Q&A: Doubt of Impurity in the Public Domain and the Private Domain
Doubt of Impurity in the Public Domain and the Private Domain
Question
To my teacher and master, may he live long and well,
What is the reasoning behind the rule that a doubt of impurity in the public domain is impure, while in the private domain it is pure?
We’ve just started learning Tractate Sotah; if my teacher has important principles regarding the foundations at the beginning of chapter 1, we’d be happy to hear them.
With thanks,
His student
Answer
I once raised a possible way to explain this. I’m attaching a file.
In general this is too broad. I’ll just note that his comment on Maimonides regarding a doubtful mamzer is answered in Maimonides’ responsum (he writes that from there comes his source for the ruling that a Torah-level doubt is ruled leniently).
Discussion on Answer
Because these are different categories. The fact is that doubt regarding impurity is different from doubt regarding prohibition. In the same way, monetary law is not derived from prohibition law.
And on that same topic, what is the logic of not deriving prohibition law from impurity?