4,005. Proof That Corpse Impurity Is Overridden

Hilchos Bias HaMikdash 4:17

The idea that public offerings override corpse impurity is explicit in II Chronicles 30:17-18: “[T]here were many in the congregation who had not sanctified themselves, so the Levites supervised slaughtering the Passover offering for all who were unclean...because many of the people – many from Ephraim, Menashe, Yissachar and Zevulun – had not purified themselves….” The verse continues that “they ate the Passover offering not in accordance with what is written.” This is because they declared that year to be a leap year because of ritual uncleanliness, as per verses 2-3: “[T]he king, his officers and the entire congregation in Jerusalem decided to observe Passover in the second month; they were unable to make it at its time because not enough kohanim had sanctified themselves.” As we explained back in Hilchos Kiddush HaChodesh, optimally we should not declare a leap year because of ritual impurity.

Hilchos Bias HaMikdash 4:18

Something else that happened that year was that King Chizkiyahu declared the year to be a leap year on the thirtieth day of Adar. It was suitable to be Rosh Chodesh Nisan, but he made it 30 Adar. The Sages disagreed with this decision because a leap year should not be declared on this day, as was also discussed in Hilchos Kiddush HaChodesh. Since these two things happened not in accordance with “standard operating procedure,” the verse states that “they ate the Passover offering not in accordance with what is written.” Chizkiyahu prayed for mercy for himself and for the Sages who agreed with him as per verse 18: “Chizkiyahu prayed for them, saying: ‘May God Who is good atone for....’ Verse 20 continues: “God heard Chizkiyahu and healed the people,” from which we see that their offering was accepted.