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Meaning Of Ritual Impurity In Judaism: TUMAT HAMET

Mar 2, 2021

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וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying:

va-y'-da-BAYR a-do-NAI el mo-SHEH lay-MOR

Leviticus 12:1

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying:

va-y'-da-BAYR a-do-NAI el mo-SHEH lay-MOR

Leviticus 14:1

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃

Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon, saying:

va-y'-da-BAYR a-do-NAI el mo-SHEH v'-el a-ha-RON lay-MOR

Leviticus 15:1

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying:

va-y'-da-BAYR a-do-NAI el mo-SHEH lay-MOR

Leviticus 18:1

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

And Hashem spoke to Moshe:

va-y'-da-BAYR a-do-NAI el mo-SHEH lay-MOR

Leviticus 20:1

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying:

va-y'-da-BAYR a-do-NAI el mo-SHEH lay-MOR

Leviticus 22:1

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying:

va-y'-da-BAYR a-do-NAI el mo-SHEH lay-MOR

Numbers 5:1

וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃

Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon, saying:

va-y'-da-BAYR a-do-NAI el mo-SHEH v'-el a-ha-RON lay-MOR

Numbers 19:1

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying,

va-y'-da-BAYR a-do-NAI el mo-SHEH lay-MOR

Numbers 31:1

יְחִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ מָלַ֗ךְ בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִ֤ים וְחָמֵשׁ֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֤ים וָתֵ֙שַׁע֙ שָׁנָ֔ה מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וְשֵׁ֣ם אִמּ֔וֹ אֲבִיָּ֖ה בַּת־זְכַרְיָֽהוּ׃

Chizkiyahu became king at the age of twenty-five, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Yerushalayim; his mother's name was Aviya daughter of Zecharya.

y'-khiz-ki-YA-hu ma-LAKH ben-e-s'-REEM v'-kha-MESH sha-NAH v'-e-s'-REEM va-TE-sha sha-NAH ma-LAKH bi-ru-sha-LA-im v'-SHEM i-MO a-vi-YA bat-z'-kha-ri-YA-hu

2 Chronicles 29:1

בֵּאדַ֛יִן דָּרְיָ֥וֶשׁ מַלְכָּ֖א שָׂ֣ם טְעֵ֑ם וּבַקַּ֣רוּ ׀ בְּבֵ֣ית סִפְרַיָּ֗א דִּ֧י גִנְזַיָּ֛א מְהַחֲתִ֥ין תַּמָּ֖ה בְּבָבֶֽל׃

Thereupon, at the order of King Darius, they searched the archives where the treasures were stored in Babylon.

be-E-da-YIN dor-YA-vesh mal-KA sam t'-EM u-va-KA-ru b'-veit sif-RA-yA di gin-za-YA m'-ha-cha-TEEN ta-MAH b'-va-VEL

Ezra 6:1

וּכְכַלּ֣וֹת אֵ֗לֶּה נִגְּשׁ֨וּ אֵלַ֤י הַשָּׂרִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לֹֽא־נִבְדְּל֞וּ הָעָ֤ם יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֣ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֔ם מֵעַמֵּ֖י הָאֲרָצ֑וֹת כְּ֠תֹעֲבֹֽתֵיהֶ֠ם לַכְּנַעֲנִ֨י הַחִתִּ֜י הַפְּרִזִּ֣י הַיְבוּסִ֗י הָֽעַמֹּנִי֙ הַמֹּ֣אָבִ֔י הַמִּצְרִ֖י וְהָאֱמֹרִֽי׃

When this was over, the officers approached me, saying, “The people of Yisrael and the Kohanim and Leviim have not separated themselves from the peoples of the land whose abhorrent practices are like those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

u-k'-kha-LOT e-LEH ni-g'-SHU e-LAI ha-sa-REEM lay-MOR: lo ni-v'-DU ha-AM yis-ra-AYL v'-ha-ko-ha-NEEM v'-hal-vi-YEEM may-a-MAY ha-a-ra-TZOT k'-to-a-vo-TAY-hem la-k'-na-a-NEE ha-KHEE-tee ha-p'-REE-zee ha-y'-voo-SEE ha-a-MO-nee ha-mitz-REE v'-ha-e-mo-REE

