Kiddushin, Daf Kaf Heh, Part 3

 

Introduction

The Talmud explores the dispute over whether the tongue is considered an external organ.

 

אמר עולא הכל מודים בלשון לענין טומאה דגלוי הוא אצל השרץ

מ"ט (ויקרא טו, ה) אשר יגע בו אמר רחמנא והאי נמי בר נגיעה הוא

 

Ulla said: All agree that the tongue is [considered] exposed when it comes to impurity by contact with a sheretz. What is the reason? The Torah said: And whomever it touches (Leviticus 15:5) and this too can be touched.

 

A sheretz, a creepy-crawly thing conveys impurity. All sages agree that if it touches one s tongue, the person is impure [EWWW]. In this case, the tongue is considered to be an exposed organ.

 

לענין טבילה כטמון דמי מ"ט (ויקרא טו, יג) ורחץ בשרו במים אמר רחמנא מה בשרו מאבראי אף כל מאבראי

 

With respect to immersion it is considered as hidden. What is the reason? Then he shall bathe his flesh in water (Leviticus 15:13): just as the flesh is exposed, so must all [which requires contact with the water] be exposed.

 

When it comes to immersing in the mikveh, all sages agree that the tongue need not come into contact with the mikveh (that would again, be EWWW).

לא נחלקו אלא לענין הזאה רבי מדמי לה לטומאה ורבנן מדמו לה לטבילה ותרוייהו בהאי קרא קמיפלגי (במדבר יט, יט) והזה הטהור על הטמא וגו’ רבי סבר והזה הטהור על הטמא ביום השלישי וביום השביעי וחטאו רבנן סברי וחטאו ביום השביעי וכבס בגדיו ורחץ במים

 

They only argue in respect to sprinkling: Rabbi compares it to impurity, whereas the Rabbis compare it to immersing. And both differ on this verse: And the pure person shall sprinkle upon the impure (Numbers 19:19). Rabbi holds, [the verse reads thus:] And the pure person shall sprinkle upon the impure on the third day, and on the seventh day and purify him. Whereas the rabbis hold, [the verse is read thus:] and on the seventh day he shall purify him, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water.

 

The dispute between Rabbi and the sages is only about a person who is sprinkled on his tongue. According to Rabbi sprinkling on the tongue purifies, just as being touched on the tongue by a sheretz defiles. Rabbi reads the verse as connecting sprinkling with the source of impurity if the water lands on a part of the body that can be defiled, the person is pure.

The other sages say that sprinkling on the tongue is compared with immersing. Just as a tongue need not be immersed for it is not considered an external organ, so too if the person is sprinkled on the tongue, he is not pure.

 

ורבנן נמי נדמייה לטומאה טהרה מטהרה הוה ליה למילף

ורבי נדמייה לטבילה וכבס בגדיו הפסיק הענין

 

And the sages too: let it be compared with impurity? Purification should be learned from purification.

And Rabbi: let it be compared with immersion? And he shall wash his clothes disconnects the subject.

 

The sages prefer to learn a rule related to purification from another rule related to purification.

Rabbi compares it to impurity and not immersion because there are a few words that separate and purify him with and bathe himself in water. This interruption prevents us from connecting the purification method with the immersion.