Keilim 7:6-8:1

Keilim 7:6

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says that we measure the distance from the tripod to the stove’s edge by placing a ruler between the tripod’s legs; everything outside the triangle created by the ruler is insusceptible to impurity while everything inside, including the space occupied by the ruler itself, is susceptible.

Keilim 8:1

Let’s say that an oven was divided using boards or curtains. If a sheretz (vermin) was found in one section, the entire oven is ritually unclean. If a beehive that was broken and the hole plugged with straw was lowered into the airspace of an oven while a sheretz was in it, the oven is rendered unclean. If the sheretz was in the oven, any food in the beehive is rendered unclean, though Rabbi Eliezer declares it clean. Rabbi Eliezer said, if a beehive can block the transmission of corpse impurity, which is more severe, shouldn’t it also block the transmission of impurity to an earthenware vessel, which is a lesser form of impurity? The Sages replied that the beehive blocks the transmission of corpse impurity because we divide tents in cases of corpse impurity (i.e., a partition stops the spread of the impurity). This would not be a reason for it to block the transmission of impurity to an earthenware vessel, as partitioning earthenware vessels would have no effect.