Mesorat%20hashas for Eduyot 6:3

כַּזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֵבָר מִן הַחַי, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר מְטַמֵּא, וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְרַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא מְטַהֲרִים. עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֵבָר מִן הַחַי, רַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא מְטַמֵּא, וְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ מְטַהֲרִין. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, מָה רָאִיתָ לְטַמֵּא כַזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֵבָר מִן הַחַי. אָמַר לָהֶם, מָצִינוּ אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי כְּמֵת שָׁלֵם. מַה הַמֵּת, כַּזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ טָמֵא, אַף אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי, כַּזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ יִהְיֶה טָמֵא. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, לֹא, אִם טִמֵּאתָ כַזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הַמֵּת, שֶׁכֵּן טִמֵּאתָ עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ, תְּטַמֵּא כַזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֵבָר מִן הַחַי, שֶׁכֵּן טִהַרְתָּ עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ הֵימֶנּוּ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא, מָה רָאִיתָ לְטַמֵּא עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֵבָר מִן הַחַי. אָמַר לָהֶם, מָצִינוּ אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי כְּמֵת שָׁלֵם. מַה הַמֵּת, עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ טָמֵא, אַף אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי, עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ יִהְיֶה טָמֵא. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, לֹא, אִם טִמֵּאתָ עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הַמֵּת, שֶׁכֵּן טִמֵּאתָ כַזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ, תְּטַמֵּא עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֵבָר מִן הַחַי, שֶׁכֵּן טִהַרְתָּ כַזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, מָה רָאִיתָ לַחֲלֹק מִדּוֹתֶיךָ, אוֹ טַמֵּא בִשְׁנֵיהֶם אוֹ טַהֵר בִּשְׁנֵיהֶם. אָמַר לָהֶם, מְרֻבָּה טֻמְאַת הַבָּשָׂר מִטֻּמְאַת הָעֲצָמוֹת, שֶׁהַבָּשָׂר נוֹהֵג בַּנְּבֵלוֹת וּבַשְּׁרָצִים, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בָּעֲצָמוֹת. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אֵבֶר שֶׁיֵּשׁ עָלָיו בָּשָׂר כָּרָאוּי, מְטַמֵּא בְמַגָּע וּבְמַשָּׂא וּבְאֹהֶל. חָסֵר הַבָּשָׂר, טָמֵא. חָסֵר הָעֶצֶם, טָהוֹר. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא, מָה רָאִיתָ לַחֲלֹק מִדּוֹתֶיךָ, אוֹ טַמֵּא בִשְׁנֵיהֶם אוֹ טַהֵר בִּשְׁנֵיהֶם. אָמַר לָהֶם, מְרֻבָּה טֻמְאַת הָעֲצָמוֹת מִטֻּמְאַת הַבָּשָׂר, שֶּׁהַבָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הַחַי טָהוֹר, וְאֵבָר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ, וְהוּא כִבְרִיָּתוֹ, טָמֵא. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כַּזַּיִת בָּשָׂר מְטַמֵּא בְמַגָּע וּבְמַשָּׂא וּבְאֹהֶל, וְרֹב עֲצָמוֹת מְטַמְּאִים בְּמַגָּע וּבְמַשָּׂא וּבְאֹהֶל. חָסֵר הַבָּשָׂר, טָהוֹר. חָסֵר רֹב עֲצָמוֹת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁטָּהוֹר מִלְּטַמֵּא בְאֹהֶל, מְטַמֵּא בְמַגָּע וּבְמַשָּׂא. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כָּל בְּשַׂר הַמֵּת, שֶׁהוּא פָחוֹת מִכַּזַּיִת, טָהוֹר. רֹב בִּנְיָנוֹ וְרֹב מִנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל מֵת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם רֹבַע, טְמֵאִין. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, מָה רָאִיתָ לְטַהֵר בִּשְׁנֵיהֶם. אָמַר לָהֶם, לֹא, אִם אֲמַרְתֶּם בַּמֵּת, שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ רֹב וְרֹבַע וְרָקָב, תֹּאמְרוּ בַחַי שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ רֹב וְרֹבַע וְרָקָב:

