the gemara addresses the tum'ah of avoda zara as having tum'as ohel (d'rabonon) based on a pasuk of "zivchei mesim" and there is a machlokes in the mishna whether the a"z has the status of a sheretz or niddah.
Are all 3 tum'ah d'rabonon or...sorry a bit confused on the status.
As a general question, how do we tread tum'ah drabonon with regard to d'oraisa implications. (teruma, bias mikdash, burning kodshim).
Thank you!
Thank you!
Michael J. Rubin
Brooklyn, New York
All of the above Tumos are Midrabanan, see Shabbos 83b where this is stated explicitly. All the pesukim mentioned are Asmachtas and not D'Orayso, but the concept is hinted at when Yaakov tells his sons to remove the gentile gods and to purify themselves, implying that the idols contaminate.
There is however a minority opinion (Yerushalmi Shabbos 9:1, Avoda Zara 3:6) that the Tumah is D'Orayso.
Rambam writes that Avoda Zara contaminates a person and utensils which come into contact with it, just like an Av HaTumah. Presumably the people and utensils are a Rishon Le'Tumah and can therefore contaminate Terumah and Kodshim and invalidate them for use, but there are a number of leniencies: 1)Only contact and not just carrying the Avoda Zara contaminates 2)Only a K'Zayis of Avoda Zara can contaminate and not less.
The Rishonim argue whether there is Tumas Ohel for Avoda Zara.
The Yerushalmi (Pesachim 9:1) says that Avoda Zara contaminates like Nidah and leprosy and therefore one who was contaminated brings Pesach Sheni. Even a person who becomes a Ger before Pesach cannot bring a Pesach as he must wait seven days like one who is in contact with a dead person.
Yoel Domb