Zevachim 41

והא פרה דטמויי מטמינן ליה דתנן מטמאין היו הכהן השורף את הפרה ומטבילין אותו להוציא מלבן של צדוקין שהיו אומרים במעורבי שמש היתה נעשית ש"מ לא פסלה בה (מחשבת) טומאה

Now in the case of the [red] heifer we defile him, for we learnt: They used to defile the priest who was to burn the heifer and then make him immerse, in order to combat the opinion of the Sadducees,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Sanh. (Sonc.ed.) p. 353. n. 2.');">¹</span> who maintained: It[s service] was performed [only] by [priests] who had experienced sunset!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' l.e., by priests upon whom the sun had set after their immersion, as in the case of the sacrificial service in general. The Rabbis however held that immediately after immersion (when he is called a tebul yom v. Glos) a priest was fit for the burning of the red heifer. V. Parah III, 7.');">²</span>

שאני פרה הואיל דטבול יום לא פסיל בה אי הכי למה לי דמקדש כעין עבודה [בעינן]

This proves that uncleanness does not invalidate it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the sanctification.');">³</span> - The [red] heifer is different, since a tebul yom is not unfit for it.

איבעיא להו מהו לקדש ידיו [ורגליו] בכיור (שמות ל, יט) ממנו אמר רחמנא ולא בתוכו או דלמא אפילו בתוכו

If why must he sanctify himself [at all]? - Because we want it similar to the [usual sacrificial] service. It was asked: Can [the priest] sanctify his hands and feet in the laver?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By actually putting his hands and feet into it.');">⁴</span>

אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק תא שמע או שטבל במי מערה ועבד עבודתו פסולה הא מי כיור דומיא דמי מערה ועבד עבודתו כשרה

[Do we argue,] the Divine Law states, [And Aaron and his sons shall wash.] thereat,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXX, 19. The Heb. means literally, from it.');">⁵</span> but not in it; or perhaps it means even in it? - Said R'Nahman son of Isaac, Come and hear: Or if he immersed in the water of a pit and officiates, his service is invalid.

לא מי מערה איצטריכא ליה שלא תאמר כל גופו טובל בהן ידיו ורגליו לא כל שכן

Hence [if he used] the water of the laver in a similar way to the water of a pit<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., putting his hands and feet in the laver.');">⁶</span> and officiated, his service is valid? - No: it is particularly necessary for him [the Tanna] to teach about the water of a pit.

אמר רבי חייא בר יוסף מי כיור נפסלין למתירין כמתירין לאברים כאברים

lest you say: If he can bathe his whole body therein,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If unclean, and such bathing constitutes valid immersion and makes him clean.');">⁷</span> how much the more his hands and feet.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But it is still possible that if he used the water of the laver in the same way. putting his hands and feet into it, his sanctification is invalid.');">⁸</span>

רב חסדא אמר אף למתירין אין נפסלין אלא בעמוד השחר כאברין ורבי יוחנן אמר כיור כיון ששקעו שוב אין מעלהו

R'Hiyya son of Joseph said: The water of the laver becomes unfit for the mattirin, as the mattirin [themselves], and for the [burning of the] limbs, as the limbs [themselves]. R'Hisda maintained: Even for the mattirin they become unfit only at dawn, as the limbs.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The mattirin (q.v. Glos) are the sprinkling of the blood of animal sacrifices, and the burning of the fistful of meal of the meal-offerings; they are so called because they enable the sacrifices to be eaten or make them fit for the altar, and they must be done before sunset of the day on which the sacrifices are brought. Now the laver was sunk every day in a pit (v. supra 20a) ; if this laver was not sunk into it before sunset, its water is unfit on the morrow for 'sanctification' where the priest wishes to perform a mattir, just as the blood and the fistful of meal themselves become unfit for their purpose at sunset. Again, the limbs of the sacrifice must be burned before dawn of the day following its offering; if the laver is not sunk into the pit before dawn, its water is unfit for 'sanctification' on the following day for the service of burning the limbs. That is R. Hiyya b. Joseph's view. R. Hisda maintains that for the sprinkling of the blood too the water is unfit only if the laver was not sunk in the pit by dawn.');">⁹</span>

למימרא דלעבודת לילה נמי לא חזי והאמר רבי אסי אמר רבי יוחנן משמיה דאילפא כיור שלא שקעו מבערב מקדש ממנו לעבודת לילה ולמחר אינו מקדש

While R'Johanan maintained: Once the laver is sunk,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Into the pit at sunset.');">¹⁰</span> it may not be drawn up again.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Until dawn. It is now assumed that he means that even if a priest wishes to burn limbs during the night the laver cannot be drawn up, as this would render its water unfit.');">¹¹</span>

מאי אינו מעלהו נמי דקאמר לעבודת יום אבל לעבודת לילה חזי

Does this mean that it is not even fit for a night service?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., burning the limbs.');">¹²</span> Surely R'Assi said, reporting R'Johanan in Ilfa's name: If the laver was not sunk [into the pit] before evening, [the priest] may sanctify [himself] thereat for a night service, but he may not sanctify [himself] thereat on the morrow? - What is meant by 'it may not be drawn up'?

[אי הכי] היינו דרבי חייא בר יוסף

for a day service; but it is indeed fit for a night service. If so, this is identical with R'Hiyya B'Joseph ['s view]?