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In Jewish law, ''ṭumah'' (, ) and ''ṭaharah'' (, ) are the state of being ritually "impure" and "pure", respectively. The Hebrew noun ''ṭum'ah'', meaning "impurity", describes a state of ritual impurity. A person or object which contracts ''ṭumah'' is said to be ''ṭamé'' ( Hebrew
adjective In linguistics, an adjective ( abbreviated ) is a word that generally modifies a noun or noun phrase or describes its referent. Its semantic role is to change information given by the noun. Traditionally, adjectives were considered one of the ...
, "ritually impure"), and thereby unsuited for certain holy activities and uses (''
kedushah Kedushah may refer to: * Holiness in Judaism * Kedushah (prayer) ''Kedushah'' (Holiness) is the name of several prayers recited during Jewish prayer services. They have in common the recitation of two Biblical verses - and . These verses come ...
'', in Hebrew) until undergoing predefined purification actions that usually include the elapse of a specified time-period. The contrasting Hebrew noun ''ṭaharah'' () describes a state of ritual purity that qualifies the ''ṭahor'' (; ritually pure person or object) to be used for ''kedushah''. The most common method of achieving ''ṭaharah'' is by the person or object being immersed in a ''
mikveh Mikveh or mikvah (,  ''mikva'ot'', ''mikvoth'', ''mikvot'', or (Yiddish) ''mikves'', lit., "a collection") is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism to achieve ritual purity. Most forms of ritual impurity can be purifi ...
'' (ritual bath). This concept is connected with ritual washing in Judaism, and both ritually impure and ritually pure states have parallels in ritual purification in other world religions. The laws of ''ṭumah'' and ''ṭaharah'' were generally followed by the
Israelite The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan. The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stel ...
s, particularly during the First and
Second Temple Period The Second Temple period in Jewish history lasted approximately 600 years (516 BCE - 70 CE), during which the Second Temple existed. It started with the return to Zion and the construction of the Second Temple, while it ended with the First Je ...
, and to a limited extent are a part of applicable ''
halakha ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...
'' in modern times.


Etymology

The
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
noun ''ṭum'ah'' () derives from the verb ''ṭamé'' (), in the qal form of the verb "to become impure"; in the
niphal Niphal is the name given to one of the seven major verb stems called בִּנְיָנִים (/binjaˈnim/ binyanim, "constructions") in biblical Hebrew. The designation Niphal comes from the form ''niph‘al'' for the verb ''pa‘al'', “to do”. ...
to "defile oneself"; and in the transitive Piel to defile something or pronounce something impure. The verb stem has a corresponding adjective, ''ṭamé'' (טָמֵא), "impure". Likewise the Hebrew noun ''ṭahara'' () is also derived from a verb, in this case ''ṭaher'' () "to be ritually pure". and in the transitive piel "to purify". The verb and noun have a corresponding adjective, ''ṭahor'' (), "ritually pure". The word is a cognate to the Arabic word ' طهارة' ''ṭahāra(h)'' (pronounced almost identically, with the elongation of the second 'a') which has the same meaning in Islam. Some sources, such as
Samson Raphael Hirsch Samson Raphael Hirsch (; June 20, 1808 – December 31, 1888) was a German Orthodox rabbi best known as the intellectual founder of the ''Torah im Derech Eretz'' school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism. Occasionally termed ''neo-Orthodoxy'', hi ...
on Genesis 7:2, claim that the meaning is "entombed", meaning the person or item that is in the ''tame'' state is blocked, and not in a state of receiving holy transmission. ''Ṭahor'', by contrast, is defined as "pure" in the sense that the person or object is in a clear state and can/may potentially serve as a conduit for Divine and Godly manifestation. Although ''ṭumah and ṭaharah'' is sometimes translated as ''unclean and clean'', it is more a spiritual state than a physical one. Once initiated (for the physical signs that initiate
tzaraath ''Tzaraath'' (Hebrew צָרַעַת ''ṣāraʿaṯ''), variously transcribed into English and frequently mistranslated as leprosy, describes various ritually unclean disfigurative conditions of the skin, hair of the beard and head, clothing mad ...
, zav and
niddah Niddah (or nidah; he, נִדָּה), in traditional Judaism, describes a woman who has experienced a uterine discharge of blood (most commonly during menstruation), or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated requirem ...
, see below) it is generally immeasurable and unquantifiable by known mechanical detection methods, there is no measure of filth, unsanitary, or odorous affiliation with the state of ''ṭumah'', nor any mechanically measurable level of cleanliness, clarity, or physical purity for the state of ''ṭaharah''.


