וְכָל־כְּלִי־חֶ֔רֶשׂ אֲשֶׁר־יִפֹּ֥ל מֵהֶ֖ם אֶל־תּוֹכ֑וֹ כֹּ֣ל אֲשֶׁ֧ר בְּתוֹכ֛וֹ יִטְמָ֖א וְאֹת֥וֹ תִשְׁבֹּֽרוּ׃

And any earthenware vessel into which any of them falls, anything that is found in it shall become impure, even if the dead swarming creature did not come into contact with it. The airspace inside an earthenware vessel is rendered impure, in contrast to other types of impure vessels, which become impure and impart impurity only through contact. Another difference between earthenware vessels and other items is that other items may be purified by immersion in a ritual bath, and it, the earthenware vessel, you shall break, as it cannot be purified; rather, it remains ritually impure for as long as it is categorized as a vessel.

מִכָּל־הָאֹ֜כֶל אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֵאָכֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָב֥וֹא עָלָ֛יו מַ֖יִם יִטְמָ֑א וְכָל־מַשְׁקֶה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִשָּׁתֶ֔ה בְּכָל־כְּלִ֖י יִטְמָֽא׃

In addition to people and vessels, which may be rendered impure on account of dead swarming creatures and the like, any food that may be eaten upon which water comes shall become impure, shall become susceptible to contracting ritual impurity. That is, solid food is susceptible to impurity only if water has touched it. And conversely, any liquid that may be drunk, that is fit for drinking, in any vessel shall become impure; namely, it is automatically susceptible to impurity.

וְ֠כֹל אֲשֶׁר־יִפֹּ֨ל מִנִּבְלָתָ֥ם ׀ עָלָיו֮ יִטְמָא֒ תַּנּ֧וּר וְכִירַ֛יִם יֻתָּ֖ץ טְמֵאִ֣ים הֵ֑ם וּטְמֵאִ֖ים יִהְי֥וּ לָכֶֽם׃

And anything upon which shall fall some of their carcasses, of swarming creatures, shall become impure. For example, if a dead swarming creature falls into an oven or stove, which are earthenware vessels, then they shall be shattered, as they are impure, despite the fact that they are attached to the ground, and shall be impure to you, as there is no way to purify them.

אַ֣ךְ מַעְיָ֥ן וּב֛וֹר מִקְוֵה־מַ֖יִם יִהְיֶ֣ה טָה֑וֹר וְנֹגֵ֥עַ בְּנִבְלָתָ֖ם יִטְמָֽא׃

However, a spring or cistern, a gathering of water, shall be pure. Water in a spring or collected in the ground remains pure. But even so, one who touches their carcasses, of swarming creatures, shall become impure. If a swarming creature falls into a gathering of water, it remains impure and transmits impurity to one who touches it. Nevertheless, the collection of water itself remains pure.

וְכִ֤י יִפֹּל֙ מִנִּבְלָתָ֔ם עַל־כָּל־זֶ֥רַע זֵר֖וּעַ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִזָּרֵ֑עַ טָה֖וֹר הֽוּא׃

And if some of their carcasses, of the swarming creatures or of the other animals mentioned above, shall fall upon any sown seed that shall be sown, that is not prepared as food, it is pure.

וְכִ֤י יֻתַּן־מַ֙יִם֙ עַל־זֶ֔רַע וְנָפַ֥ל מִנִּבְלָתָ֖ם עָלָ֑יו טָמֵ֥א ה֖וּא לָכֶֽם׃ (ס)

But if water shall intentionally be placed on the seed, and some of their carcasses, of these swarming creatures, shall fall on it, it is impure to you, as was already stated above with regard to food in general. Unlike vessels, which are fashioned and completed by people, seeds and other foods must first be rendered susceptible to ritual impurity by means of water or one of six other types of liquids. If one of these liquids comes into contact with a seed or some other food, with human intentionality, the food is susceptible to impurity from that point onward.

וְכִ֤י יָמוּת֙ מִן־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־הִ֥יא לָכֶ֖ם לְאָכְלָ֑ה הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בְּנִבְלָתָ֖הּ יִטְמָ֥א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃

And if any animal that is for your consumption, that comes from a species whose consumption is permitted, shall die, one who touches its carcass shall be impure until the evening.

