Devar/5771/Metsora
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< Devar | 5771
עברית
וְהַדָּוָה, בְּנִדָּתָהּ, וְהַזָּב אֶת-זוֹבוֹ, לַזָּכָר וְלַנְּקֵבָה; וּלְאִישׁ, אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכַּב עִם-טְמֵאָה (ויקרא טו:לב,לג)
English
This is the law of him that hath an issue, and of him from whom the flow of seed goeth out, so that he is unclean thereby;
and of her that is sick with her impurity, and of them that have an issue, whether it be a man, or a woman; and of him that lieth with her that is unclean (Lev 15:32,33)
The Rambam writes: The male or female with an issue, and the menstruant and the woman who gave birth -- each of the four of them is a primary source of ṭumá (ritual impurity) (Laws of Impurity from a Bed or Seat 1:1). We read concerning the ṭumá of a woman who gave birth last week. And these four kinds of people, along with the meṣorá (commonly if incorrectly translated as "leper") -- they are the only live sources of ṭumá. And that, only with respect to Jews or their servants who immersed in a ritual bath for the sake of becoming a servant -- but Gentiles neither cause ṭumá nor are affected by it, by Torah law. But the sages enacted that all Gentiles be considered to be ritually impure like one with an issue, in all the particulars, both males and females… (ibid 2:11). Why does the Torah not consider Gentiles as affected by issues of ritual impurity?
The fact that ṭumá and ṭahara (ritual purity) apply uniquely to Jews and not to the rest of the nations, proves that anything related to these matters is nothing less than a Divine decree. A man who undergoes conversion to Judaism, once he has completed the process, can become ṭamé -- while before that time, he could not, according to Torah law. The Torah wishes to make it abundantly clear to us that these matters of ritual purity and impurity are a Divine decree of the King of kings. And that they are in no way derived from any natural cause whatsoever.
Regarding the sages' enactment there is much to say, but it will suffice us to make one point: that this enactment numbers among many other such, whose purpose is to separate the Jewish people from the other nations. All with the goal of supporting the Torah's purpose that we be a holy nation, and that we understand that we are unlike the other nations. Rather He, may He be blessed, commanded us to be careful and to distinguish between the "impure" and the "pure", and to likewise be discerning of the distinctions He commanded us.
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