(ז) וְאֶת־הַ֠חֲזִ֠יר כִּֽי־מַפְרִ֨יס פַּרְסָ֜ה ה֗וּא וְשֹׁסַ֥ע שֶׁ֙סַע֙ פַּרְסָ֔ה וְה֖וּא גֵּרָ֣ה לֹֽא־יִגָּ֑ר טָמֵ֥א ה֖וּא לָכֶֽם׃ (ח) מִבְּשָׂרָם֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֔לוּ וּבְנִבְלָתָ֖ם לֹ֣א תִגָּ֑עוּ טְמֵאִ֥ים הֵ֖ם לָכֶֽם׃
(7) and the swine—although it has true hoofs, with the hoofs cleft through, it does not chew the cud: it is impure for you. (8) You shall not eat of their flesh or touch their carcasses; they are impure for you.
וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: חַיָּיב אָדָם לְטַהֵר אֶת עַצְמוֹ בָּרֶגֶל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּבְנִבְלָתָם לֹא תִגָּעוּ״. תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: ״וּבִנְבָלָתָם לֹא תִגָּעוּ״, יָכוֹל יְהוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מוּזְהָרִין עַל מַגַּע נְבֵילָה, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״אֱמוֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן״, בְּנֵי אַהֲרֹן מוּזְהָרִין, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין מוּזְהָרִין. וַהֲלֹא דְּבָרִים קַל וָחוֹמֶר: וּמָה טוּמְאָה חֲמוּרָה — כֹּהֲנִים מוּזְהָרִין, יִשְׂרְאֵלִים אֵינָן מוּזְהָרִין. טוּמְאָה קַלָּה — לֹא כׇּל שֶׁכֵּן? אֶלָּא, מָה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״וּבְנִבְלָתָם לֹא תִגָּעוּ״ — בָּרֶגֶל.
And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A person is obligated to purify himself on a Festival, as it is stated: “And their carcasses you shall not touch; they are impure to you” (Leviticus 11:8). This verse is referring to the Festivals, as taught in the following baraita. This is also taught in a baraita: The verse states: “And their carcass you shall not touch.” One might have thought that ordinary Jews are prohibited from touching an animal carcass. Therefore, the verse states: “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people” (Leviticus 21:1). It is derived from here that the sons of Aaron are prohibited from defiling themselves, but the children of Israel, i.e., non-priests, are not prohibited from doing so. But are these matters not an a fortiori inference? If, with regard to severe impurity, i.e., contact with a human corpse, priests are prohibited from defiling themselves, while ordinary Israelites are not prohibited from doing so, in the case of light impurity, e.g., touching an animal carcass, is it not all the more so that Israelites be permitted to defile themselves? Rather, what is the meaning when the verse states: “And their carcass you shall not touch?” It means that on a Festival all are obligated to purify themselves.
(י) כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל מֻזְהָרִין לִהְיוֹת טְהוֹרִים בְּכָל רֶגֶל מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם נְכוֹנִים לִכָּנֵס בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ וְלֶאֱכל קָדָשִׁים. וְזֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּתּוֹרָה (ויקרא יא ח) "וּבְנִבְלָתָם לֹא תִגָּעוּ" בָּרֶגֶל בִּלְבַד וְאִם נִטְמָא אֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה אֲבָל בִּשְׁאָר יְמוֹת הַשָּׁנָה אֵינוֹ מֻזְהָר:
(10) All Israelites are warned to be pure on every pilgrimage festival, because at that time, they are ready to enter the Sanctuary and partake of consecrated foods. The Torah's statement Leviticus 11:8: "You shall not touch their carcasses," applies only on the festivals. Moreover, if a person does contract impurity, he is not liable for lashes. During the remainder of the year, one is not prohibited at all.
וכן כל אדם חייב לטהר עצמו ברגל לאכול חוליו בטהרה.
And likewise, every person is obligated to purify themselves on the festival in order to eat their non-sacred food in a state of purity.
Jacob Milgrom, Leviticus 1-16, p. 654
The impurity deriving from a carcass may account for the practice of removing one's sandals before entering a sacred precinct (Exod 3:5; Josh 5:15); sandals, being fashioned of animal skins, are eo ipso impure, but only in regard to the sacred. This rule is to this day strictly enforced in Islam. It is also recorded in ancient Greece; for example, at Eresos neither shoes nor any other leather garment were brought into the temple, and women participating in the mysteries at Andania were required to wear nonleather sandals and garments made of wool (Farnell 1951: 486).