וְהָֽאֹכֵל֙ מִנִּבְלָתָ֔הּ יְכַבֵּ֥ס בְּגָדָ֖יו וְטָמֵ֣א עַד־הָעָ֑רֶב וְהַנֹּשֵׂא֙ אֶת־נִבְלָתָ֔הּ יְכַבֵּ֥ס בְּגָדָ֖יו וְטָמֵ֥א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃

One who eats of its carcass shall wash his garments and be impure until the evening; and one who carries its carcass, even without touching it, shall wash his garments and be impure until the evening. Although these animals would have been considered kosher while still alive, not only are their carcasses prohibited for consumption, but they also impart impurity through contact or carrying. It should be noted that the Sages derive several laws from the verse’s mention of the two cases of eating and carrying.

וְכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֣ץ עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ שֶׁ֥קֶץ ה֖וּא לֹ֥א יֵאָכֵֽל׃

And any swarming creature that swarms upon the earth, small creatures not included in the list of swarming creatures whose carcasses impart impurity through contact (11:29–30), is a detestable thing; it shall not be eaten.

כֹּל֩ הוֹלֵ֨ךְ עַל־גָּח֜וֹן וְכֹ֣ל ׀ הוֹלֵ֣ךְ עַל־אַרְבַּ֗ע עַ֚ד כָּל־מַרְבֵּ֣ה רַגְלַ֔יִם לְכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֣ץ עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לֹ֥א תֹאכְל֖וּם כִּי־שֶׁ֥קֶץ הֵֽם׃

Consequently, any creature that crawls upon the belly, e.g., snakes and worms, and any creature that walks on four legs, whether mammals or other creatures, such as scorpions, up to any creature that has numerous feet among all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, not only those that walk on four legs, you shall not eat them, as they are a detestable thing.

אַל־תְּשַׁקְּצוּ֙ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֑ץ וְלֹ֤א תִֽטַּמְּאוּ֙ בָּהֶ֔ם וְנִטְמֵתֶ֖ם בָּֽם׃

You shall not render yourselves detestable with any swarming creature that swarms, and you shall not be rendered impure by them, and become impure through them.

כִּ֣י אֲנִ֣י יְהוָה֮ אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֒ וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם֙ וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָד֖וֹשׁ אָ֑נִי וְלֹ֤א תְטַמְּאוּ֙ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

For I am the Lord your God; you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy. One of the ways to sanctify yourselves and draw closer to Me is by refraining from eating certain foods. And therefore you shall not render yourselves impure with any swarming creature that creeps upon the earth.

כִּ֣י ׀ אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֗ה הַֽמַּעֲלֶ֤ה אֶתְכֶם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לִהְיֹ֥ת לָכֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִ֑ים וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָד֖וֹשׁ אָֽנִי׃

For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; you shall be holy, as I am holy. These commandments do not apply to mankind in general, but specifically to the people of God. Since the nation of Israel was chosen by God to be “a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation,” they must avoid eating or coming into contact with all creatures defined as impure.

זֹ֣את תּוֹרַ֤ת הַבְּהֵמָה֙ וְהָע֔וֹף וְכֹל֙ נֶ֣פֶשׁ הַֽחַיָּ֔ה הָרֹמֶ֖שֶׂת בַּמָּ֑יִם וּלְכָל־נֶ֖פֶשׁ הַשֹּׁרֶ֥צֶת עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

In summation: This is the law of the animals, and of the birds, and of every living creature that creeps in the water, and of every creature that swarms on the earth.

לְהַבְדִּ֕יל בֵּ֥ין הַטָּמֵ֖א וּבֵ֣ין הַטָּהֹ֑ר וּבֵ֤ין הַֽחַיָּה֙ הַֽנֶּאֱכֶ֔לֶת וּבֵין֙ הַֽחַיָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֥א תֵאָכֵֽל׃ (פ)

With regard to all of these, it is necessary to distinguish between the impure and the pure, the various aspects of impurity and purity mentioned above, beginning with impurity that results from death, where one must avoid contact and the like, e.g., the impurity of animal carcasses, and including other aspects of impurity and purity, non-kosher and kosher animals (see, e.g., 20:25, 27:27), and between the living creature that may be eaten and the living creature that may not be eaten.