Chukas 19:14 · unit 5 — even a tent not made by human hands

Parashas Chukas · Aliyah 1 · Passuk 14

The Complete Passuk

זֹ֚את הַתּוֹרָ֔ה אָדָ֖ם כִּֽי־יָמ֣וּת בְּאֹ֑הֶל כָּל־הַבָּ֤א אֶל־הָאֹ֙הֶל֙ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּאֹ֔הֶל יִטְמָ֖א שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃

This is the Torah: when a man dies in a tent, all who come into the tent and all that is in the tent shall be unclean seven days.

Chabad.org — 19:14

Source Citation

Torah Temimah: Sukkah 21a — “Ohel” “ohel” — this includes even a tent that is not made by human hands.

Sefaria — Sukkah 21a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אֹהֶל אֹהֶל, רִבָּה אֲפִלּוּ אֹהֶל שֶׁאֵינוֹ עָשׂוּי בִּידֵי אָדָם.

English: “Ohel” “ohel” — this includes even a tent that is not made by human hands.

Type of Learning

Inclusion from the repeated language.

What Is Learned

A natural overhang or cave can function as an “ohel” for the purpose of conveying corpse impurity, even if it was not constructed by human hands.