When the sages entered the vineyard at Yavneh, they said, “In the future there will be an hour when a person will search for a matter among the words of Torah and will not find it in, in the teachings of the scribes and will not find it. As it says, ‘Behold, days are coming, says the Lord. . . they will seek out the word of God and they will not find it’ (Amos 8:11-12). ‘The word of God,’ this is prophecy. ‘The word of God,’ this is [knowledge] of the eschaton. ‘The word of God,’ that one matter in the words of Torah is not similar to another.” They said, “Let us begin from Hillel and Shammai.” Shammai says, [dough made] from a qav [of flour] requires challah [to be taken]. Hillel says, from two qavs. But the Sages say, it is not according to this one or that one, rather [dough made] from a qav and a half requires challah [to be taken], as it says, “The first of your kneading” (Numbers 15:20). [Challah is taken] according to your kneading. And how much is “according to your kneading”? According to your kneading in the wilderness. And how much is “your kneading in the wilderness”? [An amount equal to] the omer [offering], as it says, “The omer is a tenth of an ephah” (Ex 16:36). The Sages measured seven fourths and a little more from that of the wilderness, which are five Tzipporit quarters and a Jerusalem qav and a half.

Hillel said, a full hin of drawn water—which is twelve logs—invalidates the mikveh. Shammai says, a full hin of drawn water—which is thirty six logs—invalidates a mikveh. But the Sages say, it is not according to this one or that one, rather three logs of drawn water invalidate a mikveh. A case in which two weavers came from the Dung Gate in Jerusalem and testified in the names of Shemaya and Avtalyon that three lugin of water invalidate a miqveh. And they upheld their words. Why did they mention their place of origin and their profession? Because you cannot find a more lowly profession than a weaver, nor a lowlier place than the Dung Gate. But just as the Fathers of the World would not stand on their words on the basis of rumor, how much more so one (today) should not stand on his words on the basis of rumor. The law is always in accordance with the majority; the only reason the words of a single dissenting voice are mentioned among the majority is in case they are needed in a given hour and can be relied upon. The Sages say, "The only reason the words of a single dissenting voice are mentioned among the majority is that from one person ruling 'Pure!' and another ruling 'Impure, as Rabbi Eliezer said!', they can then say to him, 'Have you really heard this in the name of Rabbi Eliezer?'"

If a matter was asked to one Master, and he rendered it impure, he should not ask another Master. If there were two, and one prohibited and the other permitted, one rendered it pure and the other impure -- if there is another Master, we ask him. If not, we follow the stricter ruling. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korha says, "In teachings of Scripture, we follow the stricter opinion. In teachings of the Scribes, we follow the more lenient opinion."

A woman who went with her husband to medinat hayam and there was peace between them and in the world, if she returned and said, “My husband died,” she may remarry. If there was peace in the world, and she said, “My husband died,” whether she is crying or not, whether her clothing is torn or not, she is believed. Rabbi Yehuda says, she is never believed unless she came crying and her clothes were torn. They said to him, if so, a bright woman will be able to remarry and a less bright woman will not. Beit Hillel says, we heard this only if she comes from the harvest alone. Beit Shammai said to them, aren’t all the days of the year time for harvesting? When the barley harvest comes, the wheat harvest goes. When the wheat harvest comes, another harvest comes and then it goes. We find that all the days of the year there is a harvest. Beit Hillel said to them, we find that brothers do not enter the inheritance on her word. Beit Shammai said to them, doesn’t one write in a ketubah? We learn that it is written in it when you remarry, you will take what is written to you in your ketubah and go. Beit Hillel went back and agreed with the words of Beit Shammai.

Six things Rabbi Akiva declares unclean and the Sages declare clean: a sheretz and a frog in the public thoroughfare, and also an olive’s-bulk of a corpse or an olive’s-bulk of a n’veilah, a bone from a corpse or from a n’veilah. A lump of clean earth, a lump from a grave; a lump from clean earth, a lump of the land of the nations; two paths, one of which is unclean and one of which is clean [and a person doesn’t know which one he touched]—Rabbi Akiva declares impure and the Sages declare pure.

The backbone and skull of two corpses, a quarter-log of blood from two corpses, a quarter of bones from two corpses, a limb from more than one corpse, a limb from more than one living person: Rabbi Akiva declares them impure and the Sages declare them pure.

