Myśl Żydowska do Kapłańska 15:31

Our opening Midrash can therefore be understood thus. The portions that are dealing with these unpleasant blemishes are dear to G'd because of the fact that by heeding symptoms of imperfections in their respective characters, those afflicted can rehabilitate themselves. Others, noting what has happened are forewarned to reach their respective goals in life without becoming victims of the yetzer hara. The negative aspect of these portions is, of course, that inasmuch as these physical blemishes reflect defects of character and soul, man is revealed as morally inferior to the animals. But, since, as in the case of the verse quoted from Maleachi, the offerings brought by those afflicted with skin troubles when cured testifed to their moral rehabilitation, the whole subject matter is beloved by G'd. Leviticus 14,34, is not to be understood "as a result of when you come to the land of Canaan," but rather ,-as the Midrash Rabbah Leviticus 15, relates- the Jews who saw the houses with the stains were afraid of the nature of such a country. They were reassured by G'd that these phenomena were outgrowths of the former inhabitants' character defects who had been possessed of excessive greed for material possessions. In the case of the Jews, these stains would pinpoint hidden treasures for the benefit of the new owners. The meaning is similar to the verse in Exodus 15,26 "when you listen to My commandments, all the afflictions which I have visited upon Egypt, I will not afflict you with, I am the Lord your Healer." The proof that this is so, is in the separate treatment of Zav and Zavah. This draws our attention to the fact that each reflects different aberrations, and therefore requires individual methods of character rehabilitation. A male's state of seminal discharge is more serious than that of the female, since in the case of the female, a flux, though occurring at the wrong time of her menstrual cycle is a relatively minor departure from the norm. A male's flux reveals a more serious imbalance, and therefore requires more in the way of rehabilitation, such as immersion in mayim chayim, water from a well, not water stored in a pool. There is also a broader range of impurities which are communicated by a male afflicted with zav. All who contact him or what is his, become affected. The touch of an earthen vessel by a male zav communicates impurity to the entire earthen vessel, not merely to its external walls. Verse thirty one, at the conclusion of the whole legislation, clearly spells out that the objective is to stave off impurity which would endanger and jeopardise our national existence of holy soil.

As uncleanness caused by a dead body could only be removed after seven days, by means of the ashes of the red heifer, and the priests had constantly occasion to enter the Sanctuary, the Law exceptionally forbids them to defile themselves by a dead body (Lev. 21:1), except in cases where defilement is necessary, and the contrary would be unnatural. For it would be unnatural to abstain from approaching the dead body of a parent, child, or brother. As it was very necessary that the high-priest should always be in the Sanctuary, in accordance with the Divine command, “And it shall always be on his forehead” (Exod. 28:38), he was not permitted to defile himself by any dead body whatever, even of the above-named relatives (Lev. 21:10-12). Women were not engaged in sacrificial service; the above law consequently does not apply to women; it is addressed to “the sons of Aaron,” and not to “the daughters of Aaron.” It was, however, impossible to assume that none of the Israelites made a mistake, by entering the Sanctuary, or eating hallowed things in a state of uncleanliness. It was even possible that there were persons who did this knowingly, since there are wicked people who commit knowingly even the greatest crimes; for this reason certain sacrifices were commanded as an atonement for the defilement of the Sanctuary and its hallowed things. They were of different kinds; some of them atoned for defilement caused ignorantly, others for defilement caused knowingly. For this purpose were brought the goats on the Festivals and the New-moon days (Num. 28:15, 27, etc.), and the goat sent away on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:16), as is explained in its place (Mishnah Shebnot, 1:4). These sacrifices serve to prevent those who defiled the Sanctuary of the Lord knowingly from thinking that they had not done a great wrong; they should know that they obtained atonement by the sacrifice of the goat, as the Law says, “That they die not in their uncleanness” (Lev. 15:31); “That Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things” (Exod. 28:38). This idea is frequently repeated.