Pesachim

He who has intercourse with a niddah1 is like he who is unclean by the dead.2 In respect of what: shall we say, in respect of their uncleanness, — but uncleanness for seven [days] is written in connection with the one, and uncleanness for seven days is written in connection with the other?3 Hence it must surely be in respect of their camp;4 and since the second clause is in respect of their camps, the first clause too is in respect of their camps? — What argument is this! the one is as stated, and the other is as stated.5 An objection is raised: A leper is more stringent than a zab,6 and a zab is more stringent than he who is unclean by the dead.7 A ba'al keri is excepted, for he who is unclean by the dead is more stringent than he. What does ‘is excepted’ mean? Surely [it means], he is excepted from the rule of a zab and is included8 in the rule of him who is unclean by the dead, seeing that he who is unclean by the dead is more stringent than he, and [yet] he is permitted within the Levitical camp? — No: [it means that] he is excepted from the camp of him who is unclean by the dead and is included in the camp of a zab; and though he who is unclean by the dead is more stringent than he, and [yet] he may enter the Levitical camp. [nevertheless] we compare him [the ba'al keri] to what is like himself.9 A tanna recited before R. Isaac b. Abdimi: Then he shall go abroad out of the camp:10 this means the camp of the Shechinah;11 he shall not come within the camp:12 this means the Levitical camp. From this [we learn] that a ba'al keri must go without the two camps.13 Said he to him, You have not yet brought him in that you should [already] expel him!14 Another version: you have not yet expelled him, and [already] you [discuss whether] he should enter!15 Rather say: ‘abroad out of the camp’ — this is the Levitical camp; ‘he shall not come within the camp’- that is the camp of the Shechinah. To this Rabina demurred: Assume that both refer to the camp of the Shechinah, [it being repeated] so that he should violate an affirmative command and a negative command on its account? If so, let Scripture say, ‘Then he shall go abroad out of the camp’ and ‘he shall not enter": what is the purpose of ‘within the camp’? Infer from it that it is to prescribe another camp for him.16 AND THE CLEANSING [MIHUY] OF ITS BOWELS. What is THE CLEANSING OF ITS BOWELS? — R. Huna said: [It means] that we pierce them with a knife.17 Hiyya b. Rab said: [It means the removal of] the viscous substance of the bowels, which comes out through the pressure of the knife. R. Eleazar observed, What is Hiyya b. Rab's reason? Because it is written, and the waste places of the fat ones [mehim] shall wanderers eat.18 How does this imply it? — As R. Joseph19 translated: and the estates of the wicked shall the righteous inherit. 20 Then shall the lambs feed as in their pasture [kedobram]:21 Menassia b. Jeremiah interpreted it in Rab's name: As was spoken about them [kimedubbar bam].22 What means ‘as was spoken about them’? — Said Abaye: ‘And the waste places of the fat ones shall wanderers eat’. Said Raba to him, If ‘the waste places’ were written, it would be well as you say;23 since, however, ‘and the waste places’ is written, this states another thing. Rather, said Raba: [It is to be explained] as R. Hananel said in Rab's name. For R. Hananel said in Rab's name: The righteous are destined to resurrect the dead. [For] here it is written, ‘Then shall the lambs feed kedobram’, while elsewhere it is written, Then shall Bashan and Gilead feed as in the days of old.24 [Now] Bashan means Elisha, who came from Bashan, as it is said, ‘and Janai and Shaphat in Bashan,25 while it is written, Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.26 [Again,] Gilead alludes to Elijah, for it is said, And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said [unto Ahab].27 R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in R. Jonathan's name: The righteous are destined to resurrect the dead, for it is said, There shall yet old men and old women sit in the broad places of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very age;28 and it is written, and lay my staff upon the face of the child.29 ‘Ulla opposed [two verses]. It is written, He will swallow up death for ever;30 but it is written, For the youngest shall die a hundred years old?31 There is no difficulty: there the reference is to Israel; here, to heathens. But what business have the heathens there? — Because it is written, And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and aliens shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. 32 R. Hisda opposed [two verses]. It is written, Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed;33 whereas it is written, Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of the seven days?34 There is no difficulty: the former refers to the world to come;35 the latter to the days of the Messiah.36 But according to Samuel, who maintained, This world differs from the Messianic age only in respect of the servitude to governments,37 what can be said? — Both refer to the world to come, yet there is no difficulty: one refers to the camp of the righteous; the other, to the camp of the Shechinah. Raba opposed [two verses]: It is written, I kill, and I make alive;38 whilst it is also written, I have wounded, and I heal:39 seeing that He even resurrects, how much the more does He heal!40 But the Holy One, blessed be He, said thus: What I put to death I make alive, just as I wounded and I heal [the same person].41 Our Rabbis taught: ‘I kill, and I make alive’: You might say, I kill one person and give life to another, as the world goes on.42 Therefore it is stated, ‘I have wounded, and I heal’: just as the wounding and the healing [obviously] refer to the same person, so death and life refer to the same person. This refutes those who maintain that resurrection is not intimated in the Torah.43 Another interpretation: At first what I slay I resurrect; 44 and then, what I wounded I will heal.45 rule that the more stringent the uncleanness the further away is he sent; but a ba'al keri is excepted from this rule, and though his uncleanness is less than that of a person unclean by the dead, he is sent further away, because he must be compared to a zab, since both are unclean through bodily discharge. the Temple mount (‘the Levitical camp’). he is inside? (Rashi). viscous substance. therefore understood to allude to this metaphorically; hence the same meaning is assigned to ‘feed’ in the first verse too, ‘the lambs’ being the righteous. the first verse. righteous (Rashi in Sanh. 91b). differently.