Derasha 1 — Metzora 14:46

Core Text

וְהַבָּא אֶל הַבַּיִת — אָמַר רַבִּי אוֹשַׁעְיָא: הַנִּכְנָס לְבַיִת הַמְנֻגָּע דֶּרֶךְ אֲחוֹרָיו וַאֲפִלּוּ כֻּלּוֹ חוּץ מֵחָטְמוֹ טָהוֹר, דִּכְתִיב וְהַבָּא אֶל הַבַּיִת — דֶּרֶךְ בִּיאָה אָסְרָה תּוֹרָה.

English: “And whoever enters the house” — R’ Oshaya said: One who enters a house afflicted with a nega by walking backwards, even if his entire body is inside except for his nose, remains pure, for it is written “and whoever enters the house” — the Torah forbade [only] the normal manner of entry.

What Is Learned

Chazal limit the impurity of entering an afflicted house to ordinary forward entry; unusual entry (backwards) does not convey the same tumah.

Derasha 1 on Metzora 14:46

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