Nazir 43b

נזיר מ״ג ע״ב

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Topic

Whether a כהן may become טמא for his father when the body is not whole: the beheaded father, מת מצוה, and ברייתות about limbs, bones and partial skeletons

Overview

רב חסדא quotes רב: if a כהן's father's head was cut off, the son may not become טמא for him, because the פסוק says 'לאביו', meaning only when the father is whole. רב המנונא challenges this with a father beheaded by robbers on the road. רב חסדא answers that such a father is a מת מצוה, and a כהן must become טמא for any מת מצוה, so surely he must for his own father. The גמרא asks how he can be a מת מצוה when his son is there, and answers that someone on the road counts as having no one to bury him. Next the גמרא brings a ברייתא that lets a כהן search for a barley-sized bone, which seems to show he becomes טמא even when the body is missing a little. The גמרא answers that this ברייתא follows רבי יהודה, who allows טומאה even for a limb of a dead father. Finally, a ברייתא of רב כהנא בר' אליעזר בן יעקב allows a כהן to become טמא for a spine, a skull, or most of the skeleton, which challenges רב again. The answer comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (10)

1. StatementA כהן does not become impure for a father whose head was cut off
2. ChallengeWhat about a father beheaded by robbers on the road?
3. ResolutionA father killed on the road is a מת מצוה
4. ChallengeHow can it be a מת מצוה if he has a son?
5. ResolutionA traveler on the road counts as having no one to bury him
6. ChallengeA ברייתא about limbs and bones seems to challenge רב
7. ChallengeWhy the barley-sized bone seems to go against רב
8. ResolutionThat ברייתא follows רבי יהודה
9. ChallengeAnother ברייתא: what 'not for limbs' leaves out
10. ChallengeSpine, skull, or most of the skeleton are included