Derasha 5 — Metzora 15:04

כָּל־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֗ב אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׁכַּ֥ב עָלָ֛יו הַזָּ֖ב יִטְמָ֑א וְכָֽל־הַכְּלִ֛י אֲשֶׁר־יֵשֵׁ֥ב עָלָ֖יו יִטְמָֽא׃

Source Citation

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

אֲשֶׁר יֵשֵׁב עָלָיו — יָכוֹל כָּפָה סְאָה וְתַרְקַב וְיָשַׁב עֲלֵיהֶם יְהֵא טָמֵא? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אֲשֶׁר יֵשֵׁב עָלָיו — מִי שֶׁמְּיֻחָד לִישִׁיבָה; יָצָא זֶה שֶׁאוֹמְרִים לוֹ עֲמֹד וְנַעֲשֶׂה מְלַאכְתֵּנוּ.

English: “On which he sits” — one might think that if he overturned a se’ah or a tarkav and sat on them they become impure; Scripture teaches “on which he sits” — [only] that which is designated for sitting; this excludes something of which one says “Get up and let us do our work.”

What Is Learned

Chazal require that the article be designated for sitting; an inverted work-vessel used only temporarily as a seat does not become midras.

Derasha 5 on Metzora 15:04

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