שבעת ימים כו' מפרישין כהן השורף את הפרה – as it is written in the portion of investment/inauguration [of the Kohanim] (Leviticus 8:34): "כאשר עשה ביום הזה צוה ה' לעשת לכפר עליכם"/”Everything done today, the LORD has commanded to be done [seven days], to make expiation for you,” and our Rabbis/teachers expounded (see Talmud Tractate Yoma 2a): "לעשת" /to be done – this is the act of the [Red] Heifer, "לכפר עליכם"/to make expiation for you – this is the act of Yom Kippur. That the Kohen who burns the heifer and the High Priest/Kohen Gadol who serves on the Day of Atonement requires separation for seven days] like Aaron and his sons would require in the seven days of investment/inauguration, as is written (Leviticus 8:33): “You shall not go outside the entrance of the Tent of Meeting for seven days,” And they would separate him from his wife, lest he come upon his wife and she would be found to be a menstruant woman and someone who has sexual relations with a menstruant woman is impure for seven days and is not able to burn the cow/heifer.

הבירה – there are those that say that this place was on the Temple Mount and “Birah” was its name. But there are those who say that the entire Temple is called “Birah,” as it states (I Chronicles 29:19: “[As to my son, Solomon, give him a whole heart to observe Your commandments, Your admonitions, and Your laws, and to fulfill them all,] and to build this temple for which I have made provision.”

צפונה מזרחה – the reason that they separate the Kohen who burns the Heifer/cow to a chamber that is in the northeast, since it is a sin offering [being offered] and the sin-offering requires the north (see Numbers 19:9), the Rabbis established for him in the northeast just that there will be for him recognition.

ובית אבן היתה נקראת – because all of its acts were with vessels of untrimmed stone, vessels of stone and vessels of earth that are not susceptible to receive defilement, and in them alone he would use all seven of the days of separation, because someone who is a person who immersed himself that day/טבול יום is fit/kosher [to offer up] the heifer, and they would defile the Kohen that burns the heifer and would immerse him immediately to remove (the false opinion) out of the heart of the Sadducees (i.e., to demonstrate, by practice, the rejection of their opinion) who state that it was done at sunset, the Rabbis established for it extra preference so that they would not disregard/despise it.

כל שבעת הימים – of the days of separation.

מכל חטאות שהיו שם – all the heifers that were made from the days of Moses our Teacher/Rabbi and until that time. For each and every Red Heifer that they would give a bit for protection, and on the first day they would sprinkle upon him from the ashes of one heifer and on the second day from another and the third day from another.

בשלישי ובשביעי – [on the third and seventh days] of his separation. And between the first Tanna/teacher and Rabbi Yossi, both of them hold that immersion at its appropriate time is a Mitzvah, but they differ with regard to sprinkling if they make an analogy to immersion or not, the first Tanna/teacher makes an analogy between sprinkling and ritual immersion and sprinkling at its appropriate time is a Mitzvah, and each day from the first seven days there is doubt lest today is their third day of his defilement, and the three concluding days – each day we have doubt that perhaps it is the seventh [day]. But on the fourth [day], it does not require sprinkling, for it is not on the third [day], one can doubt, but one cannot doubt on the seventh [day], for the sprinkling on the seventh [day] does not count because sprinkling on the seventh [day] until he actually sprinkled on the third [day] that is prior to it. And all of the seven [days] are not exclusively, for perforce we hold that sprinkling is שבות /a rabbinic degree to enhance the character of the Shabbat as a day of rest, and does not supersede the Sabbath. But Rabbi Yossi does not make an analogy between sprinkling and ritual immersion, and sprinkling at the appropriate time is not a Mitzvah, therefore, he doesn’t require sprinkling other than on the third and on the seventh [days] alone. But Rabbi Hanina the Prefect of the Kohanim also holds like Rabbi Meir, that sprinkling at its appropriate time is not a Mitzvah, and the Kohen who burns the Heifer is a mere preference, just as they would not disregard/despise it because it is done with a person who is immersed himself that day/טבול יום.

