Oholos 9:3 - 9:4

בזמן שהוא כלי – that it was not hollowed out and was not nullified from the category of being a vessel. -

מחולחלת (hollowed out – not packed entirely) – that the walls are perforated with an opening of a handbreadth. They normally make incisions in the walls of the hive in order the bees can enter and depart, and sometimes that the incisions/holes are stopped up with straw but that the stopper is not fastened tightly.

היתה פחותה (if it was damaged) – that it was broken through/hollowed out and voided from the category of a vessel.

ופקוקה בקש – in the place of the hollowing out. But its walls are complete that they are not hollowed out.

או אפוצה (or made narrower by squeezing the parts together – i.e., pressing the lid down) – or even if its walls were not complete but rather that it was made narrowed, meaning to say, that it was closed in the place where it is hollowed out/not packed entirely, and there isn’t a handbreadth of hollowed out area.

כנגדו עד התהום טמא – but all of the rest is pure. For since it is not considered a vessel like a tent to protect what is inside it and what is on top of it.

על גבה – if an olive’s bulk from a corpse is placed on top of it.

כנגדו עד הרקיע טמא – but all of the rest of pure, for it protects what is inside of it and what is below it. Since it is not a vessel.

בבית – if an olive’s bulk from the corpse is in the house.

אין טמא אלא הבית – and all of the rest is pure, for its opening/mouth is outside.

בתוכה – if the olive’s bulk from the corpse is within it (i.e., inside).

אין טמא אלא תוכה – and all the rest is pure, for the defilement does not enter into the house because it is not hollowed out and its mouth is towards the outside, and it protects also over what is underneath it and what is on top of it, since It is not a vessel.

תחתיה והבית טמא – for they bring the defilement from this (i.e., underneath the house) to that (i.e., the house).

תוכה טהור – that which is inside [the house], since the its walls are outside, and what is on top of it is also pure, for it protects on what is outside, for it is not a vessel.

בתוכה – if the defilement is within it.

אין טמא אלא תוכה – and all the rest is ritually pure.