[Regarding] marc and grape skins that were made in [conditions of] taharah and temei’im walked on them, and afterward beverages emerged from them, they are tahor, for they were originally made in [conditions of] taharah. [Regarding] a spindle that swallowed [its] hook, an ox-goad that swallowed [its] nail, [or] a brick that swallowed a ring, and they are tahor, [if] they enter a tent [containing] a corpse, they become tamei. [If] a zav moves them, they become tamei. [If] they fell into the airspace of a tahor oven, they render it tamei. [If] a loaf of terumah touched them, it is tahor.

[Regarding] a sereedah that is placed over the mouth of an oven surrounded by a sealed cover, [if] a crack developed between the oven and the sereedah, its measure is the width of the mouth of an ox-goad that cannot be inserted. R’ Yehudah says: [If] it can enter. [If] the sereedah developed a crack, its measure is the width of the mouth of an ox-goad that can enter. R’ Yehudah says: [Even if] it cannot enter. [If the crack in the sereedah] was rounded, we do not view it as being straight; rather its measure is the width of an ox-goad that can enter.

An oven whose eye developed a crack, its measure is the full size of a spindle that can enter and exit [while] lit on fire. R’ Yehudah says: Which is not lit on fire. If it developed a hole at its side, its measure is the full size of a spindle that can enter and exit unlit. R’ Yehudah says: Lit on fire. R’ Shimon says: [If the hole is] in the middle, [then only if] it can enter. [If it is] at the side, [then even if] it cannot enter. And similarly [R’ Shimon] would say regarding the stopper of a barrel that developed a hole, its measure is the width of the second node of [a stalk of] oats. In the middle, [if] it can enter. In the side, [even if] it cannot enter. And similarly, [R’ Shimon] would say regarding large casks that developed holes, their measure is the size of the second node of a reed. In the middle, [if] it can enter. In the side, [even if] it cannot enter. When are [these] things said? When the [containers] were made for wine. But if they were made for other beverages, even [if they have a hole of] the most-minute size, they are tamei. When are [these] things said? When the [holes] were not made by the hands of man. But if they were made by the hands of man, even [if the hole is of] the most-minute size, [the container is] tamei. [If] they developed holes, [utensils] that are intended for food, their measure is with olives. [Utensils] that are intended for beverages, their measure is with beverages. [A utensil] that is intended for both, we apply to it its more-stringent [measure] with regard to a sealed cover, with [a hole large enough] to let in a beverage.

The following utensils protect with a sealed cover: Dung utensils, stone utensils, clay utensils, earthenware utensils, nesser utensils, bones of a fish or its skin, bones of a sea creature or its skin, and wooden utensils that are tahor. They protect both from their mouths and from their sides, [and] whether they are resting on their bases or tilted on their sides. [If] they were turned over upon their mouths, they protect all that is beneath them down to the depths; R’ Eliezer rules it tamei. [These utensils] protect all things, except for an earthenware utensil, which only protects foodstuff and earthenware utensils.

With what may we surround [the utensil]? With plaster or with gypsum, with pitch or with wax, with mud or with excrement, with mortar or with crushed shards, or with any substance that can be smoothed. We may not surround [a utensil] with tin or with lead, since they cover but do not seal. We may not surround [a utensil] with a fat pressed fig or with dough kneaded with fruit juice, so that it does not come to be disqualified, but if one did surround [with food], it has protected [the utensil].

[Regarding] the stopper of a barrel that is loose but does not fall off: R’ Yehudah says: It protects; but the Sages say: It does not protect. [If] its finger-hold is sunk into [the barrel]: [When] a sheretz is inside it, the barrel is tamei; [when] a sheretz is in the barrel, the food inside [the finger-hold] is tamei.

[Regarding] a ball or a coil of reed-grass that were placed over the mouth of a barrel: If one plastered the sides, it has not protected [the uten- sil] until he plasters above them and below them, and the same is true for a woven cloth. [If the cover] was of papyrus or of leather and one tied it with a cord, [then] if one plastered the sides, it has protected [the utensil].

[Regarding] a barrel that peeled and its pitch remains intact, and similarly containers of fish brine sealed with gypsum at the rim: R’ Yehudah says: They do not protect; but the Sages say: They protect.

[If] a barrel developed a hole and the sediments blocked it, they have protected it. [If] one plugged [the hole] with a vine, [it does not protect] until one plasters the sides. [If] there were two [vines], [they do not protect] until one plasters the sides and between one vine and the other. [Regarding] a board that was placed over the mouth of an oven: If one plastered the sides, it protects. [If] there were two [boards], [they do not protect] until one plasters the sides and between one board and the other. [If] one joined them with sinim or with shugmin, one need not apply plaster in the middle.

An old oven was within a new [oven] and there was a sereedah over the mouth of the old [oven]: [If] the old [oven] is removed and the sereedah would fall, [then] everything is tamei, but if not, everything is tahor. A new [oven] was within an old [oven] and there was a sereedah over the mouth of the old [oven]: If there is less than a handbreadth between the new [oven] and the sereedah, [then] everything within the new [oven] is tahor.