An olive-size of flesh which separates from the limb of a living man — R. Eliezer rules it tamei, and R. Yehoshua and R. Nechunia, tahor (clean). [A limb which separates from a living man is ruled to he tamei, so long as it is a whole limb — by maga (contact), masa (lifting), and ohel (tent-uncleanliness) — like the dead man himself, it being written (Numbers 16:19): "And all who touch on the face of the field, one slain by the sword or a dead body" — a limb separated from a living man by the sword is considered like the dead body itself. And flesh separated from a living man does not cause tumah unless it be (separated from) a whole limb. And when an olive-size of flesh separates from the limb of a living man, R. Eliezer rules it tamei and R. Yehoshua and R. Nechunia, tahor, as will be explained.] A bone the size of a barley-corn which separates from the limb of a living man — R. Nechunia rules it tamei and R. Eliezer and R. Yehoshua, tahor. [A bone the size of a barley-corn from a dead body causes tumah by maga and masa, but does not cause ohel-uncleanliness, it being written (Ibid. 18): "and upon him who touched a bone." And it is a law to Moses from Sinai that it causes tumah when it is the size of a barley-corn. And when it is separated from the limb of a living man, R. Nechunia rules it tamei, etc.] They said to R. Eliezer: Why did you see fit to rule tamei an olive-size of flesh which separates from the limb of a living man? He answered: We find a limb (separated) from a living man to be like a dead body [(see Numbers 16:19 above)]. Just as with a dead body, an olive-size of flesh which separates from it is tamei, so with a limb (separated) from a living man — an olive-size of flesh which separates from it should be tamei. They: No, it follows that an olive-size of flesh separated from a dead body is tamei, for [it (a dead body) has another stringency, viz.] a bone the size of a barley-corn, separated from it is [also] tamei. But would you, therefore, rule tamei an olive-size of flesh separated from a living man [which lacks such a stringency] when you have ruled tahor a bone the size of a barley-corn which separates from it? [viz. above: "A bone the size of a barley-corn which separates from the limb of a living man — R. Nechunia rules it tamei and R. Eliezer and R. Yehoshua, tahor." From his own words they challenge his inference; and thus with R. Nechunia.] They said to R. Nechunia: Why did you see fit to rule tamei a bone the size of a barley-corn that separates from the limb of a living man? He answered: We find a limb (separated) from a living man to be like a dead body. Just as with a dead body, a bone the size of a barley-corn that separates from it is tamei, so with a limb (separated) from a living man — a bone the size of a barley-corn that separates from it should be tamei. They: No, it follows that a bone the size of a barley-corn that separates from a dead body is tamei, for an olive-size of flesh separated from it is [also] tamei. But would you, therefore, rule tamei an olive-size of flesh separated from the limb of a living man, when you have ruled tahor an olive-size of flesh that separates from it? They said to R. Eliezer: Why did you see fit to divide your rulings (to rule tamei an olive-size of flesh separated from the limb of a living man and to rule tahor a bone the size of a barley-corn separated from the limb of a living man?) It should be either tamei in both case or tahor in both cases. He answered: Greater is the tumah of the flesh than the tumah of the bones. For flesh (uncleanliness) obtains with carrion and creeping things (sharatzim), as opposed to bone (uncleanliness), [it being written (Leviticus 11:36): "And one who touches their carcass" — their carcass, and not their bones, and not their horns, and not their hooves — whence we see that bones are not subject to carrion (neveilah) uncleanliness]. Another proof [that the tumah of flesh is more prevalent than that of bones]: A limb that has upon it sufficient flesh causes tumah by maga, masa, and ohel. If it is lacking flesh it is tamei; if it is lacking bone, it is tahor. [A limb does not cause tumah unless it has flesh, sinews, and bones, it being written (Numbers 19:16): "or the bone of a man" — Just as a man has flesh, sinews, and bones, so, all that has flesh, sinews, and bones. And if it were deficient in the flesh that was upon it, but there were left on it enough flesh that would heal if it were connected to a living man, it would cause tumah by reason of "a limb." And this is the intent of "If it is lacking flesh it is tamei." But if it is missing anything of the bone in the limb, it no longer causes tumah by reason of "limb." And this is the intent of "If it is lacking bone, it is tahor." That is, it is tahor by reason of "limb," but tamei by reason of "flesh." We therefore find the tumah of "flesh" to be more prevalent than that of "bone."] They said to R. Nechunia: Why did you see fit to divide your rulings? It should be either tamei in both cases or tahor in both cases. He answered: Greater is the tumah of the bones than the tumah of the flesh. For the flesh that separates from a living man is tahor, but if a limb separates from him, and it is in its natural state, [having flesh, sinews, and bones], it is tamei. Another proof (that the tumah of bones is more prevalent than that of flesh) is that an olive-size of flesh causes tumah by maga, masa, and ohel [(Because the beginning of the creation of a man is an olive-size, his tumah is an olive-size)], and the majority [125] of a man's bones [248] cause tumah by maga, masa, and ohel. If the flesh is lacking [an olive-size], it is tahor [entirely, from causing tumah — either by maga, or by masa, or by ohel.] If the majority of the bones are missing, even though he is tahor from causing tumah by ohel, he causes it by maga and masa. [For a bone the size of a barley-corn causes tumah by maga and masa — whence we see that the tumah of bones is more prevalent than that of flesh. For bones, (even) when their quantity (125) is lacking, tumah remains in them, whereas flesh, when its (minimum) size is lacking, is absolutely tahor.] Another proof: All the flesh of a dead body which is less than an olive-size is tahor, but the rov (majority) of the (bony) structure of a dead body [such as two forelegs and one thigh, (all of his structure being two forelegs and the thighs and the ribs and the spine)], and the rov of its number, though they lack a rova (a quarter), [(a rova of a kav of the bones of a dead body causes tumah in an ohel), still, even if they have neither the majority of the number nor the majority of the structure (but they have a rova); or if they have a majority of the number or a majority of the structure, but they lack a rova], they cause tumah. They said to R. Yehoshua: Why did you see fit to rule tahor in both cases? He answered: No, it follows that an olive-size of flesh [and a bone that separate from a dead body be tamei] for it has [stringencies like] "rov," "rova," and "rakav." Would you say the same thing about a living man, who does not have [the stringencies of] "rov," "rova," and "rakav"? [It does not follow that an olive-size of flesh or a barley-corn size of bone which separate from a living man should be tamei, but they are tahor. The halachah is in accordance with R. Yehoshua. ("rakav":) the dead body, when its moisture dissipates, becomes a kind of rotten (rakuv) earth, a full tarod of which (about a full hand-hollow of the average man) causes tumah. A full tarod causes tumah only (when taken) from a body buried naked in a marble coffin and covered with a marble cover, until it be known of a certainty that there is no admixture of the rottenness of a garment or of wood or of other earth. But a dead body that is buried in its garment or in a coffin of wood or earth has no rakav, and, likewise, a dead body buried without a limb.]

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