The performance of work disqualifies water that was drawn for the ashes of the red heifer before it is sanctified, but it does not disqualify the sprinkling of the ashes. These rulings are stated in the Oral Tradition. What is implied? If one draws water for sanctification with the ashes and was involved with another activity while drawing it, carrying the water that was drawn, or pouring it from one container to another, he disqualifies it. The performance of an activity disqualifies the water until the ashes are placed on it. If one placed the ashes on the water and sanctified it, causing it to be fit for sprinkling, the performance of another activity does not disqualify it. If one carries sanctified water from place to place or pours it from one container to another while being occupied with another activity, it is of no consequence. This also applies if one sprinkles it with one hand and performs an activity with the other hand.
The payment of a wage disqualifies the sanctification of the water and the sprinkling of it, but it does not disqualify the drawing of it. What is implied? When one takes a wage for sanctifying the water for the ashes of the red heifer or sprinkling it, the water is considered as the water of a cavern and the ashes, as ashes from a range, which are of no halachic significance. One may, however, take a wage for drawing the water or transporting it. One should sanctify it without charge and the one who sprinkles it, should sprinkle it without charge. If the one sanctifying or sprinkling the water was old and unable to walk and an impure person came and asked him to go with him to a distant place to sanctify such water or sprinkle it, he may have him ride on a donkey and pay him a wage as befits an unemployed worker who had previously worked at that profession. Similarly, if he was a priest and because he would accompany him, he would contract an impurity that prevents him from partaking of terumah, he should feed him, give him beverages, and oil to anoint himself during the time he travels with him to sanctify or sprinkle the water. If he causes him to cease working, he should pay him a wage as befits an unemployed worker who had previously worked at that profession. The rationale is that all of these considerations are not wages he is being paid for sanctifying or sprinkling the water, for he did not profit at all. He only took compensation for what he lost.
When a person draws water with one hand and performs work with his other hand, the water is unacceptable. Similarly, if he drew water for himself and for another person or he drew water for two people at the same time, both are unacceptable. For drawing water is considered as work. Thus during each of the drawings of water, it is as if he performed another task at that time. And we have already stated that the performance of an activity disqualifies the drawing of water, whether one draws for himself or for others.
⛔ Work Disqualification
Performing work while drawing water disqualifies the water before it has been sanctified. However, once the water has been sanctified, work during transport does not disqualify it — only during drawing and sanctification. If a person draws with one hand while working with the other, the water is unacceptable.
When a person draws water for the ashes of the red heifer for others - even if he filled one thousand barrels one after the other for one thousand different people - they are all acceptable. Each person should take his water and sanctify it. The following rules apply if one drew water for himself, one barrel after another. If he intended to collect all the water in one container, cast the ashes upon it, and sanctify all at once, it is all acceptable, for it is all considered as one drawing of water. If, however, he intended to sanctify every barrel individually, they are all unacceptable except for the last one. The rationale is that the first becomes disqualified due to the work - i.e., the drawing of the second barrel - that was performed before it was sanctified. Similarly, the second is disqualified by the drawing of the third. Thus it is only the last which is acceptable.
When five people fill five barrels with spring water to sanctify them for five different sanctifications, e.g., they intended to cast the ashes on each one individually and then changed their minds and decided to mix them all together and sanctify them at once; alternatively, they filled the barrels to sanctify them all in one container and then changed their minds and decided to sanctify each of the five independently, they are all acceptable, because the person drawing the water did not become involved in drawing other water afterwards. When, by contrast, an individual fills five barrels to sanctify each of the five independently, only the last one is acceptable, If he filled the barrels to sanctify all the water in one container and he changed his mind and sanctified each of the five individually, only the one that he sanctified first is acceptable. Similarly, if a person told a colleague: "Sanctify these for yourself," only the bucket that is sanctified first is acceptable. If, however, he told him: "Sanctify these for me," they are all acceptable, because they were all filled to be sanctified in one container. Even though he changed his mind and decided to sanctify each of the five individually, he himself did not perform the sanctification, someone else did.
