B"H
Shalom Aleikhem Rabbotai,
Greetings and well wishes. Rabbah explains(69a-b) that Rabbi Eliezer holds that we do not slaughter or sprinkle the blood of the Pesach on behalf of a tamei sheretz. The Hebrew charts prepared by Kollel Iyun HaDaf for 69b (footnote no. 2) submits in this context that if the members of the tzibbur as a whole were teme'ei sheretz, they would indeed bring the Pesach in a state of tum'ah. My question is that this seems to contradict the Rambam (Hilkhot Korban Pesach 7:1) who rules that the only contamination which is overriden bitzibbur is the contamination emanating from a corpse. From the Rambam it would seem that if the tzibbur were teme'ei sheretz, then they would not bring a Korban Pesach!
Thank you very kindly. Kol tuv, lichaim ulishalom, lisasson ulisimchah, lihagdil torah uliha'adirah.
Shalom Spira, Montreal, Canada
Dear Shalom
Thanks for your excellent question.
The truth is that the chart is based on the Gemara Zevachim 22b, which states that if we do not slaughter for a Tamei Sheretz, then if the majority of the Tzibbur are T'ma'ai Sheretz the Tumah is Nidcheh.
As you correctly point out, the Rambam does not seem to go along with this Gemara. In Perek 6:1 he clearly states that we do not slaughter a Pesach for a Tamei Sheretz. This issue is dealt with by numerous Acharonim. I'd refer you the Frenkel Rambam, Sefer ha'Maftaich (in the back) Hilchos Korban Pesach 6:1, who lists the Acharonim who discuss this issue.
Wishing you a Chag kosher V'sameach.
Y. Landy