[A cow] born by Caesarean section and a harlot’s hire and the exchange [for a dog], [it is] invalid. R’ Eliezer validates [it], for it is stated (Deuteronomy 23:19): “You shall not bring a harlot’s hire or the exchange for a dog to the House of Hashem, your G-d,” and this does not come to the House.  All the blemishes which invalidate consecrated [animals] invalidate the cow.  [If] one rode on it, leaned on it, hung from its tail, [and] crossed the river with it, folded the rope on it, placed his cloak on it, [it is] invalidated.  But if one tied it with a rope, made a shoe for it so that it should not slip, spread his cloak on it on account of the flies, [it is] valid.  This is the rule: Anything [done] for [the cow’s] need, [it is] valid; for any other need, [it is] invalid.

[If] a bird rested upon her, [the cow] is valid. [If] a bull mounted her, [the cow] is invalidated. R’ Yehudah says: If he mounted [the male] upon [her], it is invalidated; but if [the male mounted her] on his own, it is valid.

[If] it had two black or white hairs inside one pore, it is invalidated. R’ Yehudah says: Even inside one kos. [If] they were in-side two kosos and they were aligned one with the other, it is invalidated. R’ Akiva says: Even four, even five, and they are scattered, he should pull them out. R’ Eliezer says: Even fifty. R’ Yehoshua ben Beseira says: Even [if there is] one [non-red hair] on her head and one on her tail, she is invalidated.  [If] it had two hairs whose roots were black and tips were red, [or] whose roots were red and tips were black, it all depends on what is visible. [These are] the words of R’ Meir. But the Sages say: [It] depends [on] the root.

Seven days before the burning of the parah they would sequester the Kohen, who was to burn the parah, from his house to the chamber in front of the birah, [in] the northeast [corner of the Temple], and it was called “the Stone House,” and they would sprinkle [mei chatas] on him on all seven days from all the chatas [ashes] that were there. R’ Yose says: They would sprinkle [mei chatas] on him only on the third and seventh days. R’ Chanina S’gan HaKohanim says: They would sprinkle [mei chatas] on the Kohen who burned the parah on all seven days, but they would sprinkle [mei chatas] on [the Kohen Gadol who performed the service] of Yom Kippur only on the third and seventh days.

There were courtyards in Jerusalem built on bedrock, and beneath them was a hollow, because of [concern for] a grave of the deep.  And they would bring pregnant women and they would give birth there and rear their children there. And they would bring oxen with doors on their backs, and the children would sit on top of them with cups of stone in their hands. [When] they would reach [the spring of] Shilo’ach, [the children] would descend and fill [the cups], and they would [then] ascend and sit on top of [the doors]. R’ Yose says: From his place [the child] would lower the cup and fill [it].

They came to the Temple Mount and descended. Beneath the Temple Mount and [its] Courtyards was a hollow, because of [concern for] a grave of the deep.  And at the entrance to the Courtyard was installed a jug of chatas [ashes], and they brought a male sheep and tied a rope between its horns, and they tied the [other] end of the rope to a stick and wrapped [the rope around it], and threw [the stick] into the jug, and [they] hit the male [sheep] which sprang backward, and he took [the ashes] and consecrated [the water], [using] enough [ashes] so as to be visible on the surface of the water.  R’ Yose says: Do not give the Sadducees room to hold sway [over us]; rather, he took [the ashes from the jug] and consecrated [the water].

. They would not prepare a chatas by means of a [different] chatas, nor a child by means of his friend.  And the children needed to be sprinkled; [these are] the words of R’ Yose HaGlili. R’ Akiva says: They did not need to be sprinkled.

[If] they did not find [parah adumah ashes] from seven [paros adumos], they would prepare [mei chatas] from [the ashes of] six, five, four, three, two [or] one.  And who made them? The first was made by Moses; the second was made by Ez-ra; and five [were made] from [the times of] Ezra on. [These are] the words of R’ Meir. But the Sages say: Seven from [the times of] Ezra on. And who made them? Shimon HaTzadik and Yochanan Kohen Gadol made two each; Elyeho Einai ben Hakuf, Chanamel the Egyptian, and Yishmael ben Piani made one each.

They would make a ramp [extending] from the Temple Mount to the Mount of Oil, [consisting of] arches on top of arches, with an arch over the support [below], on account of a grave of the deep, for on [this ramp] the Kohen who would burn the parah, the parah and its entourage would leave [the Temple Mount to go] to the Mount of Oil.

[If] the parah did not want to leave, we do not take a black [cow] along with it, so that [people] should not say, “They slaughtered the black [cow].” Nor a red [cow], so that [people] should not say, “They slaughtered two [paros adumos].” R’ Yose says: [It is] not because of this [reason], but rather because it is stated, “And he shall take it out,” [which means, it] alone.  And the elders of Israel would precede [the delegation] by foot to the Mount of Oil, and there was an immersion room there.  And they would render tamei the Kohen who was to burn the parah, on account of the Sadducees, so that they should not say that [the parah adumah service] was performed by those who had experienced sunset.

They would place their hands on him and say to him: “My master Kohen Gadol, immerse once.” He would descend [into the mikveh] and immerse, come up and dry himself.  And there were logs arranged there, [either of] cedar, laurel wood or boxwood, or smooth fig wood.  And they would make it into a sort of tower, and they would open windows in it, and its face was westward.