Rambam - 3 Chapters a Day

When a person was carrying water for the ashes of the red heifer on his shoulders and he stood and delivered a halachic ruling for others, rendered a judgment, a woman performed chalitzah in his presence, a girl performed mi'un in his presence, he gave directions to others, killed a snake or scorpion that did not present a threat to him, or took food from the market to set aside, the water is disqualified. The rationale is that he occupied himself with another activity before placing the ashes on the water.

If, however, he took food in order to eat and ate while he was proceeding on his way or killed a snake or scorpion that was preventing his progress, the water is acceptable, for these activities are necessary to carry the water. This is the general principle: Any activity that is considered as work which was performed before placing the ashes on the water, whether he stood still or not, disqualifies the water. When he performs an activity that is not considered as work, if he does not stand still, the water is acceptable. If he stands still, it is disqualified.

If he was walking while carrying such water and, while he was walking, he made an opening to walk through, the water he is carrying is acceptable, even though he made the opening with the intent of closing it afterwards. If he closes it before placing the ashes on the water, the water is disqualified. Similarly, if he dries fruit to eat, even if later he intends to dry the remainder, the water is acceptable. If he dries the remaining fruit before placing the ashes on the water, it is disqualified.

The following laws apply if one was eating while carrying such water; he left over some food and cast the leftovers under a fig tree or under a net used to dry figs. If his intent was to prevent the food from perishing, the water is disqualified, because he performed work. If he cast it away because he no longer needs it, the water is acceptable.

When a person drew water to sanctify it and entrusted it to a watchman to oversee, the water is not disqualified if the owner performed work, because he entrusted it to a watchman. If the watchman performs work, he disqualifies it, because the water is in his domain and he takes the place of the owner.

If two people are watching such water and one performs work, the water is acceptable, because the other is watching. If the first returned to his watch and the second stood up and performed work, the water is acceptable. The water's status is maintained unless all of the watchmen perform work at the same time.

The following rules apply when a person sanctifies water with one hand and performs work with another. If he sanctifies the water for himself, he disqualifies it, because he performed work before casting the ashes on the water. If he sanctified water for his colleague, the water is acceptable, because a person does not disqualify a colleague's water with the performance of such work. For the performance of work does not disqualify the act of sanctification; it disqualifies only the water, and that, only when the one performing the work is a watchman or the owner.

When a person sanctifies water for himself and a colleague at the same time, his water is disqualified because of the activity he performed in sanctifying his colleague's water. If, however, he sanctifies water belonging to two other people at the same time, they are both acceptable, because the performance of work does not disqualify water belonging to others.

When a person fills two buckets with his two hands for himself and sanctifies them at once, they are disqualified. If he sanctifies them individually, they are acceptable. If he sanctifies water for himself with both hands at the same time in one sanctification, it is acceptable. If he sanctified two buckets at the same time, they are both disqualified. If, with his two hands, he filled one bucket of water and sanctified another existing bucket for himself, they are both disqualified.

If he filled two buckets with his two hands for another person at the same time, when they are sanctified at once, they are both acceptable. If they were sanctified individually, they are disqualified. If he sanctifies water for another person with both hands at the same time as one sanctification it is acceptable. If, with his two hands, he filled one bucket of water and sanctified another existing bucket for another person, the bucket he filled is disqualified, but the bucket he sanctified is acceptable.

This is the general principle: Whenever work was performed when water was drawn, whether one drew the water for himself or for another person, it is disqualified, Whenever water was drawn according to law and then one performed work before placing the ashes upon it, if the water belonged to him, it is disqualified. If it belongs to someone else, it is acceptable.

In any situation when the water is in his hand and he performs work, whether there is a watchman who does not perform work or whether there is no watchman, the water is disqualified. When the water is not in his hand and he performed work, if there is a watchman, it is not disqualified. If there is no watchman, it is disqualified.

When a person tells a colleague: "Sanctify water for me and I will sanctify water for you," and they sanctified water for each other, the first is acceptable and the second is disqualified, because he received a wage for sanctifying.

If one tells the other: "Draw water for me and I will draw water for you," and they drew water for each other, the first is unacceptable. The rationale is that since his intent was that his colleague should draw water for him in exchange, it is considered as if he drew water for himself and another person at the same time, in which instance, the water is disqualified. The second bucket is acceptable, because it is permitted to receive payment for drawing water and he did not perform work after drawing the water, nor did have an intent regarding another drawing of water.

