An olive`s quantity of flesh severed from a limb of a living man, R. Eliezer pronounces unclean and R. Joshua and R. Nehunia pronounce clean. A barley-grain`s quantity of bone severed from a limb of a living man, R. Nehunia pronounces unclean and R. Eliezer and R. Joshua pronounce clean. They said to R. Eliezer: what reason have you found for pronouncing unclean an olive`s quantity of flesh severed prom a limb of a living man? He said to them: we find that a limb from a living man is like an entire corpse. As in the case of a corpse, an olive`s quantity of flesh severed from it is unclean, so also in the case of a limb from a living man an olive`s quantity of flesh severed from it must be unclean. They said to him: no! When you pronounce unclean an olive`s quantity of flesh severed from a corpse, it is because you have pronounced unclean a barley-grain`s quantity of bone severed from it. But how can you also pronounce unclean an olive`s quantity of flesh severed from a limb of a living man, seeing that you have pronounced clean a barley-grain`s quantity of bone severed from it? They said to R. Nehunia: what reason have you found for pronouncing unclean a barley-grain`s quantity of bone severed from a limb of a living man? He said to them: we find that a limb from a living man is like an entire corpse. As in the case of a corpse, a barley-grain`s quantity of bone severed from it is unclean, so also in the case of a limb from a living man, a barley-grain`s quantity of bone severed from it must be unclean. They said to him: no! When you pronounce unclean a barley-grain`s quantity of bone severed from a corpse, it is because you have pronounced unclean an olive`s quantity of flesh severed from it. But how can you also pronounce unclean a barley-grain`s quantity of bone severed from a limb of a living man, seeing that you have pronounced clean an olive`s quantity of flesh severed from it? They said to R. Eliezer: what reason have you found for dividing your standards? Either pronounce them both unclean, or pronounce them both clean! He said to them: greater is the defilement of flesh than the defilement of bones, for the defilement of flesh applies both to carcasses and to creeping things, but it is not so in the case of bones. Another answer is: a limb which has on it the proper quantity of flesh causes defilement by touching and by carrying and by being under the same roof-space; if the flesh is diminished it is still unclean, while if the bone is diminished it is clean. They said to R. Nehunia: what reason have you found for dividing your standards? Either pronounce them both unclean, or pronounce them both clean! He said to them: greater is the defilement of bones than the defilement of flesh, for flesh severed from a living man is clean, whereas a limb severed from him, while in its natural condition, is unclean. Another answer is: an olive`s quantity of flesh causes defilement by touching and by carrying and by being under the same roof-space; and a majority of a dead man`s bones causes defilement by touching and by carrying and by being under the same roof-space; if flesh is diminished it is clean, but if a majority of the bones is diminished, although it does not cause defilement by being under the same roof-space, it yet causes defilement by touching and by carrying. Another answer is: any flesh of a corpse less than an olive`s quantity is clean, but bones forming the greater portion of the body`s build or the greater portion of the number of the corpse`s bones, even though they do not fill a quarter-Kab are yet unclean. They said to R. Joshua: what reason have you found for pronouncing them both clean? He said to them: no! When you pronounce unclean in the case of a corpse, it is because the rules of `majority`, quarter-Kab`, and `decayed matter` apply to it. But how can you say the same of a living man, seeing that the rules of majority`, `quarter-Kab`, and `decayed matter` do not apply to him? |
עדייות 6.3 |
R. Joshua and R. Sadok testified concerning the redemption-lamb of the Firstling of an ass, that if it died the priest has no claim therein, whereas R. Eliezer says: the owner must bear the responsibility as with the five selas [in the case] of a [Firstborn] son. But the Sages say: He bears no responsibility any more than in the case of the redemption of Second Tithes |
עדייות 7.1 |
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