Flush impurity is under a pillar. A decorative flower projects from the pillar's side and vessels are placed under the flower. Are the vessels impure?
Halacha 1: Flush impurity under a pillar pierces only vertically. A decorative flower projecting from the side of the pillar does not spread the impurity sideways — vessels under the flower are pure since the impurity is not directly above or below them.
Question 2
Impurity with a cubic handbreadth of airspace is located in a wall. How many upper stories above that wall are impure?
Halacha 3: A cubic handbreadth in a wall makes it a sealed grave along its entire height. All upper stories built on that wall (even 10 or more) are impure — each story functions as an ohel over the sealed grave below.
Question 3
A pardisek (functional wall niche) has its doors closed and impurity inside. Is the house impure?
Halacha 4: A pardisek with closed doors is treated as a closed structure — the house is pure. Only when the doors are open does the pardisek share its impurity with the house.
Question 4
Twins are born — the living child first, then a stillborn. What is the living child's impurity status?
Halacha 11: When the living child exits first, the stillborn follows behind like a stone with no vitality to hold itself back. It inevitably rolls into the living child, imparting corpse impurity through touch.
Question 5
A midwife reaches into a woman's womb and touches a dead fetus inside. By Torah law, is the midwife impure?
Halacha 12: By Torah law, touching inside the body is not considered 'touch' — the fetus is in the inner organs (beit hastarim). The midwife's seven-day impurity is only Rabbinic, as a safeguard lest she touch the fetus after it enters the birth canal.