When a person tells a friend: "Sanctify water for me and I will draw water for you," they are both acceptable. The rationale is that work does not disqualify sanctification and it is permitted to receive a wage for drawing water.

If one tells the other: "Draw water for me and I will sanctify water for you," they are both disqualified. The water drawn originally is disqualified, because it is considered as if he drew water and sanctified it at the same time and thus caused the water he drew to be disqualified because of the performance of work. And the water sanctified afterwards is disqualified, because it is as if he sanctified water for a wage, because it is as if he was repaying a debt for which he was liable.

When a person goes to sanctify water for the ashes of the red heifer, he may take the key to the closet where the ashes are kept and open it to take out the ashes. If it is necessary to dig out the ashes, he may take a hatchet. He may take a ladder and carry it from place to place to bring the ashes. In all these circumstances, the water and the ashes remain acceptable. If after taking the ashes for the sanctification, he covered the container in which the ashes were held, locked the door of the closet, or stood the container where the ashes were held upright on the ground before casting the ashes on the water, the water is disqualified, but the ashes are acceptable to sanctify other water.

If, by contrast, he stood the container in which the ashes were held upright in his hand so that the remaining ashes would not be scattered, it is acceptable, because it is impossible to do otherwise. If he places it down on the ground, the water is disqualified and if he covers it, the water is disqualified.

If he took ashes and saw that the amount was excessive and returned some, it is acceptable. If he cast the ashes on the water and then returned some, the water is acceptable. If he cast the ashes on the water and saw that the amount was excessive and took some to sanctify other water, it is acceptable.

If he trimmed an olive leaf to use to cast the ashes, the ruling depends on his intent. If his intent was so that the leaf would not hold much ashes, the water is disqualified. If his intent was to direct the flow of the ashes so that they would enter the container holding the water, the water is acceptable.

How is the water sanctified with the ashes of the red heifer? One should place the water that was drawn for this purpose in a container and then place ashes on the water so that they will be seen on the surface of the water. This is sufficient even though it is a large barrel filled with water. He should then mix the entire contents. If he placed the ashes in the container first and then placed the water upon them, it is disqualified.

What then is meant by the Torah's statement Numbers 19:17: "And he shall place living water upon it"? That the ash should be mixed with the water.

A person sanctifying must focus his concentration. He must cast the ashes on the water by hand. These concepts are implied by the phrase ibid.: "And he shall take for the impure person...." The latter words indicate that he must have a specific intent while sanctifying, drawing, and sprinkling.

Thus if the ashes of the red heifer fell from the container holding them into the water, he took the ashes with his hand, but then a friend or the wind thrust him and the ashes fell from his hand onto the water, or the ashes fell from his hand onto the side of the container or onto his hand and then onto the water, the water is disqualified,

If one sanctified an amount of water insufficient for sprinkling in one container and sanctified another amount of water insufficient for sprinkling in another container, they are not sanctified. If the ashes were floating on the surface of the water and one gathered some from above and sanctified other water with it, it is sanctified. By contrast, any ashes that touched the water may not be used to sanctify water again even if they were dried. Indeed, even if ashes were blown onto water by the wind they may not be dried and used to sanctify other water.

The following rules apply when there was a small container placed inside a large container, they were both filled with water drawn for the ashes of the red heifer, and their waters were intermingled. When one placed ashes on the water in the large container, all of the water in the small container became sanctified even though its opening is very narrow and no ashes entered there. The rationale is that the waters were intermingled.

When there was a sponge in the water at the time one placed the ashes upon it, the water in the sponge is disqualified because it is not in a container.

What should the person do to remove the water? He should pour off all the water until he reaches the sponge, but should not touch the sponge. If he touches the sponge, no matter how much water is above it, all of the water is disqualified, because the water in the sponge is released and mixes with the acceptable water.

If a sponge falls into sanctified water, one should take it and squeeze it outside the container and the water in the container remains acceptable.

When there are two adjacent troughs in one stone and ashes were placed into one of them, the water in the other is not sanctified. When there was a hole the size of a mouthpiece of a leather drinking pouch connecting the two or there was a layer of water even as thin as a garlic peel connecting them from above, if one placed the ashes into one, the water in the second is sanctified.

When two stones are placed together to form a trough, two kneading troughs are placed together, or a stone trough was divided and then the two portions held together, were the ashes of the red heifer to be placed in one, the water between them is not sanctified. If the two entities were connected with lime or with plaster and they could be carried as one, the water between them is sanctified.

