When one makes keilim out of the bones of a fish or its skin, they are not susceptible to ritual impurity, neither according to Scriptural Law, nor according to Rabbinic Law. Similar concepts apply with regard to the green moss that appears at the surface of the water and the like. For all entities that come from the sea are pure, as will be explained in Hilchot Keilim. Accordingly, when one makes a tent from the skin of a fish or from moss growing in the sea, the tent itself is not susceptible to impurity although it conveys impurity to everything under it like other tents.
Keilim made from animal turds, stone implements, or implements made from earth (raw dirt), are not susceptible to ritual impurity, neither according to Scriptural Law, nor according to Rabbinic Law. This applies to the impurity stemming from a human corpse and to other types of impurity. Similarly, containers that are made to be left in place semi-permanently, e.g., a chest, a cabinet, a container shaped like a beehive which can contain 40 se'ah of a liquid and have a base are not susceptible to ritual impurity, neither according to Scriptural Law, nor according to Rabbinic Law. They are called: oversized wooden containers.
When implements are made from wood, those which are flat are pure, while those that can serve as a container are susceptible to impurity. Similarly, with regard to earthenware implements: those which are flat are pure, while those that can serve as a container are susceptible to impurity. The latter are susceptible to impurity only from their inner space or when moved by a zav. Even when a corpse touches the outer surface of an earthenware container, the container does not contract impurity. If any of the sources of impurity enter the inner space of such a container, they impart impurity even though they do not touch the container. If an earthenware container was in the same tent as a corpse, it contracts impurity, because the impurity enters its inner space. If it had a cover fastened to it, it and everything in it is pure, as stated in the Torah, for impurity enters it only through its opening and when it is moved by a zav. In the latter instance, it is impure, because he is considered to have touched it in its entirety.
When one makes a gollel from an object that is not susceptible to impurity, e.g., he placed a stone, a vessel made from earth, an oversized wooden container, an earthenware container that was fastened closed, or a fish skin or its bone, on a grave, one who touches these articles contracts the impurity that lasts seven days, because he has touched a gollel. If they ceased serving as a gollel, or the corpse was removed from beneath them, they are pure, Similarly, when an animal is tied down and made a gollel, anyone who touches it contracts the impurity that lasts seven days as long as it serves as a gollel. If the animal is released, it is pure, like all other animals. Similarly, if a barrel filled with liquids that was fastened closed was made into a gollel for a corpse, one who touches it contracts the impurity that lasts seven days. The barrel and the liquids are pure.
🪨 Non-Susceptible Materials
Objects made from fish bone/skin, animal dung, stone, raw earth, or oversized wooden vessels cannot receive impurity themselves — yet when used as a golel (grave covering), touching them conveys seven-day impurity. Earthenware with a tight-fitting lid, living animals, and sealed barrels used as golel also convey golel impurity to whoever touches them, while remaining pure themselves.
When a beam is used as a gollel for a grave, whether it is standing upright or lying on its side, only the portion that is above the opening of the grave becomes impure. One who touches the end of it which is lying outside the grave is pure. If one made its head a gollel for a grave and it is standing over the grave like a tree, anyone who touches it within the four handbreadths that are immediately above the grave is impure because of the laws of gollel. If he touches it above four handbreadths, he is pure. When does the above apply? When he will cut off the upper portions of the beam in the future. If he is not planning to cut them off, the beam is considered as a gollel in its entirety.
If two large stones, four handbreadths by four handbreadths, were used as a gollel, when one stands over either of them, he is impure. If one of them was removed, one who stands over the other is pure. The rationale is that the impurity has a path through which to depart.
When one uses a mound of small stones as a gollel for a grave, only the inner layer which covers the grave per se imparts impurity. One who touches the remainder of the stones is pure.
🪵 Beam and Stone Cases
A beam used as a golel: only the portion directly above the grave opening imparts golel impurity. If a beam stands over a grave like a tree, the first four handbreadths above the grave are considered golel. Two large stones used as golel: if one is removed, the other no longer imparts impurity because the impurity has a path to escape. Only the inner layer of a pile of small stones is considered golel.
When a burial vault was hewed out of a large stone, the corpse was placed inside and then one covered it with a gollel, one who touches any portion of the stone is pure. One who touches the gollel is impure. To what can this be compared? To a large pit filled with corpses with a large stone covering its opening. Only the portion above the open space imparts impurity. If one builds a structure over it, it is considered as a closed grave which imparts impurity from all sides. If a burial vault hewn into the stone was wide at its bottom and narrow at its top, and a corpse was placed within, one who touches it from below is pure, but one who touches it from above is impure. The rationale is that the side portions above are resting over the corpse and are considered like a gollel. If a burial vault hewn into the stone was wide at its top and narrow at its bottom, one who touches any place on it is impure. If its sides are straight, one who touches it from the handbreadth next to the bottom of the grave and upwards, is impure. If he touches from that handbreadth and lower, he is pure. If one hollowed out a burial vault in a stone and inserted the corpse in it like a nail, one who touches anywhere on the stone's surface is pure, except for the opening through which the corpse was inserted.
🪨 Rock Vaults
When a burial vault is hewn from rock with a separate golel placed over it: touching the rock itself is pure, only touching the golel is impure. If the vault is wide at the bottom and narrow at top, the upper narrowing sides rest over the corpse and become golel — touching them is impure. If wide at top and narrow at bottom, touching everywhere is impure.
The following laws apply to a cave in which a grave is located and to the courtyard in front of the cave. When the courtyard is open, one standing in it is pure as long as he does not touch the lintel of the cave. Different laws apply when the courtyard is covered. If there is an area four handbreadths by four handbreadths or more that is open at the side of the cave, anyone who enters the courtyard is pure. If the open space was less than four handbreadths by four handbreadths, one who enters the courtyard is impure, even though he did not touch the entrance to the cave.
🕳️ Cave Access
A cave with a corpse and an open courtyard in front: if the courtyard is uncovered, standing in it is pure (as long as one doesn't touch the lintel). If covered: a space of 4×4 handbreadths open on the side near the cave keeps those who enter pure. Less than 4×4 open space makes those who enter impure even without touching the cave entrance.
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🎓 Key Principles
Chapter 6
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Non-Susceptible Objects Still Convey Golel Impurity Even items that cannot themselves contract impurity (stone, earth, fish skin) transmit golel impurity to whoever touches them when used as a grave covering.
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Impurity Needs an Escape Route When one of two golel stones is removed, the remaining stone no longer imparts impurity — the logic being that the impurity now has a path to depart.
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Four Handbreadths as a Key Measure Four handbreadths by four handbreadths is the minimum space needed for an exit or safe zone; less than this creates a contained impurity zone.
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Structure Shape Determines Golel Status Whether a vault's sides function as golel depends on whether they rest over the corpse — narrow-at-top vaults have sides acting as golel; narrow-at-bottom do not.