When oil or honey contract impurity, coagulate and become solid, and then return to a liquid state, they are considered as first degree derivatives of impurity forever, because they are liquids. This applies even if they solidify after contracting impurity.
When sauce, groats, or milk solidify, they are considered as foods and intent is required for them to become susceptible to ritual impurity. If food that was a primary derivative of impurity or an impure liquid touches them, they are considered as secondary derivatives. If there was moist liquid on them, they are considered as liquids and they are deemed primary derivatives. If they contracted impurity while they were liquids and then froze and solidified, they are considered as secondary derivatives, like food that contracted impurity from impure liquids. Different laws apply if they contracted impurity when they were solid and then melted and became liquid. If they were exactly the size of an egg or less, the liquids are pure. If they are larger than an egg, the liquids are impure. The rationale is that when the first drop melted, it contracted impurity from the egg-sized portion of frozen liquid from which it melted. That drop will then impart impurity to all of the liquids that will melt afterwards. Similar laws apply if a person who was impure due to contact with a human corpse squeezed a mass of olives or grapes that were made susceptible to ritual impurity. If the fruits were only the size of an egg, the liquids produced are pure, provided the person does not touch that place from which the liquids are dripping. The rationale for the leniency is that the liquids are set aside in the food; it is as if the food was a separate entity. If the grapes or olives were larger than the size of an egg, the liquids that emerge from them are impure. For once the first drop emerged from them, it became impure due to contact with an egg-sized portion of impure food and it imparts impurity to all the liquids. If the person squeezing the grapes was a zav, a zavah, or the like even if they squeezed only one grape which had not been made susceptible to ritual impurity, and they did not touch the liquid, the liquid is impure. The rationale is that when the first drop emerged, it became impure because it was carried by a zav. For a zav who carries food or liquids imparts impurity to them, as we explained. Similarly, when a zav milks a goat, the milk is impure. For when the first drop emerged, it became impure because it was carried by a zav.
🧊 Congealed Then Liquid
Oil or honey that contracts impurity, congeals, and then re-liquefies remains a first-degree derivative of impurity forever as a liquid. By contrast, sauce, groats, or milk that solidify shift to food status — intent is required for susceptibility, and touching them renders them secondary derivatives, not first-degree.
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Pickled Vegetables, Falling Grapes, and Impure Olives in Ovens
The following laws apply when there was a pot filled with vegetables left to pickle, their leaves extended outside the pot, and a primary source or a primary derivative of impurity touched the leaf that was outside the pot in a dry place. Even though the leaf was the size of an egg, it is impure, but everything else is pure. If it is returned to the pot, it imparts impurity to all the liquids in it. As a result, the pot and all the vegetables contract impurity. More stringent rules apply if the impure person touched a leaf that was outside the pot that had liquid on it. If the leaf is the size of an egg, everything is impure. The rationale is that the leaf imparts impurity to the liquid on it. That liquid imparts impurity to all the liquids in the pot and they impart impurity to the pot. A pot that was filled with pickled vegetables that were terumah was shaken by a person who immersed that day. He discovered liquids on his hand and was in doubt whether they were sprayed from the pot or whether a stalk from a moist vegetable in the pot touched his hand. The ruling is that the vegetables are disqualified, but the pot is pure.
The following laws apply when an impure person was partaking of grapes that had been made susceptible to ritual impurity and one grape fell into a wine press. If the grape was complete and its stem had not been removed from it, the grapes in the wine press are pure. If its stem was removed and the grapes from which he took the grape that fell were stored in a storage pit and prepared to be crushed - indicating that he desires the liquid that emerges from them - the grapes in the wine press contract impurity from the drop of liquid that emerges from the place of the stem. Should grapes fall from the hands of the impure person and he crushed them in an open place, the liquids that emerge from them are pure if the grapes were exactly the size of an egg or less, as we explained. If there is more than an egg-sized portion, the liquid that emerges is impure. Once one drop emerges, it contracts impurity from an egg-sized portion of impure foods and then it imparts impurity to all the liquids that emerge afterwards.
The following laws apply when there was a mound of impure olives that were collected and pressed together until they were considered as joined which was thrown into an oven that was then kindled. If the olives were exactly the size of an egg or less, the oven is pure. The rationale is that impure food does not impart impurity to keilim and the oil that emerges from them is pure, as we explained. If the mound was larger than an egg, the oven contracts impurity. For when one drop emerges, it contracts impurity from an egg-sized portion of impure foods and then it imparts impurity to the oven. Therefore if the impure olives are separate and not in a mound, even if there are 100 of them, the oven is pure.
🫒 Pickled and Pressed
A primary source touching the external leaf of pickled vegetables in a pot makes the leaf impure — but the liquid inside the pot remains pure unless connected. A grape falling from an impure eater into a winepress contaminates only if its stem is removed (severing its yad). Impure olives in an oven: if egg-sized or less, the whole becomes impure; if more than egg-sized, only the egg-sized portion touching the fire is impure.
