Kutim

1 The Samaritans in some of their ways resemble the Gentiles and in some resemble Israel, but in most ways they resemble Israel.

2 We do not accept from them for offering in the Temple sacrificial birds brought by men with a discharge, or sacrificial birds brought by women with a discharge, or sacrificial birds brought by women after childbirth, or sin offerings or guilt offerings, but we receive from them vowed offerings and voluntary offerings.

3 We do not transfer to them anything attached to the soil, or sell to them sheep to shear, or crops to reap or trees attached to the soil, but we sell them animals to slaughter.

4 We do not sell them large livestock even if they are mutilated, or foals or calves. But we may sell them a mutilated animal which can never recover.

5 We do not sell them weapons of war or anything which can cause injury to the public.

6 We do not give them Israelite women in marriage or marry women from among them, but we lend to them and borrow from them at interest.

7 We give them gleanings, forgotten sheaves and the corner of the field. They too observe gleanings, forgotten sheaves and the corner of the field, and their word can be taken regarding gleanings, forgotten sheaves and the corner of the field in their season and regarding the tithe of the poor in its year. Their produce is considered ṭebel like the produce of Gentiles, and they make the ʿerub ineffective like Gentiles.

8 An Israelite woman should not act as a midwife to a Samaritan woman or breastfeed her child. But a Samaritan woman can act as a midwife to an Israelite woman and breastfeed her child on her premises.

9 An Israelite may circumcise a Samaritan and a Samaritan can circumcise an Israelite. Rabbi Judah said: A Samaritan may not circumcise an Israelite because he only circumcises him in the name of Mount Gerizim.

10 We may keep an animal in the inn of a Samaritan, and an Israelite may hire a Samaritan to follow his animal. He may also entrust his cattle to a Samaritan shepherd, and he may entrust his son to a Samaritan to teach him a trade. We may associate with them and talk with them in any place, which is not the case with Gentiles.

11 He performs ḥaliẓah for his sister-in-law and gives a geṭ to his wife, and a Samaritan may be relied on to bring a geṭ from foreign countries to Israel.

12 These are the things which we do not sell them: animals which died naturally or have been improperly slaughtered, animals forbidden to an Israelite as food, reptiles, a shoe made from the skin of an animal which died naturally, oil into which a mouse has fallen, or the flesh of a koskos or of an embryo. Although Israelites eat a koskos and an embryo we do not sell them to the Samaritans, because such a sale would be under false pretenses. And just as we do not sell these to them so we do not buy these from them, as it is stated, “For you are a holy people to the Lord your GodDeuteronomy 14:21”—since you are holy, you must not make another people holier than yourself.

13 A Samaritan may be trusted if he says that he has buried a miscarriage or not buried it, and, with regard to an animal, that it has given birth to its firstborn or not given birth. A Samaritan may be trusted with regard to the plantation of the fourth year and uncircumcised fruit and grave markers, but not with regard to overhanging branches, protruding stones, land of the peoples, or a beth peras, because they are suspected of carelessness in these matters. The general principle is that regarding matters in which they are suspected of carelessness they are not trusted.

1 We do not buy meat from a Samaritan butcher except meat he is prepared to eat himself, nor do we buy from him baskets of birds unless he first puts them in his mouth. He must not give them to an Israelite to eat, since the Samaritans have long been suspected of giving Israelites carrion to eat.

2 The Samaritan is of the same status as an Israelite regarding all damages mentioned in the Torah. Whether an Israelite kills a Samaritan or a Samaritan kills an Israelite, if he did it accidentally he goes into exile to a city of refuge. If deliberately he is put to death. If the ox of an Israelite gored the ox of a Samaritan he is exempt from damages. But if the ox of a Samaritan gores the ox of an Israelite, if the ox is tam he pays half the damage and if it is muʿad he pays the whole damage. Rabbi Meir said: If an ox of a Samaritan gores the ox of an Israelite, whether it is tam or muʿad the owner pays the whole damage and pays from his best possessions.

3 Their cheeses are permitted. Rabbi Simeon ben Eleazar said: Those of private individuals are permitted, but those of wholesalers are forbidden. Their cooked and preserved vegetables, into which they usually put wine or vinegar, are forbidden.

4 Israelite priests share with Samaritan priests in Samaritan districts because they, in effect, rescue the produce from their hands, but not in Israelite districts for fear that Jews might appear to confirm their priesthood. If a Samaritan priest offers an Israelite some of what he is eating, if the priest is unclean it is permissible, but if he is clean it is forbidden.

5 We do not buy bread from a Samaritan baker at the end of Passover until after three rounds of baking have been made, or from private individuals until three weeks have passed, or from the villages until after three rounds of baking. When does this apply? When they have not prepared their unleavened bread together with Israelites or they observed Passover one day earlier. But if they baked their unleavened bread together with Israelites or observed Passover one day later, their leavened food is permitted. Rabbi Simeon forbids it because they do not know how to observe the law of unleavened bread like the Israelites.

6 At first they said: The wine of Gedor is forbidden because of the wine of Kfar Paggasha. Later they revised this rule and said: Wherever Samaritans are suspected because of their mingling with Gentiles, if their wine is in an open vessel it is forbidden, and if it is in a closed vessel it is permitted. Rabbi Meir said: All their wine is permitted except wine that is in open vessels for sale in the markets. But the Sages said: In an open vessel it is forbidden everywhere, and in a closed vessel it is permitted, while a vessel which has been pierced and then sealed is like one which is sealed. Their new jars are permitted, but their old jars are forbidden.

7 Why are Samaritans forbidden to enter the Jewish community? Because they have become mixed up with the priests of the high places. Rabbi Ishmael said: They were originally genuine proselytes. Why, then, are they forbidden? Because of the illegitimate women and because they do not perform the levirate duty to a married woman.

8 When may they be received into the Jewish community? When they have renounced Mount Gerizim and acknowledged Jerusalem and the resurrection of the dead. From then on one who robs a Samaritan is like one who robs an Israelite.