בנויות על גבי הסלע – The flinty rock that was known that was there from the beginning of the Creation of the world. But nevertheless, they were stringent to make a cavity underneath it, because of the grave in the depth, lest there is underneath it a grave and there no tent for the corpse that is a handbreadth hollow, and the defilement that is pressed ritual impurity (i.e., a corpse or part of a corpse located beneath a roof or a covering imparts ritual impurity only to objects beneath that covering – if there is a handbreadth of space between the corpse and the roof or covering) and it burst forth and rises, therefore, they would build it on top of arches, for even if there is a grave underneath them, the cavity interrupts it. And all the language of defilement of the depths that is in the Gemara, is the language of doubt and covered, like this depth that is not revealed.

ומביאים נשים מעוברות ויולדות שם - all of these are additional preferences that they made, just as so that they would not disregard/despise it, because hey would do it with a person who immersed himself that day.

ומגדלות שם את בניהן – until they would be eight [years] old, but not more so that they don’t see a nocturnal emission.

ומביאים שוורים – whose stomachs are wide in order that the feet of the young children who sit upon them overshadow over the land because of the grave of the depths.

וכוסות של אבן בידם – for all of the act of the “heifer” are in vessels of untrimmed stone and vessels of stone and vessels of earth that are not susceptible to receive defilement.

ומלאו – [and they filled] from it water to sanctify the waters of the sin offering that they sprinkle on the [Kohen] who burns the heifer all seven [days]. But within the river there is no [reason] to doubt about the grave of the depths, for they don’t make graves in the rivers.

רבי יוסי אומר – from on top of the oxen they would lover a rope and fill up [the cups] with water, but they would not descend into [the waters of] the Siloam. And the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yossi.

באו להר הבית – the young children that are upon the bulls with the cups filled with water.

בפתח העזרה – of the Women’s Court, that is near the Hel (a place within the fortification of the Temple; see Tractate Middot, Chapter 1, Mishnah 5).

היה מתוקן קלל של חטאת (and there set up a flask/pitcher containing the ashes of the red cow) – a vessel that was placed in it the ashes of the sin-offering from each cow that they would burn, as it is written (Numbers 19:9): “[A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the cow and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place,] to be kept for water of lustration for the Israelite community.”

קלל – a small pitcher. It is the [Aramaic] translation of (Genesis 24:15): “[He had scarcely finished speaking, when Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor], came out with her jar on her shoulder,” – and her jar/small pitcher on her shoulder.

וזורקו תוך הקלל – and through this, the male sheep is startled and moves backward and the stick/staff goes out from the small pitcher/jar and absorbs/retains from the ashes with it and it spills on top of the bulls and the child takes it and doesn’t need to remove his hand outward. But in the Tosefta (Tractate Parah, Chapter 3, Halakha 5) it implies that they didn’t need to do this, but rather, when they came up [back to the Land of Israel] from the Diaspora (i.e., Babylonia) when all of them were ritually impure, and they were not able to touch it, for if they would touch the ashes of the heifer, they would defile it. And that they would throw the stick/staff into the small pitcher and not through placing it in there, so that they would not defile the ashes through movement/היסט because of doubt of a woman with flux [with them] (i.e., a manner in which ritual impurity may be imparted – that whenever a person with gonorrhea or a menstruating woman or a woman with a lux or a woman after childbirth – causes the object to move from its place, even though he/she does not actually come into contact with it – e.g., by means of a lever – the object becomes ritually impure).

אל תתנו במקום לצדוקים לרדות – to rule over us with their wors of laughter and derision. For Rabbi Yossi holds that when the people from the Diaspora (i.e., Babylonia) came up [to the Land of Israel], there were among them that were ritual pure that they had purified with the ashes of the heifer/cow that they brought down with them to Babylonia and carried up with them, and they were not defiled because of the Land of the Nations (i.e., any place outside of the Land of Israel), they did not decree defilement on the Lands of he Nations until after they ascended from the Diaspora. Therefore, it was possible that a pure person would take the ashes of the heifer, and they would not have a need for a male sheep, and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yossi.

לא היו עושים חטאת על גבי חטאת – if they had purified themselves with the one sin-offering of a cow and it became invalid, they should not do another on top of this one. But rather, it requires guarding as at the outset.

ולא תינוק על גבי תינוק – for if there were two young children, one is protected for the heifer of a sin-offering and the other is merely protected on account of this child, but not for the need of a heifer sin-offering, he one does not adapt oneself with this one on account of that one.

