What is the difference between the Kohen who burns the heifer and the Kohen of Yom Kippur? The Kohen of Yom Kippur: he is separated for [purposes of] sanctification, and his brothers the Kohanim may come into contact with him. The Kohen who burns the heifer: he is separated for [purposes of] purity, and his brothers the Kohanim may not come into contact with him, except for those who assist him, because [only] he sprinkles [the waters of purification]*.

Courtyards were built in Jerusalem on top of the [foundation] stone, and beneath them was an empty cavity [in order to prevent contamination] due to a grave of the depths, and they brought pregnant women and those who recently gave birth there, and they raised their children there until they were eight years old. And they would bring in oxen with doors on their backs, and the children would sit on top of them. Rabbi Yehuda says, oxen with wide bellies, so that the legs of the children would not protrude out, and thereby become contaminated by a grave of the depths. And everyone agrees that the children require immersion. They said before Rabbi Yaakov: Cups were suspended from the horns of the oxen, so that when the oxen lowered [their heads] to drink [from the Shiloah spring], they would be filled. He said to them, "Do not give others an opportunity to rule!"* an opportunity to rule!") is attributed to Rabbi Yosei.

They came to the gate that goes out from the women's courtyard to the rampart (the "Chel"), and stone vessels [containing the ashes of the red heifer] were fixed to the wall leading up from the women's courtyard, and their lids were [also] of stone. These [vessels] were seen on the rampart, and inside them were the ashes of each and every [red] heifer that had been burnt, as it is said (Num. 19:9), "And it shall be for the congregation of the Children of Israel for safekeeping, as waters of impurity; for purification it is." § He struck the male [sheep] and it startled backwards, and its ashes (i.e., that it was carrying) would spill. He would take and sanctify and sprinkle that which had spilled. These measures were [only] instituted after they ascended [to Israel] from the exile, the words of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Shimon says, their ashes descended with them to Babylonia, and came back up [with them]. They said to him, did they not become defiled in the land of the nations? He said to them, no. [The Sages] only instituted the decree regarding defilement in the land of the nations after they ascended from the exile.

Rabbi Yishmael ben Pi'abi [prepared the ashes of] two [red heifers]: One with a tevul yom and one with one upon whom the sun had set. That which was prepared with a tevul yom. Alternatively, the printed text can be understood as, "That which was ultimately to be prepared with a tevul yom, etc.", the [whole] day they were arguing with him about it. He said to them*, "Tithes may be eaten by a tevul yom and terumah are [only] eaten by one on whom the sun has set. [As to] tithes, which may be eaten by a tevul yom, would they not reason that eating them would thereby increase their sanctity? [Similarly,] foods of greater sanctity are eaten on one day, and foods of lesser sanctity are eaten over two days, to increase their sanctity."*, and terumah may [only] be eaten by one upon whom the sun has set; [thus, as to] tithes that are eaten by one upon whom the sun has set, would it not increase their sanctity all the more so? [Similarly,] foods of greater sanctity are eaten within the curtains, [while] foods of lesser sanctity are eaten outside of the curtains; [thus, as to] foods of lesser sanctity that are eaten within the curtains, would that not increase their sanctity all the more so? [Moreover,] foods of greater sanctity are eaten in one day, and foods of lesser sanctity over two days; [thus,] as to foods of lesser sanctity that are eaten in one day, would that not increase their sanctity all the more so?" They said to him, "If we allow this to stand, we will end up giving a bad name to the earlier ones (i.e., the ashes of the earlier red heifers), about which they (i.e., the Sadducees) would say, 'they were impure.'" And they issued a decree over it, and he spilled out [the ashes prepared by one upon whom the sun had set], and he went back and prepared [ashes from] another [red heifer] with a tevul yom.

They erected a ramp from the Temple Mount to the Mount of Olives. Arches upon arches, and domes over the foundations, [in order to prevent potential contamination] due to a grave of the depths. Rabbi Eliezer says, there was not a ramp there; rather, there were marble columns with cedar beams on top of them, and the heifer would not need to go out [using] a ramp. And they would contaminate the Kohen who burned the heifer so that the Sadducees would not say that [the burning] was performed by one upon whom the sun had set. And it so happened that there was one upon whom the sun had set for him, and he came to burn the heifer, and Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai found out about it, and he came and he placed both of his hands on him (thereby contaminating him), and he said, "Sir, High Priest, how pleasing it is that you are the High Priest. Now go back and immerse yourself one time."* He descended and immersed himself and ascended. After he had ascended, [Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai] tore his ear*. He said to him, "Ben Zakkai! When I have time for you...!" He said to him, "When you have time." It was not even three days before they put him in his grave. His father came before Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai. He said to him, "My son did not have time for the sun to set on him."* § Its pit and its wood pile and the place of immersion were hollow* due to [potential impurity arising from] a grave of the depths (see Par. 3:8).

They bound her with a rope of reeds and placed her on the wood pile,* and there are those who say that she ascended with a mechanism. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says, they erect a ramp for her, and she ascends it with her head toward the south and her face toward the west. How would he perform the slaughter? With his right hand, and he would collect [the blood] with his left hand, and he would sprinkle with the finger of his right hand, and if he deviated, [the sprinkling was] disqualified. Rabbi Yehuda says, he would slaughter with his right hand and place the knife in front of him* or to one who stood at his side, and he would collect [the blood] with his right hand, and transfer it to his left hand, and sprinkle with the finger of his right hand, and if he deviated, [the sprinkling was] disqualified. When he sprinkled, it was either outside the pit or outside the wood pile. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says, [if] outside the pit, it is disqualified, and [if] outside the wood pile, he should not return, and if he returned, it is valid. And [if] the blood [inadvertently] spills out of his hand and he returned it, it is valid.

If a part of [the red heifer's] skin, or of her hair, or of her flesh [leapt] outside of the pit [during the burning], he returns it, and if he does not return it, it is disqualified. Outside of her wood pile -- behold, he piles up wood on it and burns it in its place. Rabbi Eliezer says, an olive's bulk [escaping] prevents [the fulfillment of the mitzvah]; less than an olive's bulk does not prevent. A part of her horn, or her hoof, or her dung -- there is no need to return it, for anything that is not [required for a] sacrifice is not required for her burning. § [The Mishnah, Par. 3:10, says that the Kohen asked three times about each and every thing that was done. The Tosefta comments:] Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Tzadok adds, [the Kohen said], "Should I throw it back? Should I throw it back? Should I throw it back?"* And they said "Yes" three times about each and every thing. Whether he tore it off with his hand, whether he tore it off with a knife, whether it was torn off by itself, whether he threw all three of them (i.e., the cedar, hyssop, and crimson wool) all together or one after another*, it is kosher.

He added [wood] to it until the fire was kindled on most of [the fuel], or [until] the ashes became disqualified*. [If] he removed bones or a black [coal] (see Par. 3:11) and sanctified with it, behold, [it is like] he has done nothing. If there was any amount of dust on it, if it was from the body, he crushes it and sanctifies it and it is fit. And they divide it into three parts: one was placed in the Hel, one was placed on the Mount of Olives, and one was divided among the [priestly] watches. That which was divided among the watches, Israel would sprinkle from it. That which was placed on the Mount of Olives, the priests would sanctify [themselves] with it. That which was placed in the Hel, they would watch over it, as it is said (Num. 19:9), "And it shall be for the community of the Children of Israel for safekeeping."