929/Vayikra 11-15--Tumaah & Purity Culture

The Gemara asks: What is Hanukkah? The Sages taught in Megillat Ta’anit: On the 25th of Kislev, there are 8 days of Hanukkah when one may not eulogize or fast because, when the Greeks entered the Sanctuary they defiled all the oils that were in the Sanctuary. And when the Hasmonean monarchy prevailed, they searched and found only one cruse of oil intact with the High Priest's seal, which had sufficient oil to light for only one day. A miracle occurred and they lit from it eight days. The next year the Sages instituted those days and made them holidays with recitation of hallel and blessings.

(5) Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah; but since his sons were in the field with his cattle, Jacob kept silent until they came home... (27) The other sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the town, because their sister had been defiled.

"for kindling lamps regularly."

"always": even on the Sabbath; "always": even if contaminated;

(47) to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between the edible living things and those that may not be eaten.

(2) When a person's skin has a swelling, a rash, or a discoloration, and it develops into Tzaraat, it shall be reported to Aaron or to one of his sons, the priests. (3) The priest shall examine the affliction on the skin: if hair in the affected patch has turned white and it appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is Tzoraat; when the priest sees it, he shall pronounce him unclean.

(11) Thus said the LORD of Hosts: Seek a ruling from the priests, as follows: (12) If a man is carrying sacrificial flesh in a fold of his garment, and with that fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, will the latter become holy? In reply, the priests said, “No.” (13) Haggai went on, “If someone defiled by a corpse touches any of these, will it be defiled?” And the priests responded, “Yes.”...

(23) On that day—declares the LORD of Hosts—I will take you, O My servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel—declares the LORD—and make you as a signet; for I have chosen you—declares the LORD of Hosts.

(14) Whence do we derive that Scripture is speaking here of his rendering the sanctuary and its consecrated objects tamei? Scripture exhorted against tumah and adduced a punishment for it, and it made one liable for an offering for conferring tumah (unwittingly). Just as in the latter instance it is indicated that the offering is for tumah of the sanctuary and its consecrated objects, so in the former, the tumah in question is that of the sanctuary and its consecrated objects.

(5) "he shall not come into the midst of the camp" — this is a negative commandment. R. Shimon Hatemani says: "then he shall go outside the camp" — this is the Levite camp; "he shall not come into the midst of the camp" — this is the camp of the Shechinah.

(8) You shall not eat of their flesh or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you. ...

(24) And the following shall make you unclean—whoever touches their carcasses shall be unclean until evening,

(10) 10) Others say: "and their carcass do not touch": I might think that if one touched a carcass he receives forty stripes; it is, therefore, written (11:24): "and to these you shall become tamei." I might (then) think that if one saw a carcass, he should go and become tamei to it; it is, therefore, written "and their carcass do not touch." How are these verses to be reconciled? (As expressing) an option (i.e., if you wish to be clean, be careful not to touch their carcass, because if you do, you will become tamei).

(44) For I the LORD am your God: you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not make yourselves unclean through any swarming thing that moves upon the earth.

His friend came and sat opposite and, he too, knew (ascribed to) Scripture but not Mishnah and said: "My teacher is handwashing a commandment from the Torah, it wasn't instructed at Mt. Sinai?" I answered, "My son, we have many strictures and though we don't have a verse for each, they are laid upon us. They distinguish us, and increase our reward. And, where is it in the verse? In the desert, God commanded Moshe to tell the people to purify themselves [before Mt. Sinai] and to wash their garments. And we learn in the Mishna that purification is via immersion in water. We also learn that handwashing is biblical because Moshe and Aharon were directed to wash in water before entering the tabernacle. And, all of Israel was commanded to wash with the verse "sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy." Lev. 11:45. From here, Rabbi Gamliel determined to each non-sanctified food in ritual purity and instructed his students that sanctity was not solely the realm of the priests, but also to the Levites and the Israelites as the verse states, "Be Holy." from here we learn that it's a bad sign for someone to denigrate ritual handwashing

(3) One who takes it upon himself to be a Chaver [one who scrupulously observes tithes and purity laws] may not sell to an ignorant person wet or dry [produce], nor buy from him wet [produce], nor be the guest of an Am HaAretz nor host him as a guest [when he is clothed] in his [own] garments. Rabbi Yehudah says, “He may not even raise small animals, nor be unrestrained regarding vows and entertainment, nor become defiled by [contact with] a corpse, and frequent the house of study.” They said to him, “These are not included in the general principle.”

One who accepts upon himself these 4 things is accepted as a Haver: (1) not to give

(7) The clothes of an Am Ha'aretz [unlearned person] are midras [considered impure by treading] for perushin [individuals, generally Sages, highly concerned with maintaining ritual purity]. The clothes of perushin are midras for those who eat terumah. The clothes of those who eat terumah are midras for kodesh [and those who eat it]. The clothes of [those who eat] kodesh are midras for [those who touch]chattat water. Yose ben Yoezer was a pious man of the priesthood, and his cloak was midras for kodesh. Yochanan ben Gudgeda ate [even chullin] at the purity [required for] kodesh all his days and his cloak was midras for chattat water.

(2) There were courtyards in Jerusalem built on rock and below them was hollow because of graves of the deep. They would bring pregnant women to there, and they would give birth there and raise their children there [to ensure that the children never become ritually impure]. They would bring oxen and on their backs slats and the children would sit on top of them with stone cups in their hands. When they reached the Shiloach [stream], they would descend and fill [the cups], and remount and sit atop them. Rabbi Yose says: From his place [atop the oxen] one would lower and fill [his cup].

The parochet was: 40 amot long and 20 amot wide and was woven by 820,000 women.

These 820,000 women were prepubescent girls because they wanted the parochet to be woven in absolute purity. And, as we said, the weavers were paid from the public funds set aside for temple service (not for maintenance and renovation).