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Wood Absorbing Liquids and Impurity in Olive Mills
When wood that absorbed impure liquids was kindled as fuel for an oven, the oven is pure, because the liquids are considered insignificant while absorbed in the wood. Even if the person took the wood out so that rain would fall on it and thus it is considered as desirable for him that the rain fell on it, the oven is pure. The rain- water that is on the wood does not contract impurity from the liquids that are absorbed in it. One should not kindle the oven with this wood unless one's hands are pure. This is a decree lest an impure person kindle the oven with such wood and thus the liquids on it would make the oven impure.
When the carcass of a creeping animal is found in an olive mill, only the portion which it touches contracts impurity. If there is liquid flowing, everything is impure, for once a little of the liquid becomes impure, the entire amount becomes impure and then, the oil will impart impurity to the olives. If the carcass is found on the leaves above the olives, the workers should be questioned. If they say that they did not touch the carcass, their word is accepted. If the carcass was found on a compressed mass of olives, the entire mass becomes impure, as we explained. If the carcass is found on separate olives, but it is touching a compressed mass the size of an egg, everything is impure. For food the size of an olive will impart impurity to liquid mixed with it. The liquid will then impart impurity to the other olives. If there were separate olives piled on other separate olives and the oil was below them, even if the carcass was touching a mass the size of an egg, only the place it touches contracts impurity.
When an unlearned person extended his hand to a winepress and touched the clusters of grapes, the clusters he touched and those around them are impure, but the clusters in the winepress as a whole are pure. For the clusters that are around the clusters that he touched separate it and the remainder of those in the winepress.
🪵 Wood and Mills
Wood absorbing impure liquids and then burned renders the oven pure — the liquids become negligible within the wood. If a creeping animal carcass is found in an olive mill, only the touched portion is impure; but if liquid flows, everything becomes impure. An unlearned person touching grape clusters in a winepress makes the touched and surrounding clusters impure, but the whole press remains pure.
When impure people tread over the waste products of olives or grapes from which oil or wine was produced in a state of purity and afterwards, liquid emerged from them, this liquid is pure. The rationale is that originally, the oil or the wine was produced in a state of purity. If originally, the oil or the wine was produced in a state of impurity and afterwards, through the actions of these people, liquid emerged, it is impure.
The following laws apply when workers at an olive press would enter and depart and there was impure liquid on the floor of the olive press. If there is sufficient space between the liquids and the olives so that they could dry their feet on the ground, the olives are pure, because a person who touches impure liquids with limbs other than his hands is pure, even with regard to consecrated foods. Stringency is required in the following instance. There were loaves that were consecrated. They had hollows and there were consecrated liquids in the hollows. The carcass of a creeping animal touched one of them and then the first loaf touched a second, the second, a third - even if this continues to 100, the loaves are considered as primary derivatives of impurity, because of the liquid in the hollows. Due to the cherished nature of consecrated food, they are all considered as liquids from which secondary and tertiary derivatives are not counted. If, however, the loaves were terumah, only the third loaf is disqualified. From the third onward, the loaves are pure. If there was liquid that could be felt on all the loaves, even were the loaves terumah, they would all be impure. They are all secondary derivatives except for the first that was touched by the carcass of the creeping animal. It is a primary derivative.
The following laws apply when there is a bubble in the side of a jug and it is like another container at its side. When the bubble was perforated to the inner space of the jug and perforated on the other side outward with the two holes on the same level or the inner hole was lower than the outer hole, if both the bubble and the jug contained liquids and a primary source of impurity touched the liquids in the bubble, all of the liquids in the jug contract impurity. Also, when the jug has a sealed covering and it is located in a building where a corpse is located, it contracts impurity because of the hole in the bubble, since it reaches into its inner space. Similarly, if the inner hole was higher than the outer hole, the jug is not protected from impurity by its sealed covering. If, however, a primary source of impurity touched the bubble, the liquids in the jug do not contract impurity and they are considered as separate from the liquids in the bubble.
🏭 Press Workers
When impure workers tread over already-pressed waste of olives or grapes, liquid subsequently emerging is pure — it was originally produced in purity. Workers with impure liquid on the olive press floor can continue if there is dry ground between the liquids and the olives. A bubble on the side of a jug that is perforated in two places on the same level joins or isolates from the jug's contents based on the position of the perforations.
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🎓 Key Principles
Chapter 9
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Re-liquefied Impure Oil Stays a First-Degree Derivative Oil or honey that congeals after contracting impurity and then re-liquefies remains permanently classified as a first-degree derivative liquid.
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Flowing Liquid Spreads Impurity Throughout When any liquid in a production area becomes impure, the entire connected liquid mass is affected — a single impure point contaminates all joined liquids.
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External Leaves Do Not Transfer Impurity Inside A primary source touching the external leaf of pickled vegetables makes the leaf impure but does not automatically contaminate the liquid inside the pot.
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Egg-Size Threshold in Olive Press Ovens Whether an entire mass of impure olives in an oven becomes impure depends on whether it equals or exceeds the egg-sized minimum measure.