7כְּשֶׁמַּזִּין עָלָיו בִּימֵי הַהַפְרָשָׁה אֵין מַזֶּה עָלָיו אֶלָּא אָדָם שֶׁלֹּא נִטְמָא בְּמֵת מֵעוֹלָם שֶׁהַמַּזֶה צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה טָהוֹר. וְאִם תֹּאמַר יַזֶּה עָלָיו אִישׁ שֶׁנִּטְמָא וְהֻזָּה עָלָיו. שֶׁמָּא זֶה שֶׁהִזָּה עָלָיו לֹא הָיָה טָהוֹר מִטֻּמְאַת מֵת. וְכֵן הַכֵּלִים שֶׁמְּמַלְּאִין בָּהֶן וּמְקַדְּשִׁין לְהַזּוֹת עַל הַכֹּהֵן הַשּׂוֹרֵף כֻּלָּם כְּלֵי אֲבָנִים הָיוּ שֶׁאֵין מְקַבְּלִין טֻמְאָה. וְכָל אֵלּוּ הַדְּבָרִים מַעֲלוֹת יְתֵרוֹת הֵן שֶׁעָשׂוּ בָּהּ. וְכֵיצַד יִמָּצֵא אִישׁ שֶׁלֹּא נִטְמָא בְּמֵת מֵעוֹלָם. חֲצֵרוֹת הָיוּ בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם בְּנוּיוֹת עַל גַּבֵּי הַסֶּלַע וְתַחְתֵּיהֶן חָלוּל מִפְּנֵי קֶבֶר הַתְּהוֹם. וּמְבִיאִין הָיוּ נָשִׁים עֻבָּרוֹת וְיוֹלְדוֹת שָׁם וּמְגַדְּלוֹת שָׁם אֶת בְּנֵיהֶם. וּכְשֶׁיִּרְצוּ לְהַזּוֹת עַל הַכֹּהֵן הַשּׂוֹרֵף מְבִיאִין שְׁוָרִים מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכְּרֵסֵיהֶן נְפוּחוֹת וּמַנִּיחִים עַל גַּבֵּיהֶן דְּלָתוֹת וְיוֹשְׁבִין הַתִּינוֹקוֹת עַל גַּבֵּי הַדְּלָתוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הָאֹהֶל מַבְדִּיל בֵּינָם לְבֵין הָאָרֶץ מִפְּנֵי קֶבֶר הַתְּהוֹם. וְכוֹסוֹת שֶׁל אֶבֶן בְּיָדָם וְהוֹלְכִין לַשִּׁילוֹחַ. הִגִּיעוּ לַשִּׁילוֹחַ יוֹרְדִין שָׁם וּמְמַלְּאִין שֶׁאֵין לָחוּשׁ שָׁם מִפְּנֵי קֶבֶר הַתְּהוֹם שֶׁאֵין דֶּרֶךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם לִקְבֹּר בַּנְּהָרוֹת. וְעוֹלִין וְיוֹשְׁבִין עַל גַּבֵּי הַדְּלָתוֹת וְהוֹלְכִין עַד שֶׁמַּגִּיעִין לְהַר הַבַּיִת. הִגִּיעוּ לְהַר הַבַּיִת יוֹרְדִין וּמְהַלְּכִין עַל רַגְלֵיהֶן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכָּל הַר הַבַּיִת וְהָעֲזָרוֹת תַּחְתֵּיהֶן הָיָה חָלוּל מִפְּנֵי קֶבֶר הַתְּהוֹם. וּמְהַלְּכִין עַד פֶּתַח הָעֲזָרָה. וּבְפֶתַח הָעֲזָרָה הָיָה קָלָל שֶׁל אֵפֶר נוֹטְלִין הָאֵפֶר וְנוֹתְנִין בַּמַּיִם שֶׁבַּכּוֹסוֹת וּמַזִּין עַל הַכֹּהֵן הַשּׂוֹרֵף. וּמַטְבִּילִין הָיוּ הַתִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁמְּמַלְּאִין וּמְקַדְּשִׁין וּמַזִּין עַל הַשּׂוֹרֵף אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵן טְהוֹרִין מִטֻּמְאַת הַמֵּת שֶׁמָּא נִטְמְאוּ בְּטֻמְאָה אַחֶרֶת:
When the ashes of the red heifer are sprinkled upon him during the days of his isolation, the sprinkling should be performed by a man who never contracted the ritual impurity stemming from a human corpse. The rationale is that the person sprinkling the ashes must be pure. If one would say: "Let so-and-so, a person who had contracted impurity, but then had the ashes of the red heifer sprinkled upon him, sprinkle the ashes on the priest who will burn the red heifer," that suggestion is not followed. The rationale is that it is possible that the person who sprinkled the ashes upon so-and-so was not pure from the impurity associated with a corpse. Similarly, the utensils that are used to be filled and consecrated to sprinkle on the priest who burns the red heifer were all stone utensils that are not susceptible to ritual impurity. All of these practices are extra stringencies enacted with regard to the red heifer. How is it possible to find a person who has never contracted the impurity associated with a human corpse? There were courtyards in Jerusalem built on slabs of stone and the space under them was hollow lest there be a grave in the depths of the earth. Pregnant women were brought there; they would give birth there, and raise their sons there. When they wanted to sprinkle ashes on the priest who would burn the red heifer, they would bring oxen - because they have ample bellies - and place doors on their backs and have the children sit on the boards so that there would be an ohel intervening between them and the earth lest they contract impurity from a grave in the depths of the earth. They would have cups of stone in their hands and would go to the Shiloach spring. When they reached the Shiloach, the children would descend and fill the cups. We do not suspect that they will contract impurity from a grave in the depths of the earth at the spring, because it is not ordinary practice to bury the dead in streams. They would ascend and sit on the doors and proceed upward until they reach the Temple Mount. When they reached the Temple Mount, they would descend and proceed on their feet, because the entire area of the Temple Mount and its courtyards was built over a hollow cavity, lest there be a grave in the depths of the earth. They would proceed to the entrance to the Temple Courtyard. At the entrance to the Temple Courtyard, there was a pitcher of ashes. They would take the ashes and place them on the water in the cups and sprinkle them on the priest who burns the heifer. The children who would fill the water, would consecrate it with the ashes and sprinkle it on the priest who burns the heifer must immerse in a mikveh. Even though they are pure with regard to the impurity associated with a human corpse, it is possible that they contracted other forms of impurity.
