Chukas 19:14 · unit 6 — graves of non-Jews do not convey tent-impurity

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: Yevamos 61a — Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says: The graves of idolaters do not convey tent-impurity, for it is written “a man who dies in a tent” and it is written (Yechezkel 34:31) “and you are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are adam” — you are called adam, and idolaters are not called adam.

Sefaria — Yevamos 61a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי אוֹמֵר, קִבְרֵי עוֹבְדֵי כוֹכָבִים אֵין מְטַמְּאִין בְּאֹהֶל, דִּכְתִיב אָדָם כִּי יָמוּת בְּאֹהֶל וּכְתִיב וְאַתֵּן צֹאנִי צֹאן מַרְעִיתִי אָדָם אַתֶּם, אַתֶּם קְרוּיִים אָדָם וְאֵין הָעוֹבְדֵי כוֹכָבִים קְרוּיִים אָדָם.

English: Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says: The graves of idolaters do not convey tent-impurity, for it is written “a man who dies in a tent” and it is written “you are adam” — you are called adam, and idolaters are not called adam.

Type of Learning

Restriction of the term “adam” to Yisrael for this impurity.

What Is Learned

According to this view, the tent-impurity of a corpse applies only to the body of a Jew; the graves of non-Jews do not generate tent-impurity.