When even the smallest amount of other water - even water that was drawn for the sake of the ashes of the red heifer - becomes mixed with sanctified water, it is disqualified. Similarly, if dew descends into such water, it is disqualified. If other liquids or fruit juices fall into it, the entire quantity should be poured out. The container must be dried; only afterwards can other sanctified water be placed in it.

If ink, black earth, or dark earth, or any entity that leaves a mark falls into such water, it must be poured out, but there is no need to dry the container. The rationale is that if any portion of the entity that leaves a mark will remain, it will be apparent.

When a person immerses a container for water for the ashes of the red heifer in water that is not fit to be sanctified, he must dry it before he sanctifies other water in it. If he immersed it in water that is fit to be sanctified, he does not have to dry out the container. If, however, he immersed it with the intent of using it to hold sanctified water, he must dry it in any case.

When a gourd was immersed in water that was fit to be sanctified, one may sanctify water in it. But one may not collect water that has already been sanctified with the ashes in it. The rationale is that the water in which it was immersed becomes absorbed in its substance; afterwards, it emerges, becomes mixed with the sanctified water, and disqualifies it.

If it became impure, even if it was immersed, we do not sanctify water in it. The rationale is that impure water is absorbed in its substance. It will flow out and become mixed with the water that is being sanctified in it.

When crawling animals or teeming animals fell into water that was sanctified and broke open or caused its color to change, the water is disqualified. This applies even if they were very dry like an ant, moth, or louse that is found in grain. If he placed beetles in such water, it is disqualified even if they did not break open or cause the color of the water to change. The rationale is that they are like tubes and the water enters their body and departs from it, mixed with their body fluids.

When a domesticated or wild animal drinks from sanctified water, the water is disqualified. Similarly, all birds disqualify it with the exception of a dove, because it sucks water and saliva does not flow from its mouth and become mixed in the water. Similarly, if any of the crawling animals drink from sanctified water, they do not disqualify it with the exception of the mole. It licks the water with its tongue and thus moisture will be released from its mouth into the water.

When the appearance of water sanctified with the ashes of the red heifer changes without any external cause, it is acceptable. If it changes color because of smoke, it is disqualified. If it froze and then melted, it is acceptable, even if it melted in the sun. If, however, it was melted by fire, it is disqualified.

When the appearance of the ashes of the red heifer changed without any external cause or because of smoke, they are acceptable. If their appearance changed because of dust, because lime or gypsum fell into them, or because even the slightest amount of oven ash fell into them, they are disqualified.

When a person thinks about drinking water sanctified with the ashes of the red heifer, he does not disqualify it until he actually drinks from it. If he poured from the container directly to his throat without his lips touching the water in the container, he does not disqualify it.

When a container in which the water for the ashes of the red heifer had been placed was left open and then one discovered it closed, the water is disqualified. We suspect that maybe a person who had not purified himself for dealing with the water for the ashes of the red heifer touched it, for it is certain that a person covered it.

The following rules apply if one left it covered and found it open. If a mole could have drunk from it or dew could have descended upon it at night, it is disqualified. If not, it is acceptable. The rationale is that two undeterminable factors are involved. It is unknown whether it was uncovered by a person or a domesticated animal, wild animal, or crawling animal. And if you would say that it was uncovered by a person, it is unknown whether he was pure with regard to the water of the ashes of the red heifer.

When a person transfers sanctified water or water that was drawn to be sanctified to an impure person to watch, the water is disqualified.

When two people are watching water and one becomes impure, the water is still acceptable, because it is in the domain of the other watchman. If the first purified himself and the other watchman became impure, it is acceptable because the water is in the domain of the first. If they both became impure at once, the water is disqualified.

When a person draws water to be sanctified, he does not have to be the person who sanctified and sprinkles the water on an impure person. Instead, another person may sanctify it and another may sprinkle it. Similarly, a person may draw water with one container and pour it from container to container. And he may sanctify it in a different container, pour the sanctified water from one container to another, and sprinkle it from a different container.

A person may draw water for the ashes of the red heifer and keep it in his possession without sanctifying it for as long as he desires. There is no difficulty in this. He may transport it from place to place and from city to city and then place ashes upon it and sanctify it whenever he desires.

Similarly, a person may keep sanctified water in his possession for many days or years and sprinkle from it on any day that he needs to until it is used up. He may transport it from place to place and from city to city. Similarly, a person may keep the ashes of the red heifer in his possession and transport it from place to place and from city to city. Once a container in which the ashes of the red heifer were held was transported in a ship on the Jordan River and an olive-sized portion of a corpse was discovered on the bottom of the ship, making the water impure. At that time, the High Court decreed that the water for the ashes of the red heifer and the ashes themselves should not be transported on a river, nor on a ship. Similarly, one should not float them on water, nor should a person stand on one side of a river and throw them to the other. A person may, however, pass through water until it reaches his neck while holding the ashes of the red heifer or sanctified water.

