All vessels have [a distinction, with regard to purity status, between their] outsides and insides, for instance: cushions, and blankets, and sacks, and packing-bags, according to Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir says: anything which has loops [through which to thread a drawstring] has [such a distinction, with regard to purity status, between its] outsides and insides; but any which does not have loops, does not have [such a distinction between its] outsides and insides. A table and a serving table have [such a distinction between their] outsides and insides, according to Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir says: they do not have outsides [i.e. they have no such distinction]. And similarly regarding a board that has no rim.

An cattle-prod has [a distinction, with regard to purity status, between its] outsides and insides: the seven [handbreadths] from the spade [attached to the back end of the prod, are considered to be the outside], and the four [handbreadths] from [the pointed end of] the prod [are considered to be the inside], according to Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir says: they do not have [such a distinction]; the four and the seven were only mentioned for the purposes of remnants [i.e. if it breaks, these are measures of how much must remain in order for it to still be considered an implement, for purity purposes].

Measuring cups for wine or oil, and a fork-ladle, and a mustard-strainer, and a wine-filter all have [a distinction, with regard to purity status, between their] insides and outsides, according to Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: they do not have [such a distinction]. Rabbi Shimon says: they do have [such a distinction], for if they are rendered impure from their outsides, that which is inside them is pure; and one is required to immerse [the vessel in its entirety, in order to purity it].

Regarding a [vessel which has two sections in which can be measured a] rova [a specific measure of volume, a quarter of a log] and a half rova, if the rova [section] was rendered impure, the half rova [section] is not rendered impure; if the half rova was rendered impure, the rova is not rendered impure. They [i.e. the students] said before Rabbi Akiva, "Since the half rova is the outside of the rova, should not the outside of a vessel whose inside was rendered impure [thereby also] be rendered impure?" He said to them, "Is it surely of the former category? Or perhaps the rova is the outside of the half rova, and regarding a vessel the outsides of which were rendered impure, its insides are not rendered impure!"

If the [inside of the] rova [measure] was rendered impure, the rova and its outsides are impure, [and] the half rova and its outsides are pure. If the [inside of the] half rova was rendered impure, the half rova and its outsides are impure, [and] the rova and its outsides are pure. If the outsides of the rova were rendered impure, the outsides of the half rova are pure, according to Rabbi Meir. And the Sages say: the outer sides cannot be divided [in purity status]. And when one immerses it [for purification], he must immerse it in its entirety.

Regarding the bases of vessels, and their rims, and their hangers, and the handles of vessels that can contain [thnig], if [impure] liquids fell onto them, one may dry them and they are pure. And regarding all remaining vessels, which cannot [even] hold pomegranates, which do not have [a distinction between their] insides and outsides, if [impure] liquids fell on a part of it, it is rendered impure in its entirety. If the outsides of a vessel were rendered impure by liquids, its outsides are impure; its insides, its rim, its hanger, and its handle are pure. If its inside was rendered impure, it is impure in its entirety.

All vessels have [a distinction, with regard to purity status, between their] outsides and insides and a [similar distinction for their] holding-place. Rabbi Tarfon says: [this is the case] regarding a trough. Rabbi Akiva says: regarding cups. Rabbi Meir says: [the distinction of a holding-place was only said] regarding impure and pure hands. Rabbi Yose says: they said this only regarding pure hands.

How so? If one's hands were pure, and the outsides of a cup were impure, one who grasps it by its holding-place need not be concerned that his hands may have been rendered impure by the outsides of the cup. If one was drinking from a cup whose outsides were impure, he need not be concerned that the liquids in his mouth may have been rendered impure by the outsides of the cup, and then gone on to render [the inside of] the cup impure. Regarding a boiling kettle [whose outsides are impure], one need not be concerned that liquids may have emerged from it and touched its outsides and then returned to its inside [and rendered it impure].

Sacred vessels do not have [a distinction, with regard to purity status, between their] outsides and insides, nor do they have a [similar distinction for their] holding-place. And one may not immerse vessels within vessels [such that they can be used] for [handling] sacred things [i.e. rather each vessel must be immersed independently in order to achieve the required level of purity]. All vessels may descend to impurity [status] through intentional thought, but they may only rise out of their impurity through a change-effecting action; for an action may annul [the effects of] an action or an intentional thought, but an intentional thought cannot annul [the effects of] either an action nor an intentional thought.