צריכים היו תינוקות להזות – and even though all of these being guarded were protected, we are concerned that perhaps a raven would bring an olive’s bulk from a corpse and cast it upon them, and all of these are greater gradations/preferences.

לא היו צריכים להזות – for we are not concerned about defilement through contact with a corpse, but ritual immersion would be required for everyone, lest hey were defiled by an unclean reptile or moving creature/שרץ. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Akiba.

לא מצאו משבע – because as we stated that from all the sin-offerings that they sprinkle upon him, because of this it is stated, that if they did not find [the residue of ash] from seven [cows of purification], they sprinkle even from one [cow of purification].

וחמש מעזרא ואילך – Rabbi Meir did not count the four that were made by Shimon HaTzaddik/The Righeous and Yohanan the High Priest but rather for two, because he holds that as a result of invalidation that occurred at first, the second was made.

וחכ"א שבע מעזרא ואילך – for they hold that all of them were fit/appropriate.

וכיפה כנגד האוטם (and an arch corresponding to the foundation/substructure -filled with earth) – the feet of the arch that the arch is supported on them is called an אוטם/foundation. But the legs of the upper arch do not correspond with the legs of the lower [arch] but rather correspond to the arch itself, that opposite the upper foundation stands the lower cavity.

מפני קבר התהום – so that there would not be there pressed ritual impurity which bursts forth and rises.

ופרה וכל מסעדיה – those who support and aid it. It is the language of (Psalms 41:4): “The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed.” But even though the heifer is not susceptible to receive defilement while alive, they made a greater preference with it.

ולא אדומה – they would not remove another red cow/heifer with her on the ramp/causeway.

שלא יאמרו שתים שחטו – for the All-Merciful said (Numbers 19:3): “[You shall give] it (i.e., one cow) [to Eleazar the priest. It shall be taken outside the camp [and slaughtered in his presence],” but not her and her fellow [cow].

ובית טבילה היה שם – and that same house for immersion also was hollow on top of arches because of the grave in the depth (i.e., a covered-up uncleanness discovered). But even the place of its pile of wood on the altar of the Temple and its pit that are taught further on (see Mishnayot 9 and 10 of this chapter), all of them were on top of arches.

ומטמאים היו את הכהן – in that they would place their hands upon him, as it is taught in the Mishnah further on (see Mishnah 8 of this chapter), through this he would become defiled, for the clothes of those who consume Holy Things are unclean through treading/leaning against to the heifer of a sin-offering. But Maimonides explained that they would defile him with a creeping thing or with other defiling things that defile with ritual impurity until the evening.

במעורבי שמש היתה נעשית – that they (i.e., the Sadducees) would expound (Numbers 19:9): “A man who is pure shall gather up [the ashes of the cow and deposit them outside the camp in a pure place, to be kept for water of lustration for the Israelite community],” there isn’t someone pure other than someone whose sun has set, and similarly it states (Leviticus 22:7): “As soon as the sun sets, he shall be pure, [and afterward he may eat of the sacred donations , for they are his food].” But the Sages received the teaching that [the word] “pure” that is stated in the portion of the sin-offering (I.e., Numbers 19:9, see above) it is stated is pure for tithes, which is a טבול יום/one who immersed himself that day.

אישי כהן גדול- because that sometimes it is done through the High Priest, but any Kohen is fit/appropriate for it, whether with the Kohen Gadol whether with a Deputy High Priest or whether with a common Kohen.

ונסתפק (dried himself off) – and wiped himself off.

עצים – to make from them a pile of wood on the altar in the Temple for burning. They were set up/laid out there.

וארנים (pines, cedar) – it is the language of “Or plants firs, and the rain makes them grow” that is stated in Isaiah (44:14), and it is a species of cedar, and also cypress. And all of these trees are considered preferable from the rest of the trees for the needs of their burning.

כמין מגדל – wide from the bottom and narrow from the top.

פותחין בהן חלונות – to bring in through them the fire to kindle the wood.

וחזיתה מערבה – the face of the pile of wood on the altar in the Temple and its appearance, and it is the place that ignites the fire with kindling wood, he would face to the western side, that is, towards the Temple, as the Temple was to west of the Mount of Olives.

