הלכות טומאת מת

The following rules apply with regard to a beehive-like container lying on the ground, in the entrance of a building with its opening facing the outside and an olive-sized portion of a corpse under or on top of the portion outside the building. Whatever is directly under or above the olive-sized portion below or above the container is impure. Whatever is in its inner space is pure except a k'li that is directly above or below the impurity. The building is pure.
If there is impurity in the building, only the building is impure, but keilim that are in the container or under it or above it outside of the building are pure. If there was impurity in the container, everything is impure, i.e., everything in the building and everything in the container, everything above it and everything below it that is opposite the impurity, as we explained.
If the container was raised a handbreadth above the ground and there was impurity under it, in the building, or above it, everything is impure, i.e., everything in the building, everything below it and everything above it. Whatever is in its inner space, by contrast, is pure except a k'li that is directly above or below the impurity. If there was impurity in the container, everything is impure, i.e., everything in the container and everything in the building, everything below it and everything above it. The rationale is that keilim or people who become an ohel over impurity or who have impurity above them convey impurity and do not intervene in the face of it, as we explained.
When does the above apply? When the container is a k'li and hollow. Different laws apply, however, if it was damaged and broken open and the open portion was plugged with straw and thus it is not considered as a k'li, or it was filled with straw so there was not an empty space of a handbreadth by a handbreadth and a handbreadth high, but instead, it was stuffed and there was not an empty space of a handbreadth in one place. If it was a handbreadth raised above the ground and there was impurity under it or in the building, the building and all the space under it are impure, because everything constitutes one ohel. Its inner space and anything on top of it on the outside of the building are pure, because it is considered an ohel of wood and it is not a container. If there was impurity inside of it, only what is inside of it is impure. If the impurity was above it, the space above it until the heavens is impure.
If such a container was placed on the ground, it opened to the outside, and an olive-sized portion of a corpse was under it, the space under it until the depths is impure. If the impurity was above it, the space above it until the heavens is impure. If there was impurity in the building, only the building is impure. If there is impurity within the container, only its inner space is impure.

When a beehive-like container is lying on the ground in the entrance to a building, it opens up to the inside of the building, it is intact and hollow and there is an olive-sized portion of a corpse below it or above it, everything that is directly below the olive-sized portion of impurity or over it is impure. Everything that is in its inner space is pure except those keilim that are directly above or directly below the impurity and the building is pure.
If it was raised a handbreadth above the ground and there was impurity under it, in it, above it, or in the building, everything is impure: everything that is in the building and everything under it, because it and the building constitute one ohel.
If it was damaged and broken opened and the open portion was plugged with straw or stuffed, was raised a handbreadth above the ground and there was impurity under it, in the building, or in it, everything is impure except the articles above it. If the impurity was above it, the space above the impurity until the heavens is impure, but its inner space is pure and the space under it, the building, and everything in them is pure. Since it is not a k'li, it intervenes in the face of impurity.
If such a container was placed on the ground, it opened to the inside, and an olive-sized portion of a corpse was under it, the space under it until the depths is impure If [the impurity] was above it, the space above it until the heavens is impure. If there was impurity within it or within the building, its inner space and the building are impure.

When a beehive-like container is lying on the ground in the entrance to a building, it opens up to the inside of the building, it is intact and hollow and there is an olive-sized portion of a corpse below it or above it, everything that is directly below the olive-sized portion of impurity or over it is impure. Everything that is in its inner space is pure except those keilim that are directly above or directly below the impurity and the building is pure.
If it was raised a handbreadth above the ground and there was impurity under it, in it, above it, or in the building, everything is impure: everything that is in the building and everything under it, because it and the building constitute one ohel.
If it was damaged and broken opened and the open portion was plugged with straw or stuffed, was raised a handbreadth above the ground and there was impurity under it, in the building, or in it, everything is impure except the articles above it. If the impurity was above it, the space above the impurity until the heavens is impure, but its inner space is pure and the space under it, the building, and everything in them is pure. Since it is not a k'li, it intervenes in the face of impurity.
If such a container was placed on the ground, it opened to the inside, and an olive-sized portion of a corpse was under it, the space under it until the depths is impure If [the impurity] was above it, the space above it until the heavens is impure. If there was impurity within it or within the building, its inner space and the building are impure.

The following laws apply when there is a beehive-like container inside a building, it fills the entire height of the building, its opening is positioned toward the ceiling of the building, and it reaches the ceiling so that there is less than a handbreadth of space between it and the ceiling. If there is impurity in it, the building is impure. If there is impurity in the building, its contents are pure. The rationale is that when there is less than a handbreadth of open space, it is the nature of impurity to depart towards the building, but not to enter the container.
This law applies whether the container was standing upright or leaning on its side, with its opening to the wall and there was less than a handbreadth between it and the wall, whether there was one beehive-like container or two beehive-like containers, one above the other, and there was not a handbreadth of empty space between the upper container and the ceiling or the upper container and the wall.
When such a container was standing in the entrance to a building with its opening facing upward and there was less than a handbreadth between it and the lintel, if there is impurity in it, the building is pure. If there is impurity in the building, the contents of the container are impure. The rationale is that it is the nature of impurity to depart and not to enter.

The following laws apply when there is a hollow beehive-like container that is intact and resting on its side in the open and there is an olive-sized portion of a corpse below it or above it. Anything that is directly above or directly below the olive-size portion is impure. Whatever is within its inner space, is pure except what is directly above or below the impurity. Whatever is not directly above or below the impurity inside the container is pure. If there is impurity inside of it, everything is impure: everything inside of it and everything below the container or above it that is directly above or below the impurity.
If it was raised a handbreadth above the ground and there was impurity under it or above it, everything that is below it and everything that is above it is impure, but everything that is inside of it is pure except a k'li that is directly above or below the impurity.
If there is impurity inside of it, everything is impure, everything inside of it, everything below it, and everything resting upon it from above. The rationale is that keilim convey ritual impurity, but do not intervene in the face of it, as we explained. Accordingly, if this beehive-like container that was lying on the earth was damaged and then plugged with straw or it is an oversized wooden container and there is an olive-sized portion from a corpse under it, anything below it until the depths is impure. If the impurity is on top of it, anything above it until the heavens is impure. If the impurity is inside of it, only the keilim inside of it are impure.
If [such] a container was raised a handbreadth above the earth and there was impurity under it, the space beneath it alone is impure. If [the impurity] was inside of it, only its inner space is impure. If [the impurity] was on top of it, the space above [the impurity] until the heavens is impure. We have already explained that an oversized wooden container is considered as an ohel and not as a k’li. Therefore, it intervenes in the face [of impurity].

When an intact beehive-like container was resting on its base in the open space and there was impurity under it, inside of it, or on top of it, the impurity pierces through and ascends and pierces through and descends. If, however, it was raised a handbreadth above the ground, covered, or standing upside down and there was impurity below it, in it, or above it, everything is impure: everything inside of it, everything below it, everything above it if the impurity was below it, for a k'li conveys ritual impurity and does not intervene in the face of it, as we explained.
Accordingly, if the container was damaged and plugged with straw and there is impurity under it, in it, or above it, the impurity pierces through and ascends and pierces through and descends. If it was raised a handbreadth above the ground and there was impurity below it, the space below it alone is impure. If the impurity was inside of it or on top of it, anything above it until the heavens is impure, but the keilim under it are pure, because it is a ohel and intervenes.