🙋 Intent of Drawing
When a person draws water for others and not for themselves, the water is acceptable — even if he fills a thousand barrels. However, one who draws for oneself and then adds water for the offering must draw the personal water first, then the sanctification water — not simultaneously.
When a person seeks to draw water to sanctify it and other water for his own purposes, he should draw the water he desires for his own purposes first and tie the barrels and load them behind him. Afterwards, he fills the buckets he intended to use for the water for the ashes of the red heifer so that he will not be involved in any work after drawing it. He places it in front of him, and proceeds.
The following laws apply when two people were drawing water individually and one helped the other lift his water to load it on his back or one removed a thorn from the other's hand or body when he was drawing the water. If they both drew the water to sanctify it in a single container, all of the water is acceptable. If each of them drew the water to sanctify it independently, the one who helped his colleague lift his water or removed the thorn, disqualified his own water.
When a person borrows a rope to draw water for the ashes of the red heifer, draws the water, takes the rope in his hand, and the water on his shoulders, and meets the owner of the rope while he is on his way, the water remains acceptable even though he give him the rope while he is walking. If he went out of his way to bring the rope to its owner, he disqualified the water.
🤝 Joint Efforts
If two people help each other draw and one assists the other in lifting even slightly, both waters are disqualified. If one borrows a rope, draws water, then returns the rope and carries the bucket himself — the water is acceptable. If one tosses the rope into the water without intent to draw, then decides to use it — the water is invalid.
If someone who was drawing water for the ashes of the red heifer cast the rope he used to draw the water on the ground and after he drew the water gathered the rope in his hand, he disqualified the water. If, while drawing the water, he gathered the rope, winding it around his hand, the water is acceptable.
When one was drawing water with a small jug and pouring the water into a larger barrel and he put aside the larger barrel so that it would not break while he was drawing the water or he turned it upside down to dry it so he could fill it, the water is acceptable, for these activities were performed for the sake of drawing the water. If, however, before sanctifying the water he had drawn, he set the barrel aside or dried it to transport the water he would sanctify, he disqualified the water, because he performed a task that was not for the purpose of drawing the water. Similar laws apply when one who was drawing water and pouring the water into a trough within a stone removed shards from the trough while filling it. If his intent was so that the trough would hold more water, the water is acceptable, for this is considered as for the purpose of drawing water. If his intent is that the shards should prevent the water from flowing out when he seeks to draw off the water with which he filled the trough, the water is unacceptable.
The following rules apply when a person thinks of filling a bucket of water to drink and changes his mind and decides to use the water for the ashes of the red heifer]. If he changed his mind before the bucket reached the water, he must pour the water out, but he does not have to dry out the bucket. If he changed his mind after the bucket reached the water, he must pour it out and he must dry it. Only afterwards, may he fill it with water for the ashes of the red heifer. If he lowered the bucket towards the water with the intent of using the water to drink and the rope broke away from his hand, if he changed his mind before the bucket reached the water, he must pour the water out, but he does not have to dry out the bucket. If he changed his mind while the bucket was still in the water and intended to use the water for the ashes of the red heifer, he must pour it out, but does not have to dry the bucket. When a person drew water to use for the ashes of the red heifer and, after drawing it, thought to drink it, the water is disqualified from the time he inclined the container to drink from it, even though he did not drink from it at all.
🔄 Intent Changes
If someone draws water into a small jug, pours it into a larger barrel, and adds ashes midway, the first portion is sanctified but the rest is invalid. A person who initially intends to draw water for drinking and changes his mind to use it for sanctification — this is disputed, and the water is disqualified. Conversely, if one intends for sanctification from the start, it is valid.
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🎓 Key Principles
Chapter 7
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No Work During Drawing Performing any work during the drawing or sanctification of the water disqualifies it — the act must be done with undivided focus on the purification purpose.
💸
Wages Are Different Paying a wage disqualifies the sanctification and sprinkling stages, but does not disqualify the drawing of the water itself.
🎯
Intent from the Start Water drawn with personal or undefined intent that is later redirected to sanctification is disqualified — intent for the purification must exist from the moment of drawing.
🤲
Joint Drawing Creates Problems Any assistance between two people during drawing — even minimal help — disqualifies both waters, since the drawing must be done individually and independently.