[With regard to] a field in which a grave was lost, and a house with an upper story was built on it: if the doorway of the upper story was directly above the doorway of the house, the upper story remains tahor. But if not, the upper story becomes tamei. Soil of a beis hapras and soil from outside the Land of Israel that arrive in veg-etables combine when there is as much as the seal of packing sacks, these are the words of R’ Eliezer. The Sages say: Only when the amount equal to the seal of packing sacks is in one place. R’ Yehudah says: It used to happen that letters came from overseas to the sons of Kohanim Gedolim and they had on them the equivalent of a se’ah or two of seals — yet the Sages were not concerned that they might be tamei.

How do we harvest the grapes of a beis hapras? [First] we [must] sprinkle on [every] person and [all] utensils [that will be used in the harvest], and we repeat [the sprin-kling], and then pick and remove [the grapes] from the beis hapras. Other people then receive the grapes and transport them to the press. If these [people] touch those, they become tamei. This is according to Beis Hillel. Beis Shammai say: He holds the sickle with palm bast, or he reaps with a sharp stone and then places [the grapes] into an olive-pressing basket and brings them to the press. Rabbi Yose says: ‘‘Under what circumstances are these things said? When a vineyard became a beis hapras. However, if someone planted a beis hapras, [the grapes] must be sold in the market.’’

There are three [types of] beis hapras. One who plows a grave, [where the law is that] any species of tree can be planted, but no seeds can be sown except for seeds [from plants] that are cut; and if he pulled out [the plant], he piles its produce into [the field itself] and sifts it through two sifters. These are the words of R’ Meir. How-ever, the Sages say: grain with two sifters and legumes with three sifters. The straw and the bean chaff are [then] burnt. [The field] spreads tumah through touch or carrying, but does not render tamei through ohel.

A field in which a grave was lost can be planted with any seeds, but no trees can be planted, nor can you allow trees to remain except for barren trees that produce no fruit. [The field] spreads tumah through touch, carrying, and ohel.

A wailing field may not be planted with either trees or grains, and its soil is tahor. [Furthermore,] one may make ovens for holy items [from its clay]. Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel agree that we check [for bone fragments] for one making the pesach offering, but we do not check for [one who eats] terumah. And as far as a nazir is concerned, Beis Shammai say: We check it, and Beis Hillel say: We do not check it. How does he check? He brings earth that can be moved and places it inside a sifter with very thin holes and crumbles (any clods) — if there was a bone the size of a barleycorn was found, [the person] becomes tamei.

How do they make a beis hapras tahor? One removes three handbreadths from it or one places three handbreadths on top of it if he removed three handbreadths from one half and placed three handbreadths on top of the other half, it is tahor. R’ Shimon says: Even if he removed a handbreadth and a half or he placed on top of it a handbreadth and a half from a different place, it is tahor. If the beis hapras is paved with stones that [are large enough that they] cannot be moved, it is tahor. R’ Shimon says: Even someone who hoes the beis hapras [makes it] tahor.

Someone who walks through a beis hapras on stones that he does not cause to move, [or] on a person or an animal that are very strong, is tahor. [However, some-one who walks through a beis hapras] on stones that he causes to move, [or] on a person or an animal that are not strong, is tamei. Someone who walks in the land of the nations on mountains or rocks is tamei; in the sea or in silt is tahor. What is silt? Any place to which the sea rises in its fury.

Someone who purchases a field in Syria near the Land of Israel — if [the field] can be entered while remaining tahor, it is tahor and it is obligated in maasros and sheviis. If he cannot enter the field while remaining tahor, the field is tamei and it is obligated in maasros and sheviis. The dwellings of idolaters are tamei. How long must he have remained (in the dwelling) to require a search? Forty days. [The dwelling is tamei] even if there is no woman with him. If there is a slave or a woman watching over him, a search is not required.

What do they search? The deep sewers and the putrid waters. Beis Shammai say: Even garbage heaps and soft earth. Beis Hillel say: Any place that a pig or weasel can reach does not require searching.

Anterooms are not subject to the law of ‘‘dwellings of idolaters.’’ R’ Shimon ben Gamliel says: The law of ‘‘dwellings of idolaters’’ does not apply to a city that was destroyed. East Kisrin and West Kisrin are graves. There was a doubt concerning East Ac-co, and the Sages declared it to be tahor. Rebbi and his Rabbinic court came to a vote on Keini and declared it tahor.

Ten places do not have the law of ‘‘dwellings of idolaters’’: the tents of Arabs; huts; lean-tos; storage huts; summer awnings; a guard shack; the open-air area of a court-yard; a bathhouse; an armory; and a military camp.