Tosfos (pesachim 19b ha bereshus hayachid ) says that from the fact that the gemara said that the koehns hands are tahor that indicates the azara is a reshus harabim since in a reshus hayachid one's hands would be tamei if there was a safek. The Pnei Yehoshau says this is a mistake in tosfos, tosfos couldnt have meant hands since hands are tahor in the azara even if it was known for sure he touched tumah. Tosfos must mean that the kohen himself became tamei.
What does this mean, how does the kohen become tamei if not for his hands touching tumah?
I plan to give a donation. If you can please help me with this I would really appreciate it.
Thank you
1) When Tosfos refers to hands he means the gezera of Stam Yadayim that is mentioned here, top 19b. Rashi (third line on 19b) writes that outside the Beit Hamikdash hands can be made tamei by the lightest sort of tumah. Even if no specific tumah is known for the hands, they are still impure, because hands are "Askaniot"; they are always busy and if we do not know for sure otherwise, Chazal made a gezera and we assume that they have touched something tamei.
2) The gezera of Yadayim teaches that if the hands touched something that is Rishon leTumah the hands become tamei. A Neveila; carcass of an animal that died without shechitah; is Av Hatumah. A person who touched a Neveila becomes Rishon leTumah. If the hands touch the person who touched a Neveila they become tamei. The latter gezera only applies outside the Beit Hamikdash.
3) When Pnei Yehoshua writes that the Adam becomes tamei he is referring to tumah of the Torah, not to the gezera of Rabanan. This refers to a person who touched a neveila, because if he only touched Rishon leTumah he cannot become tamei according to Torah law, even if he touched the tumah with his hands. If the person touched a neveila he becomes tamei whether he touched the tumah with his hands or with another part of the body.
Rav Simcha, thank you very much for the donation. I have conveyed your wishes to the Hanhala of the kollel, and they will be in touch with you, bs'd.
Chanukah Sameach
Dovid Bloom
Thank you rav bloom,
Just to clarify so the case in the gemara (pesachim 19b) with the meat, knife, and hands, is where the tamei meat was neveila-av hatumah?
Rashi 19b DH Ela writes that if the meat was not av hatumah it could not metamei the knife even miderabanan.
KOL TUV
Dovid Bloom