In the Bible


Usage

The noun form of ''ṭumah'' is used around 40 times in the
Masoretic Text The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; he, נֻסָּח הַמָּסוֹרָה, Nūssāḥ Hammāsōrā, lit. 'Text of the Tradition') is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) in Rabbinic Judaism. ...
of the Hebrew Bible is generally translated as "uncleanness" in English language Bibles such as the KJV, and JPS Tanakh. The majority of uses are in Leviticus. Though uses for national impurity occur in Ezra and Ezekiel, and Zechariah prophesies the removal of the "prophets and spirit of impurity () from the land". The adjective ''tamei'' () "impure", is much more common. The verb form of ''ṭaharah'' (), the verb ''ṭaher'' () "be pure", is used first in the Hebrew Bible is in , where Jacob tells his family to "put away strange gods, and be pure". In general, the term ''tumah'' is used in two distinct ways in the Hebrew Bible: Malbim, ''HaTorah VeHaMitzvah'', commentary o
Vayikra 11:43Vayikra 5:2-3
/ref> * Ritual impurity – the opposite of ''taharah'' ("purity"), also known as "impurity of the body". * Moral impurity – the opposite of ''
kedushah Kedushah may refer to: * Holiness in Judaism * Kedushah (prayer) ''Kedushah'' (Holiness) is the name of several prayers recited during Jewish prayer services. They have in common the recitation of two Biblical verses - and . These verses come ...
'' ("sanctity"), also known as "impurity of the soul"; this category also includes activities which are disgusting or abominable. In general, ''tumah'' in the sense of "ritual impurity" is prefixed by the letter lamed or lacks any prefix at all, while ''tumah'' in the sense of "moral impurity" is prefixed by the letter
bet Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
.


Ritual impurity


Activities which create impurity

The Torah, particularly the book of Leviticus, lists various activities which create an "impure" (''tamei'') status: * A person who touches a corpse becomes impure. * A person who touches something that has been made impure by a corpse becomes impure. * A person who touches or carries carrion becomes impure. * A person who touches or shifts the carcass of one of the eight sheratzim. * A vessel or clay oven upon which falls one of eight dead creeping things becomes impure. * A woman, upon giving birth, becomes impure for 7 day for a son or 14 days for a daughter. * A person who has been diagnosed with ''
tzaraat ''Tzaraath'' (Hebrew צָרַעַת ''ṣāraʿaṯ''), variously transcribed into English and frequently mistranslated as leprosy, describes various ritually unclean disfigurative conditions of the skin, hair of the beard and head, clothing mad ...
'' is impure. * A house which has been diagnosed with ''tzaraat'' is impure, as are its contents. * A man or woman with an unnatural emission from the genitals ('' zav/zavah''), or a menstruating woman (''
niddah Niddah (or nidah; he, נִדָּה), in traditional Judaism, describes a woman who has experienced a uterine discharge of blood (most commonly during menstruation), or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated requirem ...
''), are impure. A person who touches them, or who touches their chair, or vessels that they touch, is impure. * A man who has had a seminal discharge, or a garment touched by semen, is impure. * A person who eats meat of animals that have died of themselves or been killed by beasts becomes impure. * A priest who performs certain roles in the red heifer sacrifice becomes impure. * If a corpse is present in a house, people and objects within the house become impure. Some of these activities are forbidden (i.e. eating non-kosher meat), others are permitted (i.e. sex between a married couple), and others are unavoidable (i.e. if a person dies suddenly while other people are in the house). Thus, there is no automatic moral stigma to becoming "impure".


Implications of impure status

Certain activities are prohibited as a result of acquiring this "impure" status. For example: * Before the giving of the Ten Commandments, the people were warned not to approach their wives (presumably due to semen causing impurity). * One who is impure due to ''tzaraat'', genital emissions, or touching a corpse, had to live outside the desert encampment. * Priests could only eat sacrificial meat while pure. * One who is impure due to a corpse could not visit the sanctuary without making it spiritually impure, which is a crime punished by '' karet''. Just as it is a severe offense to bring impurity into the Israelite sanctuary, "impurity" is also seen as a means of nullifying a worship site of other religions; though the rules for this impurity are not made clear.


