Nazir 51 - March 15, 22 Adar

This week’s learning is sponsored by Sara Averick and Jose Rosenfeld in memory of Ildiko Rosenfeld, צביה רחל בת מרדכי הלוי ומרים. “She embodied elegance, grace, and wisdom.” Today’s daf is sponsored by Caroline Ben-Ari on the 6th yahrzeit of her mother, Daphne Rhodes, דפנה דבורה בת אברהם וחנה. “Mum was a loving, vivacious woman with a great sense of humor, and was determined to be a better mother to her children than her own mother had been to her. Later in life, when she and Dad retired to Netanya, she indulged her love of singing and dramatics in the Netanya AACI Musical Theatre Group עורי עורי דבורה, עורי עורי דברי שיר." Today’s daf is sponsored by Risa Tzohar in loving memory of her mother Florence Rich z"l. The impurity of rakav, dust from a corpse is limited, as noted in a braita and several statements of amoraim. The body must be without any clothing, on a floor of stone or marble, alone (not with another body) with flesh, bones and sinews, not buried with hair, nails or teeth that were removed from the body.  A question is asked regarding dust that comes from the heel as even in one's lifetime the heel is somewhat of a dead zone in the body as its flesh is callous. After suggesting an answer, the Gemara reinterprets the question. Another set of questions is asked regarding rakav - since it is not applicable when there are two bodies that decompose together, what about a pregnant woman who died with the fetus in her womb? What about if there was semen in the woman's body, or feces or skin? After all these questions, Rav Shmuel bar Acha says that if we limit all these cases, there will be no impurity of rakav!! To which, Rav Papa answered how there could be a case. Rakav is only when the dust is from a decomposed body and not if the body was ground into dust. What if it was ground up and then decayed? Rakav also does not apply to a body that is not whole. Two other halachot also do not apply to an incomplete corpse - tefusa (when moving a grave, one must dig up the surrounding earth as well)and a graveyard (if one finds three bodies, one needs to search the area as there may likely be the site of an ancient cemetery). A Mishna in Eduyot 6:3 is brought to raise a difficulty against this but it is resolved. Rava asks another question that the Mishna in Eduyot is brought as an answer, but that answer is rejected.