Ohalos 14:5-6

Ohalos 14:5

Let’s say that there are two projections, one directly above the other, each with the space of a handbreadth and with a handbreadth opening between them. If there’s ritual impurity under them, then what’s beneath is rendered unclean; if there’s impurity between them, then what’s between them is rendered unclean; if there’s impurity above them, then everything opposite it is rendered unclean all the way up to the sky. If the upper projection extended beyond the lower projection by the space of a handbreadth, then if there’s ritual impurity beneath or between them, then what’s beneath and between them is rendered unclean; if there’s impurity above them, then everything opposite it is rendered unclean all the way up to the sky. If the upper projection extended beyond the lower projection by less than the space of a handbreadth, then if there’s ritual impurity beneath them, what’s beneath and between is rendered unclean; if there’s ritual impurity between them or beneath the extension, then Rabbi Eliezer says that what’s beneath and between them is rendered unclean. Rabbi Yehoshua says that what’s between them and beneath the extension is rendered unclean but what’s beneath the two projections themselves remains clean.

Ohalos 14:6

If the projections each had an opening of a handbreadth but there wasn’t an opening of a handbreadth between them, then if there’s ritual impurity beneath them, what’s beneath them is rendered unclean; if there’s ritual impurity between or above them, then everything opposite it is rendered unclean all the way up to the sky.