Purging and Immersing Gentile Vessels in Tanchuma Chukat

A question: Those of the house of Israel are obligated to keep apart from anything unclean, as it is said, "So you shall make a distinction between the clean animal and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean" (Leviticus 20:25). And this is needed not only regarding an unclean thing itself, which is forbidden, but even regarding vessels in which something unclean has been cooked; it is forbidden for Israel to cook in them until each and every one of them has been purged, as it is said, "Every thing that comes into the fire you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean" (Numbers 31:23). For example, the spits and the grills which idolaters have used are not made permitted until they pass into the fire, as we have learned: A spit and a grill, one makes them white-hot in the fire. Up to how much does one make them white-hot? Rabbi Mani said: Until their crust drops off. Pots, kettles, and water-heaters, whose use is by means of boiling, one must purge by means of the fire with boiling water. And even though a kettle is not the proper way to cook in it, at times one does not find the vessel and happens to cook in them. A pot into which the head of a free-flying sparrow cannot enter—one need not purge it, as we have learned: The date-refuse of idolaters (an explanation: the dregs of dates from which they make beer, and they steep it in hot water)—if it was heated, its hot water in a large pot, it is forbidden; in a small pot, it is permitted. And which is a small pot? Rabbi Yannai said: Any into which the head of a free-flying sparrow cannot enter. And how does one purge them with boiling water? Rabbi Huna said: One places the small pot inside a large pot. And the large pot—what of it? As in this case of that cauldron belonging to Rav Ukva: he made for it a rim of dough, filled it with water and brought it to a boil, and it overflowed—so that the whole of it within the cauldron is required to be purged. Bowls—their use is in a vessel of second degree, for when one takes from the cauldron and pours over them it is well; and even though one has purged them, one must immerse them in the river, as it is taught: And all of them require immersion in a ritual bath of forty se'ah, and afterward Israel uses them. From where are these things? Rava said: Because Scripture said, "Every thing that comes into the fire you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of sprinkling" (Numbers 31:23)—Scripture added another purification. And Bar Kappara taught: From the implication of what is said, "nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of sprinkling," I might understand that it requires sprinkling on the third and seventh day; the text states, "and it shall be clean." If so, what does the text teach by "water of sprinkling"? Water in which a menstruant immerses. And how much is it? Forty se'ah. Rav Nachman said in the name of Rabbah bar Avuha: Even one who buys new vessels from the market, from an idolater, they require immersion—for old ones, when one makes them white-hot, become like new ones, and even so they require immersion. Rav Sheshet objected to him: If so, even any vessel whatever! Rava said: The vessels for a meal are those spoken of in the passage, as it is written, "Every thing that comes into the fire" (Numbers 31:23). Rav Yitzchak bar Yosef bought a certain vessel of new clay; he thought to immerse it. A certain one of the Rabbis, and Rabbi Yaakov was his name, said to him: Thus said Rabbi Yochanan—the vessels of metal are those spoken of in the passage, as it is said, "Only the gold and the silver" (Numbers 31:22). But these clay vessels, when new, do not require immersion; old ones cannot be purged, as we find concerning the sin-offering, "But an earthen vessel in which it was boiled shall be broken" (Leviticus 6:21).