Chukas 19:16 · unit 10 — a spoonful of dust from a decomposed corpse

Parashas Chukas · Aliyah 1 · Passuk 16

The Complete Passuk

וְכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁר־יִגַּ֜ע עַל־פְּנֵ֤י הַשָּׂדֶה֙ בַּֽחֲלַל־חֶ֔רֶב א֣וֹ בְמֵ֔ת אֽוֹ־בְעֶ֥צֶם אָדָ֖ם א֣וֹ בְקָ֑בֶר יִטְמָ֖א שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃

And whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

Chabad.org — 19:16

Source Citation

Torah Temimah: Yerushalmi Nazir 7:2 — A hint for a spoonful of dust (from a decomposed corpse) that conveys impurity: the colleagues said, rearrange the verse — “or a grave” [can be read] “or dust.”

Sefaria — Yerushalmi Nazir 7:2

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
רֶמֶז לִתְרוֹד רֶקֶב שֶׁמְּטַמֵּא מִנַּיִן, חַבְרַיָּא אָמְרִין, מְסָרְסִין קְרָא, אוֹ בְקֶבֶר – אוֹ בְרֶקֶב.

English: A hint for a spoonful of dust (from a decomposed corpse) that conveys impurity: the colleagues said, rearrange the verse — “or a grave” [can be read] “or dust.”

Type of Learning

Derash by rearranging the letters of the verse.

What Is Learned

A spoonful of dust from a fully decomposed corpse (terod rekav) conveys impurity.