Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day

Our Sages established eleven stringencies applying to consecrated foods that do not apply to terumah. They are the following:

A person may immerse keilim inside other keilim to use for terumah, but not those to be used for consecrated foods. This is a decree lest the opening of the container be narrow and not be as wide as the mouthpiece of a drinking pouch. Thus the keilim inside of it would be considered as if they were immersed in the waters of the k'li and not in the waters of the mikveh. When does the above apply? When the large container in which the small impure keilim were placed was pure. If, however, it was impure, since the immersion is valid for it, it is also valid for the keilim inside of it, even though they were to be used for consecrated foods.

When the outer surface of a container contracted impurity because it touched liquids, its inner space does not become impure, nor does the fingerhold on its rim. Any liquids in its inner space or on its fingerhold are pure. One may drink from it. There is no need to worry that the liquids in his mouth will touch the outer surface of the container and then flow back in, causing its inner space to become impure.

With regard to what does the above apply? To containers used for terumah. If, by contrast, they are used for consecrated foods, when the outer surface becomes impure, the k'li becomes impure in its totality.

When a person carries an article on which a zav had been supported, he is permitted to carry terumah together with it. Since the person carrying the support is not touching the terumah and the terumah is not touching the support, the terumah is pure. This leniency does not apply to consecrated foods.

An incident occurred with a person who was carrying a jug of consecrated wine and he caused it to contract impurity because of an impure support he was carrying with it. At that time, the Sages decreed that one who carries such a support should not carry consecrated food. The decree was only instituted with regard to carrying such a support with consecrated food, as in the incident that occurred. If the person transgressed and carried the two together, since the support did not touch the consecrated food, the consecrated food is pure.

The clothes of people who partake of terumah, even though they are pure and they are careful not to contract impurity, are considered as the support of a zav with regard to consecrated foods.

When a k'li is made up of several component parts and its surfaces and beams are tied together, e.g., a bed or the like, if it contracts impurity and must be immersed for terumah, it may be immersed in its entirety, as one entity, while tied together. If it must be immersed for consecrated foods, he must untie all the component parts, wipe each of them down, lest there be an intervening substance upon them and immerse them one by one. Afterwards, he may retie them.

When the fashioning of utensils is completed in a state of purity, even if the one fashioning them is a Torah scholar who was scrupulous in keeping them pure, they must be immersed before they are used for consecrated food. It is not, however, necessary to wait until nightfall. For terumah, however, they may be used without being immersed, because they were fashioned in a state of purity.

Why did the Sages require that such a k'li be immersed before being used for consecrated food? This is a decree, lest the spittle of an unlearned person have touched it while it was being fashioned and was still moist when it was completed.

Everything inside of a container is considered as joined with regard to consecrated food, but not with regard to terumah.

What is implied? When there is a container filled with fruits that are separate from each other, e.g., raisins and dried figs, if a source of impurity touches one of them, everything that is in the container is impure with regard to consecrated foods, but not with regard to terumah.

All of these stringencies are Rabbinic in origin. There is, however, an allusion to this stringency in the Torah. Numbers 7:14 states: "One golden ladle, weighing ten shekalim, filled with incense." Our Sages said: Everything that is in the ladle is considered as one entity. Even if a k'li does not have a hollow space, everything that is upon it is considered as joined together with regard to consecrated foods. For example, figs were collected on a board or on a hide; even though they are not touching each other, they are considered as a single entity.

The following rules apply when there were two masses within a container, another entity separating them from each other, and one of the masses becomes impure. If the entity between them is required by the container, everything is joined together and it all becomes impure. If it is not required by the container, only the mass that was touched by the impurity contracts impurity.

If there were two masses in a container and one mass was connected to water that was behind the container, should an impure person touch the second mass, they both contract impurity, because they are joined by the container. Moreover, even though it is behind the container, the water that is behind the container becomes impure, because of the food that is connected to it.

If an impure person touched the water that is behind the container, the food that is connected to it contracts impurity. There is an unresolved question whether the other mass of food becomes impure because it is considered joined by the container or it is not considered as impure although it is joined.

When consecrated food that became impure was placed in a container which also held other consecrated food that was pure, as long as they do not touch each other, the one that is pure remains pure and the one that is impure remains impure. If a person who immersed that day comes and touches the impure food, an unresolved doubt arises: Does the principle that a container joins the masses it holds cause the pure food to become disqualified because the impure food was touched by the person who immersed or is it not disqualified, because the person who immersed only touched food that had already been saturated with impurity and he did not add anything else to it.

Consecrated food that is a fourth degree derivative of impurity is disqualified, but if it were terumah it would be pure. Similarly, if terumah that was a tertiary derivative touched a consecrated liquid, it contracts impurity, as we explained. When, by contrast, terumah or consecrated food that is a tertiary derivative touched a liquid that is terumah, it is not disqualified.

When one of a person's hands contracted impurity and he then touched his other hand or the hand of another person, he disqualified the other hand and it is considered as a tertiary derivative. If his hand was moist with liquid, the other hand contracts impurity even if it was not touched. He must immerse both of them in a mikveh. Only afterwards may he touch consecrated food.

With regard to terumah, by contrast, if one of his hands contracts impurity, the other does not, even if he touched it, provided the first was dry. He need not immerse the hand that contracted impurity. It is sufficient to wash it in the ritual manner. He may then touch terumah.

Dry foods that have not become susceptible to contract impurity may be eaten with impure hands. With regard to what does the above apply? To terumah. With regard to consecrated food, by contrast, the cherished quality of consecrated food causes it to be considered as susceptible to impurity and it is forbidden for someone whose hands are impure to eat consecrated food even if it was not made susceptible to impurity by contact with liquids.

Even if the person with impure hands did not actually touch the consecrated food with his hands, only with a weaving needle or his friend inserted it into his mouth, this is forbidden. Needless to say, if a source of impurity touched consecrated food that was not made susceptible to impurity by contact with liquids, it becomes impure, because the cherished quality of consecrated food causes it to be considered as susceptible to impurity.

In which instances does the above principle apply? With regard to disqualifying the food itself and to cause it to become forbidden to be eaten. There is, however, an unresolved question with regard to counting primary or secondary derivatives if other entities come in contact with such consecrated food.

What is implied? If consecrated food contracted impurity without being made susceptible to impurity by contact with liquids with other food that was made susceptible to impurity by contact with liquids, there is an unresolved doubt, because the first food had not become susceptible to impurity because of contact with liquids.

Even after a mourner's period of acute mourning ends or after a person who was lacking atonement brings the sacrifices that bring him atonement, he must immerse in a mikveh before partaking of consecrated food, but not before partaking of terumah. For a person in a state of acute mourning and one who is lacking atonement may partake of terumah.

Why did the Sages require immersion before partaking of consecrated food? Because until this time, such individuals were forbidden to partake of consecrated food. Hence it is possible that they diverted their attention from their bodies and contracted impurity without knowing of it. This stringency was imposed only with regard to eating, but not with regard to touching. Such individuals may touch consecrated foods before immersion.

The first six stringencies were imposed both with regard to consecrated foods and with regard to ordinary foods prepared with the stringencies of consecrated foods. The last five stringencies, beginning with "everything inside a utensil is considered as joined" applies only to consecrated food, but not to ordinary foods prepared with the stringencies of consecrated foods. With regard to these five matters, such food is considered as ordinary food. Therefore, with regard to ordinary foods prepared with the stringencies of consecrated foods, a primary derivative is impure, a secondary derivative disqualified, and a tertiary derivative is pure with regard to ordinary foods, as we explained.