Mishnah 3ג׳
כַּזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֵבָר מִן הַחַי, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר מְטַמֵּא, וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְרַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא מְטַהֲרִים. עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֵבָר מִן הַחַי, רַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא מְטַמֵּא, וְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ מְטַהֲרִין. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, מָה רָאִיתָ לְטַמֵּא כַזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֵבָר מִן הַחַי. אָמַר לָהֶם, מָצִינוּ אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי כְּמֵת שָׁלֵם. מַה הַמֵּת, כַּזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ טָמֵא, אַף אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי, כַּזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ יִהְיֶה טָמֵא. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, לֹא, אִם טִמֵּאתָ כַזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הַמֵּת, שֶׁכֵּן טִמֵּאתָ עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ, תְּטַמֵּא כַזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֵבָר מִן הַחַי, שֶׁכֵּן טִהַרְתָּ עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ הֵימֶנּוּ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא, מָה רָאִיתָ לְטַמֵּא עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֵבָר מִן הַחַי. אָמַר לָהֶם, מָצִינוּ אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי כְּמֵת שָׁלֵם. מַה הַמֵּת, עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ טָמֵא, אַף אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי, עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ יִהְיֶה טָמֵא. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, לֹא, אִם טִמֵּאתָ עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הַמֵּת, שֶׁכֵּן טִמֵּאתָ כַזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ, תְּטַמֵּא עֶצֶם כַּשְּׂעֹרָה הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵאֵבָר מִן הַחַי, שֶׁכֵּן טִהַרְתָּ כַזַּיִת בָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, מָה רָאִיתָ לַחֲלֹק מִדּוֹתֶיךָ, אוֹ טַמֵּא בִשְׁנֵיהֶם אוֹ טַהֵר בִּשְׁנֵיהֶם. אָמַר לָהֶם, מְרֻבָּה טֻמְאַת הַבָּשָׂר מִטֻּמְאַת הָעֲצָמוֹת, שֶׁהַבָּשָׂר נוֹהֵג בַּנְּבֵלוֹת וּבַשְּׁרָצִים, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בָּעֲצָמוֹת. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אֵבֶר שֶׁיֵּשׁ עָלָיו בָּשָׂר כָּרָאוּי, מְטַמֵּא בְמַגָּע וּבְמַשָּׂא וּבְאֹהֶל. חָסֵר הַבָּשָׂר, טָמֵא. חָסֵר הָעֶצֶם, טָהוֹר. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי נְחוּנְיָא, מָה רָאִיתָ לַחֲלֹק מִדּוֹתֶיךָ, אוֹ טַמֵּא בִשְׁנֵיהֶם אוֹ טַהֵר בִּשְׁנֵיהֶם. אָמַר לָהֶם, מְרֻבָּה טֻמְאַת הָעֲצָמוֹת מִטֻּמְאַת הַבָּשָׂר, שֶּׁהַבָּשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הַחַי טָהוֹר, וְאֵבָר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ, וְהוּא כִבְרִיָּתוֹ, טָמֵא. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כַּזַּיִת בָּשָׂר מְטַמֵּא בְמַגָּע וּבְמַשָּׂא וּבְאֹהֶל, וְרֹב עֲצָמוֹת מְטַמְּאִים בְּמַגָּע וּבְמַשָּׂא וּבְאֹהֶל. חָסֵר הַבָּשָׂר, טָהוֹר. חָסֵר רֹב עֲצָמוֹת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁטָּהוֹר מִלְּטַמֵּא בְאֹהֶל, מְטַמֵּא בְמַגָּע וּבְמַשָּׂא. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כָּל בְּשַׂר הַמֵּת, שֶׁהוּא פָחוֹת מִכַּזַּיִת, טָהוֹר. רֹב בִּנְיָנוֹ וְרֹב מִנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל מֵת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם רֹבַע, טְמֵאִין. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, מָה רָאִיתָ לְטַהֵר בִּשְׁנֵיהֶם. אָמַר לָהֶם, לֹא, אִם אֲמַרְתֶּם בַּמֵּת, שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ רֹב וְרֹבַע וְרָקָב, תֹּאמְרוּ בַחַי שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ רֹב וְרֹבַע וְרָקָב:
