Derasha 214 on Vayikra 11:36

TT #214 · Parshas Shemini · Aliyah 7 · Passuk 36

The Complete Passuk

אַךְ מַעְיָן וּבוֹר מִקְוֵה־מַיִם יִהְיֶה טָהוֹר וְנֹגֵעַ בְּנִבְלָתָם יִטְמָא:

English: “A spring and a pit”: just as the essential source of a spring is in the ground, so the essential source of a pit is in the ground.

Toras Kohanim.

Core Text

מַעְיָן וּבוֹר. מַה מַעְיָן עִקָּרוֹ בַּקַּרְקַע אַף בּוֹר שֶׁעִקָּרוֹ בַּקַּרְקַע.

Analogy — The Chazal derives the stated rule from the wording and structure of the verse.

The relevant pit is fundamentally grounded.