a handbreadth, the [utensils] are tamei; if not, they remain tahor. Two wall closets are one beside the other or one above the other. One of [the closets] is opened; it becomes tamei and so does the house, while the other [closet] remains tahor. [However, if the door is closed,] the wall closets are treated as if there is no empty space inside them at all, and they are ruled half and half to make the house tamei.

[If] tumah is within a wall inside a space that is a cubed handbreadth — every story above it becomes tamei, even if there are ten [stories]. [If] an upper story [is built] over two houses [and there is tumah in the wall between the two houses] — it becomes tamei, but all the stories above it remain ta-hor. [If] there is tumah inside a dike, it penetrates directly upward and downward. [If] a tombstone is on top of an occluded grave — someone who touches its sides remains tahor, because the tumah penetrates [only] upward and downward. [But] if the place of the tumah contains a cubed handbreadth [of empty space], one who touches any part of [the tombstone] becomes tamei, because it is treated as a sealed grave. [If] huts were leaned against it — they become tamei. R’ Yehudah declares them tahor.

All the sloping [sections] of a tent are considered part of the tent. [In the case of] a tent [whose walls] slope downward, and at its [upper] end it is [only] as wide as a finger: [if] there is tumah inside the tent — utensils under the slope become tamei. [If] there is tumah under the slope — utensils inside the tent become tamei. [If] there is tumah inside [a tent] — someone who touches the inside [of the tent] becomes tamei for seven days, whereas [someone who touches] the outside [of the tent] becomes tamei [only] until evening. [If] there is tumah on the outside [of the tent] — someone who touches the outside [of the tent] becomes tamei for seven days; whereas [someone who touches] the inside [of the tent] becomes tamei [only] until evening. [If] there is a half-olive-sized [piece] on the inside and a half-olive-sized [piece] on the outside — someone who touches either side becomes tamei [only] until evening. [If] part [of the tent] is flat on the ground: whether the tumah is beneath [the tent] or above it — the tumah penetrates upward and downward. [If] a tent is pitched in the upper story, [with excess cloth] lying flat over the opening between the house and the upper story — R’ Yose says: It curtails [tumah]; R’ Shimon says: It does not curtail [tumah], unless it is stretched out the way a tent usually is.

[If] there is a corpse in a house with numerous entrances, all [utensils in the en-trances] become tamei. [If] one [door] is opened, it is tamei, and the others are tahor. [If] it was decided to remove [the corpse] through one of the [doors], or through a window four handbreadths square, tumah is curtailed from all the other entrances. Beis Shammai say: It must be decided before the person dies. Beis Hillel say: [It can be decided] even after the person dies. If [an entrance] was sealed and he decided to open it — Beis Shammai say: When he opens four handbreadths [it will curtail tumah from the other entrances]; but Beis Hillel say: As soon as he begins [to open it]. But they [both] agree that a doorway created for the first time must be opened four handbreadths.

A woman was having a difficult labor, and she was moved from one house to an-other. The first [house] is tamei because of doubt, and the second [house] is certainly [tamei]. R’ Yehudah said: When [does this apply]? In a situation in which she walked with assistance; but if she was able to walk [without assistance], the first [room] is tahor, because once the womb is open, it is impossible to walk. A stillborn child does not open the womb, unless [his] head is round like [the size of] a whorl.

[If] the first [baby] was born dead and the second alive, [the living baby] is tahor. [If] the first [baby] was alive and the second dead, the [living baby] is tamei. R’ Meir says: [If they are in] one fetal sac, [the living baby] becomes tamei; however, [if they are in] two fetal sacs, the [living baby] is tahor.

[If] two sealed barrels, each containing a [piece of corpse] the size of half an olive, are located inside a house, [the barrels] remain tahor, but the house becomes tamei. [If] one of [the barrels] was opened, [that barrel] and the room are tamei, [but the other barrel] remains tahor. A similar [ruling] applies to two chambers that open into a room.

There are [items] that spread tumah and act as barriers [against tumah], [items that] spread tumah but do not act as barriers [against tumah], [items that] act as barriers [against tumah] but do not spread [tumah], and [items that] do not spread [tumah] and do not act as barriers [against tumah]. These spread [tumah] and act as barriers [against tumah]: a chest, a box, a cabinet, a large straw basket, a large reed basket, and the water tank of an Alexan-drian ship — if they have [flat] bottoms and can contain forty se’ah of liquid, which is two kors of dry measure; a curtain, a work apron, a bed cover, a sheet, matting, and a mat, if they have been made into a tent; a herd of animals, whether nonkosher or kosher; lairs of wild animals and nests of birds, a bird that is resting, and one who makes a place for her son among the stalks; the iris, the kissom, chamor greens, the Greek gourd, and food that remains tahor. R’ Yochanan ben Nuri disagrees concerning food that remains tahor, except for a pressed cake of figs.