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.

[The following items also spread tumah and act as barriers against tumah:] ledges, balconies, dovecotes, overhanging boulders and rocks, windows for light, sharp rocks, and branch-canopies and protrusions that can support light plasterwork; these are the words of R’ Meir. The Sages say: medium plasterwork. What are branch-canopies? A tree that overhangs the ground. And [what are] protrusions? [Hedges] that extend out from a fence.

These [items] spread [tumah] but do not 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 Al-exandrian ship — if they do not have [flat] bottoms or if they do not contain forty se’ah of liquid, which is two kors of dry measure; a curtain, a work apron, a bed cov-er, a sheet, matting, and a mat, if they have not been made into tents; the carcass of a domesticated or wild animal, and food that can become tamei. In addition to these, a mill powered by a person [spreads tumah but does not block tumah].

There are [items] that act as barriers [against tumah] but do not convey [tumah]: a loom that is ready for weaving, the ropes of a bed, garbage baskets, and window bars.

These items neither convey [tumah] nor act as barriers [against tumah]: seeds and plants that are connected to the ground, other than the plants listed above; hail-stones, snow, frost, ice, salt; [an animal] that jumps from one spot to another, [a person] who jumps from one spot to another, a bird that flies, a garment that flut-ters, and a ship that sails on water. [But if] the ship was tied with something that can hold it in place [or] a stone was placed on the garment, it conveys tumah. R’ Yose says: A house on a ship does not convey tumah.

[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.

A beehive is located in the doorway [of a house] with its mouth outdoors. An olive-sized piece of corpse is located outdoors, [either] below [the hive] or above it. Any item that is directly below or above the olive-sized piece becomes tamei. What-ever is not directly [below or above] the olive-sized piece [and] whatever is inside [either the hive] or the house remains tahor. [If the olive-sized piece is] inside the house, only that which is inside the house becomes tamei. [If it is] inside [the hive], everything becomes tamei.

[If the hive] is one handbreadth above the ground and there is tumah below it, in-side the house, or above [the hive] — everything becomes tamei, except for that which is inside [the hive]. [If the tumah is] inside [the hive], everything becomes tamei.

In what case does this apply? When [the hive] is a utensil with windows. However, if it was broken and stuffed with straw, or [if the windows] were covered (What is con-sidered covered? When there is no window the size of a handbreadth) [and] an ol-ive-sized piece of corpse is located underneath [the hive], [utensils] directly below [the olive-sized piece], as deep as one can go, become tamei. [If the olive-sized piece is] above [the hive], [utensils] directly above [the ol-ive-sized piece] up to the sky become tamei. [If the olive-sized piece is] inside the house, only the house becomes tamei. [If the olive-sized piece is] inside [the hive], only that which is inside it becomes tamei.

[If the hive] is one handbreadth above the ground, [and] there is tumah below it or inside the house, whatever is below [the hive] or inside the house becomes tamei, but whatever is inside or above [the hive] remains tahor. [If the tumah] is inside [the hive], only that which is inside it becomes tamei. [If the tumah] is above [the hive], [utensils] directly above it up to the sky become tamei.

In what case does this apply? When [the hive’s] mouth is outdoors. However, if the mouth is inside [the house], and an olive-sized piece of corpse is located outdoors either below or above [the hive], any [utensil] that is directly below or above the ol-ive-sized piece, or anything inside [the hive], becomes tamei. Anything that is not di-rectly [below or above] the olive-sized piece and whatever is inside either [the hive] and the house remains tahor. [If the piece of corpse is located] inside [either the hive] or the house, everything becomes tamei.

[If the hive] is located one handbreadth above the ground, and there is tumah below, [the hive], inside the house, or inside or above [the hive], everything becomes tamei.

In what case does this apply? When [the hive] is a utensil with windows. However, if it was broken and stuffed with straw, or [if the windows] were covered (What is con-sidered covered? When there is no window the size of a handbreadth) and an ol-ive-sized piece of corpse is located underneath [the hive], [utensils] directly below [the hive], as deep as one can go, become tamei. [If the olive-sized piece is] above [the hive], [utensils] directly above [the ol-ive-sized piece] up to the sky become tamei. [If the olive-sized piece is] inside [the hive] or the house, inside [the hive] and the house become tamei.

[If the hive] is a handbreadth above the ground, [and] there is tumah below it, in the house, or inside [the hive], everything becomes tamei except for what is above [the hive]. [If the tumah] is above [the hive], [utensils] directly above [the tumah] up to the sky become tamei.

[If the hive] fills the entire house, and there is less than a handbreadth of space be-tween [the hive] and the joists, [and] there is tumah inside [the hive], the house be-comes tamei. [If] there is tumah inside the house, anything inside [the hive] remains tahor, because it is the way of tumah to exit, but not the way [of tumah] to enter — [this law applies] whether [the hive] is standing upright or whether it is lying on its side, [and] whether there is one [hive] or there are two.