An olive's size of flesh that separated from the limb of a living person: Rabbi Eliezer declares impure, and Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Nechunya declare pure. A barley-grain's size of bone that separates from a limb of a living person: Rabbi Nechunya declares impure, and Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua declare pure. They said to Rabbi Eliezer: Why did you see [fit] to declare an olive's worth of flesh that separated from the limb of a living person impure? He said to them: We find that the limb of a living person is like a complete dead person. Just like an olive's size of flesh that separates from a dead person is impure, so too an olive's size of flesh that separated from the limb of a living person is impure. They said to him: No. If you say that an olive's size of flesh that separated from a dead person is impure, as is a barley-grain's size of bone that separates from [a dead person], [how] will you also declare an olive's size of flesh that separated from the limb of a living person impure when you declare pure a barley-grain's size of bone that separates from [the limb of a living person]? [You yourself do not appear to judge these cases as parallel to each other, so how can you claim that to be your reasoning?] They said to Rabbi Nechunya: Why did you see fit to declare a barley-grain's size of bone that separated from the limb of a living person impure? He said to them: We find that the limb of a living person is like a complete dead person. Just like a barley-grain's worth of flesh that separates from a dead person is impure, so too a barley-grain's worth of bone that separated from the limb of a living person is impure. They said to him: No. If you say that a barley-grain's worth of bone that separated from a dead person is impure, as is an olive's size of flesh that separates from [a dead person], [how] will you also declare a barley-grain's size of bone that separated from the limb of a living person impure when you declare pure an olive's worth of flesh that separates from [a living person]? [You yourself do not appear to judge these cases as parallel to each other, so how can you claim that to be your reasoning?] They said to Rabbi Eliezer: Why did you see fit to divide your method [and be inconsistent in your reasoning]? Either they are both pure, or they are both impure! He said to them: [There are] more [chances for] flesh [to become] impure than [there are chances] for bones [to become] impure, for flesh applies to carcasses and insects, which is not so for bones. Another answer: A limb that has enough flesh on it [that were it still attached to a human being, it would be viable] imparts impurity by touching, carrying, and being under its [same] roof-space. If one diminishes the flesh [of the limb], it remains impure. If one diminishes the bone [of the limb], it [becomes] pure. They said to Rabbi Nechunya: Why did you see fit to divide your method [and be inconsistent in your reasoning]? Either they are both pure, or they are both impure! He said to them: [There are] more [chances for] bones [to become] impure than [there are chances] for flesh to become impure, for flesh separated from a living man is pure, but a limb that is separated from [a living man], and it is full [with flesh, bone, and sinews], it is impure. Another answer: An olive's worth of flesh [severed from a corpse] imparts impurity by touching, carrying, and being under its roof-space, and bones create a majority in making impure by touching, carrying, and being under its [same] roof-space, and a majority of a corpse's bones impart impurity by touching, carrying, and being under their [same] roof-space. If one diminishes [the] flesh [that has been severed from a corpse], it [becomes] pure. If one diminishes the majority of bone, even though they [now become] pure [and can no longer impart impurity on whatever is] under their same roof-space, they [still] impart impurity by touching and carrying. Another answer: Any flesh of a dead person which is less than an olive's worth is pure. But [bones that makes up] the majority of a dead person's build or [constitute] a majority of his [bone] count, even if they are only a quarter [kav (a measure)], they are impure. They said to Rabbi Yehoshua: Why did you see fit to declare both [bone and flesh from a dead person] pure? [Is not Rabbi Nechunya's reasoning correct?] He said to them: No. If you say about a corpse [that it is impure, it is because of] the laws of majority, quarter [kav], and decay [that apply to it], but [how can you] also say about a living person [that he is impure], [if] he does not have the laws of majority, quarter [kav], and decay [apply to him]? [You cannot compare that which was separated from a corpse with that which was separated from the limb of a living person, because the limbs severed from a living person are less likely to impart impurity than the corpse.]