בחבל של מגג (rope made of a species of reed) – rope made from a species of reed-grass. In order that all of it actions in the matter will be that it is not susceptible to receive defilement.

ופניה למערב – to the side of the Temple.

ר' יהודה אומר בימינו היה מקבל – like the rest of the reception of the blood of Holy Things that if he received it in his left [hand], it is invalid. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yehuda, for since its blood is not sprinkled on the Altar it is not like the other Holy Things in this matter.

ונזה בימינו – as it is written (Numbers 19:4): “Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger [and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting],” the usual that is of fingers, meaning to say, the finger of the right hand that a person handles with it always.

כנגד בית קודש הקדשים – as it is written (Numbers 19:4): “and sprinkle It [seven times] towards the front of the Tent of Meeting.”

על כל הזייה טבילה – on each sprinkling that he would make, he would immerse his finger in the blood, that the remainder of the blood that is on his finger is invalid for sprinkling.

גמר מלהזות קינח ידו בגופה של פרה – in order that he would burn the blood with It, as it is written (Numbers 19:5): “The cow shall be burned in his sight – its hide, flesh, and blood shall be burned,” and between sprinkling to sprinkling, he would wipe his finger in the rim of the bowl out of which the sprinkling is done, but not in the body of the cow, because of cords/string that were attached on his finger that it is a disgrace to do sprinkling with them.

אליתות (wood of the fig-tree) - small pieces of wood that they kindle the pile of wood on the altar. [The word] אליתות is the language of fat-tail. Like (Isaiah 7:4): “[Do not be afraid and do not lose heart on account of those two] smoking stubs of firebrands.”

בחריות (dried branches, twigs used for fuel) – vine-shoots of palm-trees. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Akiba.

נבקעת – the cow/heifer [burst open] on account of the fire. But if it didn’t burst open, he doesn’t [take the cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool], as it is written (Numbers 19:6): “into the fire consuming the cow,” but not prior to the fire is attached to most of it, but not after it becomes ash. And the same law applies if he tore it with a knife after the fire became attached to most of it.

ועמד – the Kohen.

חוץ מגיתה – a hole that was in the ground like a vat/marked off space for the burning of the cow/heifer, and when he would cast the cedar woo, hyssop and scarlet wool, he needs to stand outside that particular hole.

עץ ארז – a bundle that there is in it cedar wood and hyssop tied up with scarlet wool.

עץ ארז זה - because there are many species that are similar to cedar and are not kosher/fit, therefore, one must announce that this what the Torah commanded about. And similarly with the hyssop. And similarly with the scarlet wool. And hyssop is what they call in Arabic ZATAR. And scarlet wool is wool that is dyed with color that is called in Aramac KARMAZ and in the foreign language KARMAZI.

כרכן – to the cedar wood and hyssop with remnants of the strip of wool that was dyed in the scarlet wool which was long, and with what remained from it on the cedar wood and the hyssop, he would bind all three of them together, in order that they would have weight and would fall into burning of the cow, but not flame would not retain the strip. But if he didn’t bind them and he (i.e., the Kohen) cast each of one of them separately, it is fit/kosher.

בכברות של אבן (stone sieves) – stones that are perforated with thin holes like a sieve. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Yishmael.

שחור שיש בו אפר – charcoal that if they pounded/crushed it, it would make ash.

כותשין אותו- but if it doesn’t return like ash, we leave it.

בין כך ובין כך – whether it comes back as ash or whether it doesn’t come back as ash.

חולקין אותו לשלשה חלקים – after they have sifted all of the ash, whether it is ash of the cow/heifer, whether it is the ash of the wood that was burned with it, we divide the ash into three parts.

אחד ניתן בחיל – for preventative measures, as it is written (Numbers 19:9): “[A man who is pure shall gather up the ashes of the cow and deposit them outside the camp in a pure place,] to be kept for water of lustration for the Israelite community.” (see Mishnah Middot 2:3 for the purpose of the חיל )

ואחד ניתן בהר המשחה – and there the Kohanim would sanctify.

ואחד היה מתחלק לכל המשמרות – and from it, they would sprinkle all of Israel.