Baraisa (R. Ilai citing R. Eliezer): One may only separate from Tahor for Tamei fruits that are wet. What's the case? If one pickled olives in Tumah (and juices came out) and he wishes to separate them as Terumah in Taharah; he should bring a funnel with a narrow mouth (of less than an egg's size) and place it over the mouth of the barrel (and fill the funnel with olives). By doing so, he can separate from produce in close proximity. (Since the olives in the mouth of the funnel are less than an egg's size, they cannot contract Tumah from the juice.)

Question: Why must it be less than an egg's size...even if it's larger, each olive is a separate item and does not combine with others?

Answer: Correct, but the requirement of less than an egg's size is to limit the spreading of Tumah to more olives.

(Chachamim to R. Ilai): Only wine and oil are considered wet (for the matter of separating from Tahor for Tamei).

Question: How does one (separate from wine and oil without causing the Tahor to become Tamei)?

Answer (Tosefta): If either the olives were pressed under one beam and flowed into two pits or they were pressed under two beams and flowed into one pit, it is considered oil that is in close proximity. So if he then separated Terumah from the Tahor pit for the Tamei pit, it is valid.

Question: But how could it be done if there were two beams and the oil flowed into one pit? (The Tamei oil would cause Tumah to the Tahor oil.)

Answer (R. Ila citing R. Elazar): He had planned to make them in one pit and he then decided to make them in two.

(R. Yosi b'R. Bun): The permission to separate from Tahor for Tamei is specifically when it became Tamei after its work was completed that obligates it in Ma'asros. (What is this stage for wine? There is a dispute elsewhere about this and there are two opinions...) Meaning - When it is scooped into barrels or when the grape skins float to the top and are removed, and it then became Tamei; but if it became Tamei before these stages, all agree that one may not separate from Tahor for Tamei.

(R. Tavi citing R. Yashia bei R. Yannai): The Halacha is like R. Eliezer (one may separate from Tahor for Tamei).

(R. Yitzchak bar Nachman citing R. Hoshiya): The Halacha is like R. Eliezer.

(R. Chuna/ R. Chananya/ R. Yosi b'R. Bun/ Rav Yehuda citing Shmuel): The Halacha is not like R. Eliezer.

The question once came before R. Imi and he did not wish to rule like R. Eliezer. He explained himself saying, "Since two Chachamim disagree with two Chachamim''. They told R. Imi that R. Yitzchak bar Nachman also rules like R. Eliezer, but he still refrained.