Q. The dentist took out a broken tooth in 2 parts, I wanted
to keep the "broken tooth", but the dentist put in the garbage, what
does the Halacha say regarding this issue? Thank you.
A. The Mishnah in Ohaloth 3-3 mentions that "everything of a dead body is
Tameh with the exception of teeth, hair and nails. But when still attached (to
the body) they are all Tameh".
The Talmud (Berachos 5b) quotes Rabbi Yochanan saying; "this is the bone of
my tenth son", Rashi explains that Rabbi Yohanan had ten sons, all who died in
his lifetime. He would carry with him a bone of the tenth son wrapped in his
shawl as a reminder of his bereavement. (Rashbam explains that he used to
console other mourners and alleviate their suffering by demonstrating that he
had survived a tragedy greater than theirs). As of the problem of carrying an
item that transmits Tumah, and the requirement to bury any bodily part, the
Aruch, Ritvah and Rashbam mention that it was a tooth that fell while alive and
does not transmit Tumah and also does not have to be buried. It is commonly
accepted that if there is no Tumah there is also no need of burial. (see Yehuda
Yaaleh, Yoreh Deah 352 and others). However, there are dissenting opinions,
Birchos Moishe (ibid.) states that burial may be required because of "Bizayon
Hameth" (defilement of the dead) or since it is a "Isur Hanoe"
(prohibition of benefiting from the dead) see Gesher Hachaim 1 ch.16-2. Then
again, that would apply only to a cadavers tooth.
Horav Shlomo Miller Shlita's opinion is that a tooth extracted by a dentist
can be simply discarded, and that is the accepted custom.
It is interesting to point out a responsa of Rav Menashe Klein Shlita
(Mishneh Halachot 16-113) where he quotes a tradition that was common in his
country of birth, that when a child lost a milk tooth his parents would have him
throw the tooth into a mouse's hole and would have him repeat (in Yidish) "Little mouse, little mouse here you have a bone, take a tooth and give me
back iron-strong teeth". He explains this as a form of burial deriving from
their tradition of burying all parts of a human body and not wanting to stress
unnecessarily a small child on things he wouldn't comprehend. He also relates
a story of the Nodah B'yehuda, that even though his opinion is that it is
not essential to bury (a tooth), he appeared (after his death) in a dream to his
son, and instructed him to find a lost tooth of his, He miraculously found the
tooth hidden in his fathers bookshelf and buried it on his fathers Kever.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld - revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlita
Important Numbers
