Derasha 2 on Metzora 14:41

Parashas Metzora · Passuk 14:41

The Complete Passuk

וְאֶת־הַבַּ֛יִת יַקְצִ֥עַ מִבַּ֖יִת סָבִ֑יב וְשָׁפְכ֗וּ אֶת־הֶֽעָפָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִקְצ֔וּ אֶל־מִח֣וּץ לָעִ֔יר אֶל־מָק֖וֹם טָמֵֽא׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temima points to Toras Kohanim.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אֶת הֶעָפָר וגו' — אִי אֲשֶׁר הִקְצוּ יָכוֹל צְרוֹרוֹת, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר עָפָר; אִי עָפָר יָכוֹל אַף הַנּוֹשֵׁר, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אֲשֶׁר הִקְצוּ.

English: “The dust …” — if [only] “which they scraped,” one might think [even] pebbles; therefore it says “dust.” If [only] “dust,” one might think even that which falls of itself; therefore it says “which they scraped.”

Type of Learning

Definition of the removed material

What Is Learned

Chazal require the actual scraped plaster/dust, neither loose pebbles nor material that fell spontaneously.