purification
Understanding the Healing Process for a “Leper”
The healing process for tzaraat (a spiritual malady frequently mistranslated as leprosy) requires a series of sacrifices in the Temple. Two live birds are brought to the priest. Springwater is placed in an earthenware vessel, over which...
The Ritual Bath: A Spiritual Rebirth
In modern times, we rarely think of the state of our spiritual purity. We can go into a synagogue, travel where we want, handle fruits and vegetables and sit on any chair without thinking about the spiritual ramifications. But in ancient...
Why Giving Birth Renders A Mother Impure
Leviticus (chapter 12) discusses the laws relating to a woman who has given birth. It mandates a seven-day period of impurity for a woman after giving birth to a male, during which she is forbidden to her husband and is not able to come...
Mikveh: Hoping for Purity
After outlining which animals are permitted to be eaten, the Torah teaches that coming into contact with the carcasses of non-kosher animals is forbidden and renders a person impure (Leviticus 11). The Torah describes the process to...
