September 17, 2026
Mishnah Oholot 2:2-3
רְבִיעִית דָּם, וּרְבִיעִית דַּם תְּבוּסָה מִמֵּת אֶחָד. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, מִשְּׁנֵי מֵתִים. דַּם קָטָן שֶׁיָּצָא כֻלּוֹ, רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, כָּל שֶׁהוּא. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, רְבִיעִית. כַּזַּיִת רִמָּה, בֵּין חַיָּה בֵּין מֵתָה, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר מְטַמֵּא כִבְשָׂרוֹ, וַחֲכָמִים מְטַהֲרִים. אֵפֶר שְׂרוּפִים, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, שִׁעוּרוֹ בְרֹבַע, וַחֲכָמִים מְטַהֲרִין. מְלֹא תַרְוָד וְעוֹד עֲפַר קְבָרוֹת, טָמֵא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מְטַהֵר. מְלֹא תַרְוָד רָקָב שֶׁגְּבָלוֹ בְמַיִם, אֵינוֹ חִבּוּר לְטֻמְאָה:
[The following likewise defile:]A quarter [of a log] of blood, A quarter [of a log] of mixed blood from one corpse. Rabbi Akiva says: [even] from two corpses. [With regard to] the blood of a child that has completely flowed forth: Rabbi Akiva says: [it defiles] in even the smallest quantity, But the sages say: [there must be] a quarter [of a log]. [With regard to] an olive-sized [portion] of [corpse] worms whether alive or dead: Rabbi Eliezer declares [it] unclean, like the flesh, But the sages declare [it] clean. [With regard to] the ashes of burnt persons: Rabbi Eliezer says: the [minimum] quantity [for defilement is] a quarter [of a kav]. But the sages declare [them to be] clean. A ladleful and [a little] more of grave-dust is unclean. Rabbi Shimon declares [it to be] clean. A ladleful of corpse-mold mixed with water is not [regarded as] joined [into one mass] for [the purposes of] defilement.
אֵלּוּ מְטַמְּאִין בְּמַגָּע וּבְמַשָּׂא וְאֵינָן מְטַמְּאִין בְּאֹהֶל. עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה, וְאֶרֶץ הָעַמִּים, וּבֵית הַפְּרָס, אֵבָר מִן הַמֵּת וְאֵבָר מִן הַחַי שֶׁאֵין עֲלֵיהֶן בָּשָׂר כָּרָאוּי, הַשִּׁדְרָה וְהַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת שֶׁחָסָרוּ. כַּמָּה הוּא חֶסְרוֹן בַּשִּׁדְרָה, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, שְׁתֵּי חֻלְיוֹת. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, אֲפִלּוּ חֻלְיָה אֶחָת. וּבַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, כִּמְלֹא מַקְדֵּחַ. וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּנָּטֵל מִן הַחַי וְיָמוּת. בְּאֵיזֶה מַקְדֵּחַ אָמְרוּ, בַּקָּטָן שֶׁל רוֹפְאִים, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, בַּגָּדוֹל שֶׁל לִשְׁכָּה:
The following defile by contact and carriage but not by overshadowing: A bone of barleycorn size, Earth from a foreign country, A bet peras, A limb of a corpse, or a limb [severed] from a living person which has no longer its appropriate flesh, A spine or a skull which is deficient. How much is [considered] a deficiency in the spine? Bet Shammai say: two vertebrae, But Bet Hillel say: even one vertebra. And in the skull? Bet Shammai say: [the size of a] hole [made] by a drill, But Bet Hillel say: as much as would be taken from a living person and he would die. Of what drill did they speak? Of the small one [used] by physicians, the words of Rabbi Meir. But the sages say: of the large one in the Temple-chamber.