Becoming pure again

Different forms of impurity requires various rituals in order to regain a "pure" (''tahor'') status. For example: * Impurity due to seminal emission can be purified by immersing in a ritual bath after the next nightfall. * Impurity due to tzaraat requires waiting seven days, shaving one's hair, washing one's clothes, immersing one's body, and offering a Temple sacrifice to achieve purification. * Impurity from touching a corpse requires a special Red Heifer sacrifice and ritual to achieve purification.


Moral impurity

The term ''tumah'' is also used to refer to certain sins, for which there is no specific ritual to remove the impure status. For example: * Sexual sins such as incest, adultery, rape, bestiality * Consulting the Ov or Yidoni * Delivering one's child to Moloch * Murder/manslaughter * Leaving a hanged criminal's corpse on the scaffold overnight * Idolatry * According to Malbim, the laws of
kashrut (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fr ...
fall in this category. In a number of cases, no specific sin is mentioned; overall sinful behavior has led to impurity.


In Ezra–Nehemiah

Christine Hayes Christine Hayes is an American academic and scholar of Jewish studies, currently serving as the Sterling Professor of Religious Studies in Classical Judaica at Yale University, specializing in Talmudic and Midrashic studies and Classical ...
argues that moral impurity is the reason for the gentile expulsion and alienation that occurs in Ezra–Nehemiah. However, S.M. Olyan argues that Ezra and Nehemiah's attempt of the restoration of Israel to its original state was expressed through the expulsion and alienation of foreign peoples that was caused by both ritual and moral impurities. The Judean people believed that Israel and the priestly bloodline of Israel in itself was pure, being the chosen nation of their God. Furthermore, when the men of Israel committed to relations with Gentile people the acts took away from their purity. Olyan argues that there were different actions that were categorized by the Judean people as ritual impurity and moral impurity. Moral impurity can simply be removed, as in physical removal or separation between groups; thus expulsion of the Gentiles from the Judean environment was enough to re-purify the environment. However, ritual impurity is much more serious. Olyan argues that ritual impurity is deeply embedded into covenants, thus a religious ritual must be performed to rid the impurity from the people group.


In rabbinic literature

The
Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...
devotes one of its six sub-divisions, named Tohorot ("purities"), to the laws of ritual impurity. Neither the Babylonian nor the
Jerusalem Talmud The Jerusalem Talmud ( he, תַּלְמוּד יְרוּשַׁלְמִי, translit=Talmud Yerushalmi, often for short), also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud of the Land of Israel, is a collection of rabbinic notes on the second-century ...
contains systematic commentaries to the tractates of Tohorot (except for Niddah which is an integral part of Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud as well), as these laws had little practical relevance after the destruction of the Temple. However, the laws are discussed many times in other tractates, and in later rabbinic literature.
Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah ...
clarifies that, in addition to all of Israel, the
priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
are expected to be knowledgeable and fluent in the general and specifics of ''ṭumah and ṭaharah'' law. Given his role of Temple service and year round consumption of '' terumah'', each priest was required to be in a ''ṭahor'' state.


Mandatory or optional

The mainstream view among
rishonim ''Rishonim'' (; he, ; sing. he, , ''Rishon'', "the first ones") were the leading rabbis and '' poskim'' who lived approximately during the 11th to 15th centuries, in the era before the writing of the ''Shulchan Aruch'' ( he, , "Set Table", a ...
and non-Kabbalistic authoritiesMartin L. Gordon
Netilat yadayim shel shaharit: Ritual of crisis or dedication?
''Gesher: Yeshiva University Journal of Jewish Studies'', v.8 p.36-72 (1981); see p.39 and footnotes 35-36
is that one is permitted to become ''tamei'' (except on those occasions when one must visit the Temple, or touch holy objects), and thus there is no obligation to attempt to remain ''tahor''. As an example, it is not only permitted but a
mitzvah In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word (; he, מִצְוָה, ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment commanded by God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of discus ...
to tend to a dead person, even though this causes impurity. However, some rabbis have advocated keeping some of the laws of purity even in the absence of the
temple in Jerusalem The Temple in Jerusalem, or alternatively the Holy Temple (; , ), refers to the two now-destroyed religious structures that served as the central places of worship for Israelites and Jews on the modern-day Temple Mount in the Old City of Jeru ...
and even in the diaspora. One category that was commonly kept in Talmudic and pre-Talmudic times is ''ṭumath ochlin v'mashkin'' (consuming food and drink that did not become ''ṭamei''). Sages such as Rabban Gamaliel and
Hiyya the Great Hiyya, or Hiyya the Great, (ca. 180–230 CE) (Hebrew: רבי חייא, or רבי חייא הגדול) was a Jewish sage in the Land of Israel during the transitional generation between the Tannaic and Amoraic eras (1st Amora generation). Activ ...
encouraged eating only pure food at all times. Targum Yonathan considered this to be implicit in . One who kept this stringency was called a ''porush'', meaning "separated" (from ''ṭumah''). This was also one of the criteria for being a '' haver'' (a "friend" or "fellow" with whom the rabbis could eat without risk of violating purity laws), and according to some, the main criterion. Additionally, some rabbis advocated abstaining from the ''
midras ''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 ...
'' of a ''
niddah Niddah (or nidah; he, נִדָּה), in traditional Judaism, describes a woman who has experienced a uterine discharge of blood (most commonly during menstruation), or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated requirem ...
''. Rabbi Menachem Schneerson discouraged abstaining from any object made impure by a menstruating woman in modern times, with the exception for unique individuals.