Ezra 9:1

בְּ֭רִית כָּרַ֣תִּי לְעֵינָ֑י וּמָ֥ה אֶ֝תְבּוֹנֵ֗ן עַל־בְּתוּלָֽה׃

I have covenanted with my eyes Not to gaze on a maiden.

b'-REET ka-RA-tee l'-ay-NAI, u-MA et-bo-NAYN al b'-tu-LAH

Job 31:1

נִדְרַ֙שְׁתִּי֙ לְל֣וֹא שָׁאָ֔לוּ נִמְצֵ֖אתִי לְלֹ֣א בִקְשֻׁ֑נִי אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ הִנֵּ֣נִי הִנֵּ֔נִי אֶל־גּ֖וֹי לֹֽא־קֹרָ֥א בִשְׁמִֽי׃

I responded to those who did not ask, I was at hand to those who did not seek Me; I said, “Here I am, here I am,” To a nation that did not invoke My name.

nid-RA-shti le-LO sha-A-lu nim-TZE-ti le-LO bikh-SHU-ni a-MAR-ti hi-NE-ni hi-NE-ni el go-YI lo-ko-RA b'-sh'-MI

Isaiah 65:1

אֵיכָ֣ה ׀ יָשְׁבָ֣ה בָדָ֗ד הָעִיר֙ רַבָּ֣תִי עָ֔ם הָיְתָ֖ה כְּאַלְמָנָ֑ה רַבָּ֣תִי בַגּוֹיִ֗ם שָׂרָ֙תִי֙ בַּמְּדִינ֔וֹת הָיְתָ֖ה לָמַֽס׃

Alas! Lonely sits the city Once great with people! She that was great among nations Is become like a widow; The princess among states Is become a thrall.

AY-kha yosh-VAH va-DAHD ha-EER ra-BA-tee AM ha-Y'-TAH k'-al-MA-na ra-BA-tee va-go-YEEM sa-RA-tee ba-m'-dee-NOT ha-Y'-TAH la-MAS

Lamentations 1:1

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

The word of Hashem came to me:

vai-HI d'-var a-do-NAI e-LAI lay-MOR

Ezekiel 7:1

וַיְהִ֥י דְבַר־יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃

The word of Hashem came to me:

vai-HI d'-VAR a-do-NAI e-LAI lay-MOR

Ezekiel 18:1

by Yoni Schwartzman

The powerful meaning behind Tumat Hamet, or a human corpse’s impurity, in Judaism. One such example of how this manifests is in relation to a custom amongst many gentiles to hold open-casket funerals: Jewish people keep the body of their loved ones shrouded throughout the funerary proceedings in order to prevent participants from experiencing Tumat Hamet. Kohanim, the priestly descendants of Aharon, are forbidden to enter into a cemetery for this reason.

What is the meaning behind this Jewish value? Jewish religious practice is devoted to preserving, enriching, and living a G-d inspired life. It is about bringing good into this world by doing good for others; about bettering ourselves so that we can better the whole. Life is essential to this concept. Our lives are given to us in order to bring about a unique manifestation of G-d’s goodness in this world. Death is the polar opposite of this, representing an end to our body’s mission. In order to celebrate life and all that it means to us, it is engrained in our culture to value life and devalue death. This is clearly seen in the time of the Temple, when one had to purify oneself in a mikveh, or ritual bath. This was done in order to cleanse oneself of death’s spiritual impurity before going up to Mount Moriah to serve Hashem: an action that celebrates and thanks G-d for the blessings and life we have.

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An ancient, stone-carved ritual bath/Mikveh in Jerusalem that once served pilgrims coming to the Second Temple (Shutterstock)

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