[Avodah] Noach and Lashon T'horah

[Marty Bluke]

R' Saul Mashbaum wrote:
<To this we may add the process of the para adumah; in order to effect this
tahara, the Kohen himself had to become tamei.I think that the haskafic
implications of the fact that the Kohen had to defile himself in a minor way
in order to effect a major purification of many people is obvious.

This is actually a common fallacy that most people believe but is not true.
Although the pasuk says "umazeh mei hanida yechabes begadav" seemingly
saying that the Kohen who sprinkles becomes Tamei, Rashi there quotes the
Gemara in Nidda that the Kohen who is Mazeh is actually tahor and only the
nosey (the one who carries it) becomes tamei. In other words, the Kohen who
performs the Tahara process on the person who is tamei does NOT himself
become tamei.
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