Hierarchy of impurity

The rabbis describe a hierarchy of levels of impurity. In general, each level can result from touch by the level above it. The levels are: * ''Avi avot hatumah'' (grandfather of impurity) - a human corpse *
Av HaTumah In the realm of ''tumah and taharah'' terminology, the term ''Av HaTumah'' ("father of uncleanness," or simply ''Av'') is a rabbinic term for a person or object that is in a state of ''tumah'' (ritual impurity), second in severity only to corpse u ...
(father of impurity) - Maimonides enumerates 11 objects which have this status: ** ''Tameh met'' - a living person who has touched a corpse ** ''Tumat sheretz'' - the dead body of a swarming animal (''sheretz'') listed in ** ''Tumat nevelah'' - the body of a land animal which died without ritual slaughter; the body of a non-kosher land animal which died in any manner; a kosher bird which died without ritual slaughter receives this status in relation to its consumption but not its touch ** ''Shichvat zera'' - human semen which has left the body ** ''Mei hatat'' - water into which ashes of the red heifer were mixed ** People who were involved in the red heifer procedure and in certain procedures of the
Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day' ...
sacrifices **
Niddah Niddah (or nidah; he, נִדָּה), in traditional Judaism, describes a woman who has experienced a uterine discharge of blood (most commonly during menstruation), or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated requirem ...
- a menstruant woman; a man who has had sex with such a woman; the woman's blood, spit, and urine; objects which she has sat, reclined, or rode upon ** Yoledet - a woman in the period after she gives birth; the same related categories as with ''niddah'' **
Zavah In Jewish ritual law, a ''zavah'' (Hebrew זבה, lit. "one whoe bodyflows") is a woman who has had vaginal blood discharges not during the usually anticipated menstrual cycle, and thus entered a state of ritual impurity. The equivalent impurity ...
- a woman with abnormal genital discharge; the same related categories as with ''niddah'' **
Zav In Jewish ritual law, a ''zav'' (; lit. "one who e bodyflows") is a man who has had abnormal seminal discharge from the male sexual organ, and thus entered a state of ritual impurity. A woman who has had similar abnormal discharge from her geni ...
- a man with abnormal genital discharge; his spit, urine, semen, and discharge; objects which he sat or rode r reclined??upon ** Metzora - a person who has contracted ''tzaraat'', and in the purification period after recovery; a garment or house infected by ''tzaraat'' **Subsidiary types of Av Hatumah include: *** A person who had relations with a
Niddah Niddah (or nidah; he, נִדָּה), in traditional Judaism, describes a woman who has experienced a uterine discharge of blood (most commonly during menstruation), or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated requirem ...
,
Zavah In Jewish ritual law, a ''zavah'' (Hebrew זבה, lit. "one whoe bodyflows") is a woman who has had vaginal blood discharges not during the usually anticipated menstrual cycle, and thus entered a state of ritual impurity. The equivalent impurity ...
, or Yoledet *** A utensil designed for sitting which was sat on by a
Niddah Niddah (or nidah; he, נִדָּה), in traditional Judaism, describes a woman who has experienced a uterine discharge of blood (most commonly during menstruation), or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated requirem ...
, Yoledet,
Zavah In Jewish ritual law, a ''zavah'' (Hebrew זבה, lit. "one whoe bodyflows") is a woman who has had vaginal blood discharges not during the usually anticipated menstrual cycle, and thus entered a state of ritual impurity. The equivalent impurity ...
,
Zav In Jewish ritual law, a ''zav'' (; lit. "one who e bodyflows") is a man who has had abnormal seminal discharge from the male sexual organ, and thus entered a state of ritual impurity. A woman who has had similar abnormal discharge from her geni ...
(and possibly Metzora) *** Liquids expelled from inside the body (e. g., spit, blood, but not sweat) of a
Niddah Niddah (or nidah; he, נִדָּה), in traditional Judaism, describes a woman who has experienced a uterine discharge of blood (most commonly during menstruation), or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated requirem ...
, Yoledet,
Zavah In Jewish ritual law, a ''zavah'' (Hebrew זבה, lit. "one whoe bodyflows") is a woman who has had vaginal blood discharges not during the usually anticipated menstrual cycle, and thus entered a state of ritual impurity. The equivalent impurity ...
,
Zav In Jewish ritual law, a ''zav'' (; lit. "one who e bodyflows") is a man who has had abnormal seminal discharge from the male sexual organ, and thus entered a state of ritual impurity. A woman who has had similar abnormal discharge from her geni ...
(and possibly Metzora) ** In addition, the rabbis declared several rabbinic categories of ''av hatumah''. * ''Rishon letumah'' (first level of impurity) or ''vlad hatumah'' (child of impurity) - a person, vessels, food, or drink which have touched an ''av hatumah'', * ''Sheni letumah'' (second level of impurity): ** Food or drink which has touched a ''rishon letumah'' ** A person's hands are always considered ''sheni letumah'', until he or she has done netilat yadayim. * ''Shlishi letumah'' (third level of impurity) - sanctified goods which have touched ''sheni letumah'' * ''Revii letumah'' (fourth level of impurity) - sanctified goods which have touched ''shlishi letumah'' * ''Hamishi letumah'' (fifth level of impurity) - According to Maimonides this status does not exist, and ''revii letumah'' cannot impurify other objects. However, some sources suggest that this status might exist. In addition, red heifer waters can have a status similar to this.


