Derasha 9 on Behaalosecha 9:10

Parashas Behaalosecha · Aliyah 3 · Passuk 10

The Complete Passuk

דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר אִ֣ישׁ אִ֣ישׁ כִּי־יִהְיֶֽה־טָמֵ֣א ׀ לָנֶ֡פֶשׁ אוֹ֩ בְדֶ֨רֶךְ רְחֹקָ֜ה לָכֶ֗ם א֚וֹ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וְעָ֥שָׂה פֶ֖סַח לַיהֹוָֽה׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah (closing note on 9:10): the verse balances tumah of a nefesh and a distant road as equal triggers.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אִ֣ישׁ אִ֣ישׁ כִּי־יִהְיֶֽה־טָמֵ֣א ׀ לָנֶ֡פֶשׁ אוֹ֩ בְדֶ֨רֶךְ רְחֹקָ֜ה — שְׁנֵי טְעָמִים שָׁוִים לִדְחִיָּה.

English: “A man, a man who becomes tamei by a nefesh or on a distant road” — two equal grounds for deferral.

Type of Learning

Parallel grounds — impurity and distance stand side by side as legitimate reasons to wait for the second month.

What Is Learned

Hashem provides more than one recognized path back into the korban for those who could not stand in the first assembly.