Eduyos 6:1-2

Eduyos 6:1

Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava testified regarding five things: a minor girl can refuse a marriage arranged by her mother and brothers; one may marry a woman based on one witness’ testimony (that her husband has died); a rooster was once stoned in Jerusalem because it killed a person (an infant); the wine that was poured on the altar had to be at least 40 days old; the daily morning offering was brought after the fourth hour of the day.

Eduyos 6:2

Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Nechunya ben Elinoson of Kfar HaBavli testified that an organ from a corpse is ritually unclean (even if smaller than an olive); Rabbi Eliezer says that this was only said about an organ from a living person. Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Nechunya said that this is a kal v’chomer (an argument a fortiori): a living person is ritually clean; if his severed organ is ritually unclean, shouldn’t that all the more be the case regarding a dead person, who is already ritually unclean? Rabbi Eliezer replied that, nevertheless, the Sages only stated this law regarding an organ from a living person. Furthermore, the ritual uncleanliness of living people is greater than that of deceased people in that living people can render unclean things on which they sit, which can then render people or clothes unclean, and utensils above a living person can be rendered madaf (a form of ritual impurity), which can then render food and beverages unclean. The ritual uncleanliness of dead people does not do these things.