Three things they said before Rabbi Yishmael and he did not say whether they were prohibited or permitted, and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Matya figured them out. The one who lances an abscess on Shabbat, if it is to scrape it and make for it an opening in the same manner as a doctors do, he is liable. If it is to draw pus from it, he is exempt. Garlic and half-ripe grapes and parched ears that one was pressing while it was still daytime, Rabbi Yishmael says, he may finish it after it gets dark. But Rabbi Akiva says, he may not finish it, but the priests acted according to Rabbi Yishmael.

Three things they said before Rabbi Akiva, two of them in the name of Rabbi Eliezer and one in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua, and he did not say which of them was prohibited and which was permitted, which was fit and which was invalid, which was impure and which was pure. Two in the name of Rabbi Eliezer: a woman, what is [the rule] for going out of the city of gold? And he did not say whether it was prohibited or permitted. Rabbi Eliezer permitted and the Sages prohibited. Pigeon racers, what is [the rule] for testifying? And he did not tell them whether it was fit or invalid. Rabbi Eliezer deemed them fit [to testify] and the Sages deemed them unfit. One in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua: the sheretz in the mouth of a weasel and the weasel walks on loaves of teruma and there is a doubt whether it touched or not, Rabbi Eliezer deemed [the loaves] clean and Rabbi Yehoshua deemed them unclean, but the Sages say, if its assured [that the sheretz touched], they are impure, but if there is a doubt, they are pure.

An oven that in the beginning is four [handbreadths] and what is left of it is four [handbreadths]. At the beginning they would say three. A wooden sandal and a limeworker’s sandal are susceptible to midras impurity. About the remannts of the oven, Rabbi Akiva deemed them impure. And a woman may perform halitzah with [the sandal] and they go out in it on Shabbat and they did not agree with him.

Five matters Rabbi Akiva expounded in the manner of aggadah. If five matters does a father endow his son. And the Sages say, until the age of maturity, he gives him merit. From there forward, [the son] endows himself. Rabbi Akiva said, where do we find [a case] in which they limp until the age of maturity and when the age of maturity arrived, they were straightened? Or that they were deaf-mutes until the age of maturity and when the age of maturity arrived, they recovered their faculties? Or who were blind until the age of maturity, and when the age of maturity arrived they could see? How would he have endowed him [with merit] until that time? They said to him, no. Do we find [any cases] where they walked straight until the age of maturity and when the age of maturity arrived they limped? Or who had their faculties until the age of maturity and when the age of maturity arrived they were rendered deaf-mute? Or whether they had sight until the age of maturity and when the age of maturity arrived they were blinded? He does not endow him only to that time alone.

The number of generations which are before him, which is the end. Even though the days and the hours are like a thread of hair before ha-maqom, he counts only the generations, as it says, “He announced the generations from the start” (Is 41:4). Even though it says, “They shall be enslaved and oppressed [four hundred years]” (Gen 15:13), it also says, “And they shall return here in the fourth generation” (Gen 15:16). Indeed it says, “I will let you enjoy the full count of your days” (Ex 23:26). These are the two generations, and the remainder of the people, if he has merit they make full his years. If he did not have merit, they will take away from his years according to Rabbi Akiva. But the Sages say, If he has merit, they add to his years and if not, they take away from them. They said to Rabbi Akiva, indeed it says, “And I will add fifteen years to your life” (II Kings 20:6). He said to them, his own they added. Rabbi Akiva said to them, indeed it says, “A son shall be born to the house of David, Yoshiyahu by name” (I Kings 13:2), but Manasseh wasn’t even in the world! They said to him, does it say, “a son has been born to the House of David, son of Chizkiyah? Doesn’t it say only, “a son has been born to the House of David,” whether from Chizkiyah son of Michal of Beit David [or not]?

Five sheep for shearing, a maneh or a maneh and a half—which is seventy-five selas—are obligated for [the offering of] the first fleece, according to Rabbi Dosa, but the Sages say, five sheep for shearing whatever amount. Rabbi Natan says Rabbi Dosa says, as an egg’s-worth of food including its peel. But the Sages say, excluding its peel. The woman who says, “I was taken captive but I am clean,” eats of teruma. If there were witnesses that she had been taken captive and she says, “I am clean,” she may not eat.

In four [cases of] doubt, Rabbi Yehoshua deems unclean and the Sages deem clean. The clean person who stands and the unclean person passes, the unclean thing in the private domain and the clean thing in the public domain, the clean thing in the private domain and the unclean thing in the public domain, if there is a doubt whether it touched or not, if there is a doubt whether it overhung or not, if there is a doubt whether he moved or not, Rabbi Yehoshua deems impure but the Sages deem pure.