Sunday, July 06, 2008

What is Pure ?

Once something is defiled - there is no such thing as re-purifying it. The entire concept of purity is something which has never been tainted.

So how does the Torah have all sorts of recipies for the repurification of man and kli ? The answer lies in the final ingredient. Time.

For light 'tumah' we are commanded to bathe ( either ourselves and our clothing or just ourselves ) and "...be tameh until nightfall". Even once we have fulfilled all the requirements of tahara - we still must wait for a new day to begin.

Why ?

Because we aren't removing the tumah - we are being recreated without it. And recreation occurs constantly - every day. When we are impure - we actually drag the tumah with us into our next day, into our next recreation. By toivelling and fulfilling all conditions for tahara - we are actually just leaving the tumah behind when Hashem recreates us.

And what about serious tumah ? We need an entire, seven day, repurification process. Seven days is the paradigm of creation - Hashem initially made the world in these seven days - and He recreates it every week. ( incidentally - that is one of the most special things about shabbos - but that's for another post )

So, now that we are unable to keep most of the laws of tumah and tahara - what does this mean for us ?

It means that every tomorrow is affected by today. Without effort and intervention - my mistakes of yesterday will roll over into my today. But, with a serious attempt at re-attaining my pristine status - Hashem, in his kindess, will grant me a recreation in the same pure state that He initially granted me life.

Hatzlacha !

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