Similarly, a person and empty containers that were purified for the ashes of the red heifer and water that was drawn for the sake of the ashes of the red heifer that was not sanctified may be transported on a river and on a ship.

Sanctified water may be transported on the Mediterranean Sea and it may be floated on such water. The decree encompassed only sanctified water and ashes on a river.

When a person is transporting water to be sanctified - and, needless to say, water that has been sanctified - he should not sling the container over his back, but instead, should carry it in front of him, as implied by Numbers 19:9: "as safekeeping, as water for sprinkling." One can infer when it is watched, it may be used as water for sprinkling. If not, it is disqualified. If one filled two jugs, he should carry one in front of him and one behind him, because it is impossible to do otherwise.

When water for the ashes of the red heifer was weighed on a scale, it is disqualified if one diverted his attention from it. If not, it is acceptable. If, however, one weighed other entities with water for the ashes of the red heifer, it is disqualified. The rationale is that since one used it as a weight, it is not considered as having been "watched."

All of the pure individuals who draw water, sanctify it, and sprinkle it and, similarly, all of the utensils used for drawing water, sanctifying it, and sprinkling it are acceptable if they were immersed on that day even though night has not fallen upon them. For all of the activities involving the red heifer, drawing the water, and sprinkling it are acceptable when performed by individuals who had immersed that day, as we explained.

Because of the Sadducees, all of the utensils that can be purified are made impure, immersed, and then used for the water for the ashes of the red heifer.

Everyone is acceptable to sprinkle the water with the ashes of the red heifer with the exception of a woman, a tumtum, an androgynus, a deaf-mute, an intellectually and/or emotionally compromised person, and a minor who is not intellectually mature. [Similarly,] an uncircumcised person is acceptable, for an uncircumcised person is not impure.

When an intellectually mature minor sprinkles such water and a woman helps him, she holds the water in her hand, his sprinkling is acceptable provided she does not hold his hand while he is sprinkling. If she held his hand while he is sprinkling, the sprinkling is unacceptable.

The person sprinkling the water must have the intent to sprinkle on the impure person to purify him. If he sprinkled without such an intent, the sprinkling is invalid. The person upon whom the water is sprinkled, by contrast, does not need to have any intent. Instead, water may be sprinkled on a person with his knowledge or without his knowledge.

When a person has the intent to sprinkle such water in front of himself and he sprinkles behind himself, or he had the intent of sprinkling water behind himself and he sprinkled in front of himself, his sprinkling is invalid. If he had the intent to sprinkle such water in front of himself and he sprinkled in front, but to the sides, his sprinkling is acceptable.

The person sprinkling the water need not dip the hyssop in the water for every sprinkling. Instead, he may dip the hyssop and sprinkle once and again until the water was completed. He may sprinkle on many people or many utensils - even 100 - at a time. Anyone who was touched by even the slightest amount of the water is pure, provided the one sprinkling had the intent of sprinkling on him.

If one dipped the hyssop with the intent of sprinkling on an entity that is susceptible to ritual impurity or on a person and, instead, sprinkled the water on an entity that was not susceptible to ritually impurity or on an animal, he need not dip the hyssop again if water remained on it. Instead, he may sprinkle the remainder on an impure person or utensil. The rationale is that, at the outset, he dipped it in the water in an acceptable manner. If, by contrast, he dipped the hyssop in the water in order to sprinkle it on an entity that is not susceptible to ritual impurity or on an animal, and sprinkled it on an impure man or utensil, the sprinkling is invalid until he dips the hyssop in the water a second time, while having the intent to sprinkle on a person or on an entity that is susceptible to ritual impurity.

If he dipped the hyssop in the water with the intent of sprinkling on an entity that is not susceptible to ritual impurity, the water that drips from the hyssop is still acceptable. Therefore if it drips into a container and one dips the hyssop in it with the intent of sprinkling it on an entity that is susceptible to ritual impurity, the sprinkling is acceptable.

Although the volume of the water of the ashes of the red heifer has been reduced, one may dip even the tips of the hyssop stalks and sprinkle, provided one does not use it like a sponge. When a flask has a thin opening, he may dip and withdraw the hyssop in the ordinary manner and then sprinkle with it. He need not be careful that it does not touch the sides of the container a second time.