Nazir - Daf 51
- Rekev only applies when it did not contain any other decaying elements
A Baraisa teaches: איזהו מת שיש לו רקב – Which corpse has the law of corpse-dust, that a ladleful is metamei? מת שנקבר ערום – A corpse which was buried unclothed, בארון של שיש או על גבי רצפה של אבנים – in a marble coffin, or on a stone floor, its rekev is metamei, because there are no other decaying elements mixed in. However, נקבר בכסותו – if it was buried in its clothing, בארון של עץ או על גבי רצפה של לבנים – or in a wooden coffin or on a brick floor, all of which may have decayed together with the corpse, its dust is not metamei. Rebbe Yochanan said: שני מתים שקברן זה עם זה – Two corpses which were buried together, נעשו גלגלין זה לזה – become an admixture for each other (because each is a foreign substance to the other), and their combined rekev is not metamei. The Gemara challenges this from a Baraisa, which teaches that rekev from two corpses is metamei, and answers that where each was buried and decayed by itself, then the rekev of each is metamei, and their dust can combine to a ladleful.
- When the hair of a corpse is metamei
Rabbah bar bar Channah quoted Rebbe Yochanan: גזז שערו וקברו עמו נעשה לו גלגלין – If someone cut [a corpse’s] hair and buried it with the corpse, it becomes an admixture with it, and the ensuing rekev is not metamei. The Gemara quotes a Mishnah: כל שבמת טמא – All parts of a corpse are tamei, חוץ מן השינים והשער והצפורן – except for the teeth, hair, and nails. ובשעת חיבורן כולן טמאין – But while they are attached, they are all tamei. About this Mishnah, Chizkiyah asked: שערו העומד לגלח, צפורן העומד ליגזז, מאי – Hair which was ready to be cut or a nail which was ready to be clipped, and he died while they were still attached, what is the halachah? מי אמרינן כל העומד ליגזז כגזוז דמי – Do we say that anything which is ready to be cut is considered already cut, and it is not metamei, או דלמא השתא מיהא הא מחוברין – or perhaps we say now they are still attached, and are metamei? The Gemara attempts to resolve it based on Rabbah bar bar Channah’s statement above, which implies that hair would only be an admixture if it was actually cut, but not if it was merely ready to be cut. The Gemara answers that it is possible that he did not discuss hair which was not yet cut because he himself was uncertain of its status.
- If various materials are considered part of the body regarding rekev
Rav Yirmiyah asked: עובר במעי אשה הוי גלגלים או לא – Is a fetus in a woman’s womb an admixture or not? Do we say that since עובר ירך אמו – a fetus is like the mother’s thigh for various halachos, it is considered part of her body, or since it was destined to leave her body, it is considered separate? If it considered separate, שכבת זרע במעי אשה מהו – what is the halachah regarding semen in a woman’s womb? Is it considered part of her body since it did not form into an embryo which would leave her body, or external since it came from outside her body? Rav Pappa asked: פירשה מהו – what is the halachah regarding the waste in her body? כיון דלא מקיימא בדלא אכלה חיותא הוא – Do we say since she cannot live without eating, it is vital and deemed part of her body, או דלמא הא נמי מעלמא אתי – or perhaps this, too, came from outside and is an admixture? The Gemara additionally asks about one’s skin, saliva, and mucus, and explains how it is possible to have a corpse without any of the above substances.
