The skins of the following are like their flesh: the skin of a man, the skin of the domestic pig — R’ Yose says: Also the skin of the wild pig — the skin of the hump of a tender camel, the skin of the head of a young calf, the skin of the hooves, the skin of the pudenda, the skin of a fetus, the skin under the fat-tail, and the skin of the hedgehog, the chameleon, the lizard, and the snail. R’ Yehudah says: The lizard is like the weasel. But any of them that was tanned, or trodden as long as required for tanning, is tahor, except for the skin of a man. R’ Yochanan ben Nuri says: The eight sheratzim have skins.

[If] one flays either an animal or a beast, either kosher or nonkosher, either small or large, for a spread — enough to grasp it; for a flask — until he flays the breast. [If] he flays it from the feet, it is all [considered] attached as regards tumah, both to contract tumah and to convey tumah. The skin on the neck — R’ Yochanan ben Nuri says: It is not [considered] attached, but the Sages say: It is [considered] attached until he flays it completely.

[If] a hide has an olive’s volume of flesh on it, one who touches a shred that protrudes from it or a hair that is opposite it is tamei. [If] there were two half-olive-sized pieces [of flesh] on it, it conveys tumah through carrying but not through contact; [these are] the words of R’ Yishmael. R’ Akiva says: Neither through contact nor through carrying. But R’ Akiva agrees that [if] one thrust a chip through two half-olive-sized pieces and moved them, he is tamei. Then why does R’ Akiva declare them tahor [when they are] on the hide? Because the hide renders them negligible.

A marrow bone of a corpse or a marrow bone of sacrificial animals: [if] one touches them either closed or punctured, he is tamei. A marrow bone of a neveilah or a marrow bone of a sheretz: [if] one touches them when they are closed, he is tahor; [if] they are punctured at all, they convey tumah through contact. How do we know that the same applies to carrying? Because Scripture states (Leviticus 11:39-40): He who touches . . . and he who carries . . . — whatever comes within the scope of [tumah through] contact comes within the scope of [tumah through] carrying; whatever does not come within the scope of [tumah through] contact does not come within the scope of [tumah through] carrying.

The egg of a sheretz in which an embryo has been formed is tahor; [if] it has been punctured even slightly, it is tamei. A mouse that is half flesh and half earth: [If] one touches the flesh, he is tamei; [if he touches] the earth, he is tahor. R’ Yehudah says: Even [if] he touches the earth opposite the flesh, he is tamei.

The limb and flesh that dangle on an animal convey the tumah of foods in their place, but require preparation. [If] the animal is slaughtered, they become prepared through its blood; [these are] the words of R’ Meir. But R’ Shimon says: They do not become prepared. [If] the animal dies: the flesh requires preparation, the limb conveys tumah as the limb of a live creature, but it does not convey tumah as the limb of a neveilah; [these are] the words of R’ Meir, but R’ Shimon declares it tahor.

The dangling limb and flesh of a man are tahor. [If] the man dies: the flesh is tahor, the limb conveys tumah as a limb severed from a living person, but it does not convey tumah as a limb of a corpse; [these are] the words of R’ Meir, but R’ Shimon declares it tahor.

[The mitzvah of giving] the foreleg, the jaws, and the maw applies [both] in the Land and outside the Land, when the Temple exists and when the Temple does not exist, [and] to unconsecrated animals but not to consecrated animals. For it might have been argued: If unconsecrated animals, which are not subject to the [requirement to give the] breast and the thigh, are subject to the [requirement to give the] gifts — [then] consecrated animals, which are subject to the [requirement to give the] breast and the thigh, is it not logical that they be subject to the [requirement to give the] gifts? Therefore, Scripture states (Lev. 7:34): And I have given them to Aaron the Kohen and to his sons for an everlasting right — he has only what is mentioned in the section.

All consecrated animals that had a permanent blemish prior to their consecration, and they were redeemed — they are subject to [the law of] bechor and the gifts [due the Kohen], and they revert to mundane status [even] to [the extent that they may] be shorn and put to work, and their offspring and their milk are permissible after their redemption, and one who slaughters them outside [the Temple Courtyard] is not liable, and they do not effect temurah, and if they died [prior to their redemption] they may be redeemed, except for the bechoroffering and the maaser-offering. All [animals] whose consecration preceded their blemish, or whose temporary blemish [preceded] their consecration, and only after [their consecration] did they develop a permanent blemish, and they were redeemed — they are exempt from [the law of] bechor and from the gifts [due the Kohen], and they do not revert to mundane status to [the extent of being permitted to] be shorn and put to work, and their offspring and their milk are prohibited after their redemption, and one who slaughters them outside [the Temple Courtyard] is liable and they effect temurah, and if they died they must be buried.

[If] a firstborn [animal] became mingled with a hundred: In the case that a hundred people slaughter them all, we exempt them all; [if] one person slaughters them all, we exempt one for him. [If] one slaughters for a Kohen or for a gentile, he is exempt from the gifts, and [if] one makes a partnership with them, he must mark [the meat]. But if he says, ‘‘Except for the gifts,’’ he is exempt from the gifts. [If] he said, ‘‘Sell me the entrails of a cow,’’ and they contained the gifts, he must give them to the Kohen, but he does not deduct [them] from the price. [If] he bought [them] from him by weight, he must give them to the Kohen, and he deducts [them] from the price.