Pesahim 17 - Did the Kohanim Pass Haggai's Test?
Rabbi Richard Hidary
Pesahim 17 (A) Rav – Kohanim failed Haggai’s first test – revi’i Shmuel – Kohanim passed Haggai’s first test – hamishi Challenge to Rav from corpse impurity They are more familiar Touched corpse itself Challenge to Shmuel from Haggai’s response Refers to their deeds (B) Yose ben Yoezer – Temple liquids are tahor Rav – only of slaughterhouse (blood and water) Levi – also of altar (oil and wine) (C) Yose ben Yoezer – Temple liquids are tahor · Rav – liquids are pure. · Shmuel – liquids can be tameh deoraita but not transmit [Rav is consistent: oil and wine can become tameh, both cases of Haggai] If (B) Levi (all liquids pure) follows (C) Shmuel (just can’t transmit) then Haggai 2 is “or” [Haggai 1 is “and then” and so tahor following (A) Shmuel, even sheni] If (B) Levi follows (C) Rav (pure) no possibility for Haggai 2 If (A) Shmuel (Haggai 1 tahor) follows (B) Rav (blood and water only) then ok Haggai 1 is hamishi, Haggai 2 is less If (A) Shmuel (Haggai 1 tahor) follows (B) Levi (all liquids pure) then no need to explain Haggai 1 as hamishi since always tahor past 1 Baraita supporting Levi – all liquids are tahor Baraita supporting Rav – just water and blood Rav Papa – Temple liquids tahor even if outside tameh deoraita Challenge from Rabbi Eliezer’s derivation Challenge from his ruling that kelim are derabanan Rav Papa explanation of water on ground (which would be deoraita) Rabbi Yehudah – liquids tameh deoraita Challenge from Kelim Changed his mind Kelim was water tameh miderabanan