''Midras'' uncleanness ( he, טומאת מדרס) is one of the forms of ritual impurity in Judaism which can be transmitted by either an object or person. The term may be translated as ''pressure uncleanness''. A ''midras'' (lit. "trampled on" object) is an object that can be a carrier of ritual impurity. Common objects that could potentially become unclean, and become a such ''midras'' object, include a

chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

sofa A couch, also known as a sofa, settee, or chesterfield, is a cushioned item of furniture for seating multiple people (although it is not uncommon for a single person to use a couch alone). It is commonly found in the form of a bench with uph ...

mattress A mattress is a large, usually rectangular pad for supporting a lying person. It is designed to be used as a bed, or on a bed frame as part of a bed. Mattresses may consist of a quilted or similarly fastened case, usually of heavy cloth, conta ...

, and

rug Rug or RUG may refer to: * Rug, or carpet, a textile floor covering * Rug, slang for a toupée * Ghent University (''Rijksunversiteit Gent'', or RUG) * Really Useful Group, or RUG, a company set up by Andrew Lloyd Webber * Rugby railway station, N ...

. A person who becomes unclean is categorized as a " father of uncleanliness". בקתת נידה בכפר אמבובר 1976

Hebrew Bible

The general concept of a ''midras'', an object becoming a carrier for uncleanliness, is brought in the book of Leviticus, though the following verse does not employ the Hebrew term ''midras'';

Becoming unclean

According to Maimonides on

Zavim Zavim is the ninth tractate in the Mishnah and Tosefta of the sixth Talmudic order Tohorot. It deals with the laws of the zav and zavah In Jewish ritual law, a ''zavah'' (Hebrew זבה, lit. "one whoe bodyflows") is a woman who has had vaginal b ...

4:4, the ''midras'' object becomes unclean by a person who is a " father of uncleanliness" (such as a man with a seminal emission or a woman in the middle of

menstruation Menstruation (also known as a period, among other colloquial terms) is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. The menstrual cycle is characterized by the rise and fall of hor ...

) putting most of their body weight in one (or more) of five ways on the ''midras''; #''sitting'' on the ''midras'' like a chair #''lying'' on the ''midras'' like a rug #''leaning'' on the ''midras'' #''standing'' on the ''midras'' like a mat #''hanging'' from the ''midras''

Transmitting uncleanliness

Once the ''midras'' becomes unclean, it transmits uncleanliness to clean persons or objects by one of seven ways; #by ''touching'' the ''midras'' #by ''carrying'' the ''midras'' #by ''sitting'' on the ''midras'' #by ''lying'' on the ''midras'' #by ''leaning'' on the ''midras'' #by ''standing'' on the ''midras'' #by ''hanging'' from the ''midras'' The person or object who becomes unclean via the ''midras'' is categorized as a '' Rishon L'Tumah.''

Purification

The purification of the ''midras'' object is accomplished by immersing the object in a mikveh bath (before

sunset Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spring ...

), and the subsequent elapse of sunset.

Disqualified objects

Objects that are not subject to becoming unclean as ''midras'' include; #Unformed plates of

terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, a ...

, #Any object or vessel of

stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

, #Fabric or vessels made from fish (or any sea-life) #Objects or vessels affixed to the ground

References

Jewish ritual purity law Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish law {{Judaism-stub