Impurity of scrolls

The rabbis declared
Torah scrolls A ( he, סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה; "Book of Torah"; plural: ) or Torah scroll is a handwritten copy of the Torah, meaning the five books of Moses (the first books of the Hebrew Bible). The Torah scroll is mainly used in the ritual of ...
to be impure by rabbinic law. This seemingly strange law had a practical purpose: it discouraged Jews from storing their terumah produce alongside Torah scrolls, which attracted mice and caused the Torah scrolls to be nibbled on as well.Shabbat 14a
/ref>


In modern times

Following the destruction of the Second Temple, ritual impurity status ceased to have practical consequences, with the exception of ''
niddah Niddah (or nidah; he, נִדָּה), in traditional Judaism, describes a woman who has experienced a uterine discharge of blood (most commonly during menstruation), or a woman who has menstruated and not yet completed the associated requirem ...
'' and '' zav/zavah''. These rules are still practiced in
Orthodox Judaism Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses o ...
. In
Conservative Judaism Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generati ...
, while the concept of ''niddah'' and a prohibition on sexual relations during the ''niddah'' period (including childbirth) are still agreed upon, recent decisions by the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards have endorsed multiple views about the concept of ''zavah'', as well as the ''tumah'' status of a ''niddah''. The liberal view held that the concepts of ''ṭumah'' and ''ṭaharah'' are not relevant outside the context of a Holy Temple (as distinct from a
synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of wor ...
; hence a ''niddah'' cannot convey ''ṭumah'' today), found the concept of ''zavah'' no longer applicable, and permitted spouses to touch each other in a manner similar to siblings during the ''niddah'' period (while retaining a prohibition on sexual conduct). The traditional view retained the applicability of the concepts of ''tumah'', ''ṭaharah'', and ''zavah'', and retained a prohibition on all contact.


See also

* Ritual washing in Judaism * Taharah (Islam); an Arabic word denoting the same concept in Islam


References


External links


Ritual Purity in the Torah and in the Code of Jewish Law of Maimonides
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tumah And Taharah Jewish ritual purity law Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish law