Mishnah Oktzin 1

Mishnah Oktzin ("Stalks"), in the order Tohorot (Purities). Stalks, husks and roots, and when they count as part of the food for impurity. The Mishnah is the first written code of Jewish oral law, compiled in the land of Israel about AD 200 under Rabbi Judah the Prince; it is rabbinic law and teaching, not scripture. English by Joshua Kulp (Mishnah Yomit), Hebrew from the Torat Emet edition.

1That which serves as a handle but does not protect, both contracts uncleanness and conveys uncleanness; but it is not included. If it protects but is not a handle, it contracts and conveys uncleanness and is included. If it neither protects nor serves as a handle, it neither contracts nor conveys uncleanness.

כֹּל שֶׁהוּא יָד וְלֹא שׁוֹמֵר, מִטַּמֵּא וּמְטַמֵּא וְלֹא מִצְטָרֵף. שׁוֹמֵר, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָד, מִטַּמֵּא וּמְטַמֵּא וּמִצְטָרֵף. לֹא שׁוֹמֵר וְלֹא יָד, לֹא מִטַּמֵּא וְלֹא מְטַמֵּא: (4286)

2Roots of garlic, onions or leeks that are still moist, or their top-parts, whether they are moist or dry, also the central stalk that is within the edible part, the roots of lettuce, the radish and the turnip, the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah says: only the large roots of the radish are included, but its fibrous roots are not included. The roots of the mint, rue, wild herbs and garden herbs that have been uprooted in order to be planted elsewhere, and the spine of an ear of grain, and its husk. Rabbi Elazar says: also the earth covering of roots; All these things contract and convey impurity and are included.

שָׁרְשֵׁי הַשּׁוּם וְהַבְּצָלִים וְהַקַּפְלוֹטוֹת בִּזְמַן שֶׁהֵן לַחִין, וְהַפִּטְמָא שֶׁלָּהֶן בֵּין לַחָה בֵּין יְבֵשָׁה, וְהָעַמּוּד שֶׁהוּא מְכֻוָּן כְּנֶגֶד הָאֹכֶל, שָׁרְשֵׁי הַחֲזָרִים וְהַצְּנוֹן וְהַנָּפוּס, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, שֹׁרֶשׁ צְנוֹן גָּדוֹל מִצְטָרֵף, וְהַסִּיב שֶׁלּוֹ, אֵינוֹ מִצְטָרֵף. שָׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּתְנָא וְהַפֵּיגָם וְיַרְקוֹת שָׂדֶה וְיַרְקוֹת גִּנָּה שֶׁעֲקָרָן לְשָׁתְלָן, וְהַשִּׁדְרָה שֶׁל שִׁבֹּלֶת וְהַלְּבוּשׁ שֶׁלָּהּ, רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר, אַף הַסִּיג שֶׁל רְצָפוֹת, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ מִטַּמְּאִין וּמְטַמְּאִים וּמִצְטָרְפִין: (19387)

3The following are both defiled and defile, but do not join together [together with the rest]: Roots of garlic, onions or leeks when they are dry, the stalk that is not within the edible part, the twig of a vine a handbreadth long on either side, the stem of the cluster whatsoever be its length, the tail of the cluster bereft of grapes, the stem of the ‘broom’ of the palm-tree to a length of four handbreadths, the stalk of the ear [of grain] to a length of three handbreadths, and the stalk of all things that are cut, to the length of three handbreadths. In the case of those things not usually cut, their stalks and roots of any size whatsoever. As for the outer husks of grains, they defile and are defiled, but do not join together.

אֵלּוּ מִטַּמְּאִין וּמְטַמְּאִין וְלֹא מִצְטָרְפִין. שָׁרְשֵׁי הַשּׁוּם וְהַבְּצָלִים וְהַקַּפְלוֹטוֹת בִּזְמַן שֶׁהֵם יְבֵשִׁים, וְהָעַמּוּד שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְכֻוָּן כְּנֶגֶד הָאֹכֶל, וְיַד הַפַּרְכִּיל טֶפַח מִכָּאן וְטֶפַח מִכָּאן, יַד הָאֶשְׁכּוֹל כָּל שֶׁהוּא, וְזָנָב שֶׁל אֶשְׁכּוֹל שֶׁרִקְּנוֹ, וְיַד הַמַּכְבֵּד שֶׁל תְּמָרָה אַרְבָּעָה טְפָחִים, וְקָנֶה שֶׁל שִׁבֹּלֶת שְׁלשָׁה טְפָחִים, וְיַד כָּל הַנִּקְצָרִים שְׁלשָׁה, וְשֶׁאֵין דַּרְכָּן לִקָּצֵר יְדֵיהֶם וְשָׁרְשֵׁיהֶם כָּל שֶׁהֵן, וּמַלְעִין שֶׁל שִׁבֳּלִין, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ מִטַּמְּאִים וּמְטַמְּאִין וְלֹא מִצְטָרְפִין: (16415)

4The following neither defile nor can they be defiled and they do not join together: The roots of cabbage-stalks, Young shoots of beet growing out of the root, and [similar] such turnip-heads, [And produce whose roots] that are ordinarily cut off but in this case were pulled up [with their roots]. Rabbi Yose declares them all susceptible to contract uncleanness, but he declares insusceptible cabbage-stalks and turnip-heads.

אֵלּוּ לֹא מִטַּמְּאִין וְלֹא מְטַמְּאִין וְלֹא מִצְטָרְפִין. שָׁרְשֵׁי קוֹלְסֵי הַכְּרוּב, וְחֻלְפוֹת תְּרָדִים, וְהַלֶּפֶת, אֵת שֶׁדַּרְכָּם לִגָּזֵז וְנֶעֱקְרוּ. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי מְטַמֵּא בְכֻלָּן וּמְטַהֵר בְּשָׁרְשֵׁי קוֹלְסֵי הַכְּרוּב וְהַלָּפֶת: (7841)

5Stalks of all foods that have been threshed on the threshing-floor are clean. Rabbi Yose declares them unclean. A sprig of a vine when stripped of its grapes is clean, but if one grape alone is left on it, it is unclean. A twig of a date-tree stripped of its dates is clean, but if one date remains on it, it is unclean. Similarly, with beans, if the pods were stripped from the stem it is clean, but if even one pod alone remains, it is unclean. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah declares [the stalk] of the broad bean clean, but declares unclean the stalk of other beans, since it is of use when [the pulse] is handled.

כָּל יְדוֹת הָאֳכָלִין שֶׁבְּסָסָן בַּגֹּרֶן, טְהוֹרִים. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי מְטַמֵּא. פְּסִיגָה שֶׁל אֶשְׁכּוֹל שֶׁרִקְּנָהּ, טְהוֹרָה. שִׁיֵּר בָּהּ גַּרְגִּיר אֶחָד, טְמֵאָה. שַׁרְבִיט שֶׁל תְּמָרָה שֶׁרִקְּנוֹ, טָהוֹר. שִׁיֵּר בּוֹ תְּמָרָה אַחַת, טָמֵא. וְכֵן בַּקִּטְנִיּוֹת, שַׁרְבִיט שֶׁרִקְּנוֹ, טָהוֹר. שִׁיֵּר בּוֹ גַּרְגִּיר אֶחָד, טָמֵא. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה מְטַהֵר בְּשֶׁל פּוֹל וּמְטַמֵּא בְּשֶׁל קִטְנִיּוֹת, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא רוֹצֶה בְּמִשְׁמוּשָׁן: (15838)

6Stems of figs and dried figs, kelusim, and carobs are both defiled and defile, and they join together. Rabbi Yose says: also the stalks of the gourd. The stems of pears and krutumelin pears, quinces, and crab-apples, the stalks of the gourd and the artichoke [to the length of] one handbreadth. Rabbi Elazar bar Zadok says: two handbreadths; [All] these are defiled and defile; but do not join together. As for other stems, they are neither defiled nor do they defile.

עֳקָצֵי תְאֵנִים וּגְרוֹגָרוֹת וְהַכְּלוּסִים וְהֶחָרוּבִים, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ מִטַּמְּאִין וּמְטַמְּאִין וּמִצְטָרְפִין. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, אַף עֹקֶץ דְּלָעַת. עֳקָצֵי הָאַגָּסִין וְהַקְּרֻסְטְמֵלִין וְהַפְּרִישִׁין וְהָעֻזְרָדִין, עֹקֶץ דְּלַעַת טֶפַח, עֹקֶץ קוּנְרָס טֶפַח, רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי צָדוֹק אוֹמֵר, טְפָחַיִם, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ מִטַּמְּאִין וּמְטַמְּאִין וְלֹא מִצְטָרְפִים. וּשְׁאָר כָּל הָעֳקָצִים, לֹא מִטַּמְּאִין וְלֹא מְטַמְּאִין: (11670)

English translation: Joshua Kulp, Mishnah Yomit (Conservative Yeshiva), via Sefaria, licensed CC BY; changes made (line breaks, spacing, a typo, and Kulp's study notes removed from five mishnayot). Hebrew: Torat Emet 357, public domain; Bikkurim chapter 4 from Dan Be'eri's edition of the Kaufmann manuscript, public domain.