Q. 3. See question above. Are teeth included in that prohibition?
A. On Question 6 – regarding if a tooth require a proper burial, we wrote:
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.
To what we answered: 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.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu Shlit’a and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a.
Important Numbers
