Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

Nazir 43: Priestly Impurity

jyungar March 7, 2023

For the source text click/tap here: Nazir 43

To download, click/tap here: PDF

Although a nazir cannot allow himself to become tameh even for his immediate relatives, a kohen is permitted – in fact, with the exception of a kohen gadol, he is required – to participate in the funeral of his immediate relatives, including his mother, father, son, daughter, brother and unmarried sister (see Vayikra 21:1-3).

Rav is quoted by Rav Ḥisda as teaching that this is true only if the father’s body is whole; if his head was removed from his body, the kohen is not allowed to become tameh. The Ramban, in his Torat ha-Adam, limits this to cases where a limb was removed at the time of death or after death. If the relative lived without a limb, upon his death we consider his body to be “complete” and the kohen is expected to participate in his burial.

We explore the purity and impurity of the Priestly code and the exclusion of those whose body organs have been removed.

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​