Commentary for Avodah Zarah 74:8
אמרוה רבנן קמיה דרבא משמיה דמר זוטרא בריה דרב נחמן דאמר משמיה דרב נחמן דאורייתא דיקרב בדיקרב בחיבורין טומאת שבעה שלא בחיבורין טומאת ערב ואתו אינהו וגזור אפילו שלא בחיבורין טומאת שבעה ואתא איהו ואוקמה אדאורייתא
The rabbis said this in front of Rava in the name of Mar Zutra son of Nahman who said it in the name of R. Nahman: According to the Torah if a person touches another while the latter is in contact [with a corpse] he too is defiled for seven days; but if he is not in contact [with the corpse], then he is only defiled until the evening. The rabbis came and decreed that even without contact he is defiled for seven days, and [R. Yose b. Yoezer] came and reestablished the law according to the Torah.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
According to this suggested reconstruction, the person who touches a corpse transmits sevenday impurity only while he is still in contact with the corpse. The rabbis added that even when he is not in contact with the corpse he still defiles the other person for seven days. Rabbi Yose b. Yoezer restored the law to its biblical form.
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