Reference for Chullin 48:36

משיביא שתי שערות אבל אחיו הכהנים אין מניחין אותו לעבוד עד שיהא בן כ'

You say: 'Even though it does not actually touch', but perhaps it is not so but only if it actually touches the vessel! R'Jonathan B'Abtolmos said: There is used the word 'toko'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. Whatsoever is in it (toko) shall be unclean, i.e., foodstuffs in the air-space of the earthen vessel become unclean from the vessel.');">¹⁸</span>

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