Tumah and taharah

This article is presented as a compilation of the laws of tumah and taharah as recorded in the Torah and Rabbinic literature. For taharah in terms of Kosher animal consumption, see Kosher. For the taharah ritual for the deceased, see Bereavement in Judaism

The Hebrew terms tumah and taharah refer to ritual "uncleanliness and cleanliness" under Jewish law.^[1][2]

The Hebrew noun tum'ah (טָמְאָה) "uncleanliness" describes a state of ritual impurity. A person or object which contracts tumah is said to be tamei (Hebrew adjective, "ritually impure"), thereby unsuited for certain kedusha (Holy activities) or use until undergoing predefined purification actions that usually include the elapse of a specified time-period.

The contrasting Hebrew noun taharah (טָהֳרָה) describes a state of ritual purity that qualifies the tahor (טָהוֹר) "ritually clean" person or object to be used for kedusha "holy purposes." A most common method of achieving taharah (purity) is by the person or object being immersed in a mikveh (ritual bath). This concept is connected with ritual washing in Judaism, and both "ritually unclean" and "ritually clean" states have parallels in ritual purification in other world religions.

The laws of tumah and taharah were generally followed by the Jewish people particularly during the First and Second Temple Period, and to a limited extent are a part of applicable halakha in modern times.

Etymology

The Hebrew noun tum'ah (טָמְאָה) derives from the verb tam'a (טָמֵא), in the qal form of the verb "to become unclean" ; in the niphal to "defile oneself"; and in the transitive Piel to defile something or pronounce something unclean.^[3] The verb stem has a corresponding adjective, tame (טָמֵא), "unclean."

Likewise the Hebrew noun tahara (טָהֳרָה) is also derived from a verb, in this case taher (טָהֵר) "to be ritually clean." and in the transitive piel "to cleanse," "to purify." The verb and noun have a corresponding adjective, tahor (טָהוֹר), "ritually clean." The word is a cognate to the Arabic word 'طهارة' (pronounced almost identically, with the elongation of the second 'a') which has the same meaning in Islam.

Some sources claim that the meaning is "entombed," meaning the person or item that is in the tamei state is blocked and not in a state of receiving holy transmission. Tahor, 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 tumah and taharah 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, zav and niddah, see below) it is generally immeasurable and unquantifiable by known mechanic detection methods, there is no measure of filth, unsanitary, or odorous affiliation with the state of tumah, nor any mechanically measurable level of cleanliness, clarity, or physical purity for the state of taharah.

Usage

Tumah

The noun form of tumah is used around 40 times in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible is generally translated as "uncleanness" in English language Bibles such as the KJV, and JPS Tanakh.^[4] The majority of uses are in Leviticus. Though uses for national uncleanness occur in Ezra and Ezekiel, and Zechariah prophesies the removal of the "prophets and spirit of uncleanness (רוּחַ הַטֻּמְאָה) from the land".^[5] The adjective tame (טָמֵא) "unclean," is much more common.

Taharah

The verb form of taharah (טָהֳרָה), the verb taher (טָהֵר) "be clean," is used first in the Hebrew Bible is in Genesis 35:2, where Jacob tells his family to "put away strange gods, and be clean."

Types of tumah

A person or object can become tame (טָמֵא) "ritually impure," in a number of ways:

1. By contact with a "dead body"—tumat met—which, in addition to the body itself, includes significant parts of a body, soil in which the body decomposed, and others.
2. By being present in a building or roofed structure containing a dead body (tumat ohel).
3. By coming in contact with certain dead animals, including most insects and all lizards (enumerated in Leviticus, Chapter 11, verses 29–32).
4. By contact with certain bodily fluids—niddah, zav/zavah - This view is held by Orthodox Judaism and remains a traditional view within Conservative Judaism. Although Conservative Judaism retains the concept of niddah and a prohibition on sexual relations during the niddah period (including childbirth), 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 tumah and taharah are not relevant outside the context of a Holy Temple (as distinct from a synagogue; hence a niddah cannot convey tumah 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, taharah, and zavah, and retained a prohibition on all contact. See Niddah. (See Leviticus Chapter 15)
5. By giving birth to a child (the time of tumah is 7 days for a boy, followed by 33 days of taharah and 14 days for a girl followed by 66 days of taharah).
6. By contact with a primary source of tumah or an object that has been in contact with a primary source of tumah.
7. By contracting tzaraath—see Leviticus chapters 13–14.

Hebrew Bible

The concept of taharah (in terms of ritual purity (for taharah in terms of Kosher animal consumption, see Kosher) is first quoted by the Torah as per God's directive to Moses to instruct the children of Israel not to conduct marital relations for a period of three days prior to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai;

"And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives."

—(Exodus 19:15) KJV

Post the giving of the Torah, during the second year of the Israelite exodus from Egypt, more specified mitzvoth involving tumah and taharah where given to the Israelites;

Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead:

—Numbers 5:2, KJV

The brunt of tumah and taharah law as recorded in the Torah is centralized in the book of Leviticus, a book which deals primarily with the Temple service carried out by the Kohen. Maimonides clarifies that it is the priests, in addition to all of Israel, who are expected to be knowledgeable and fluent in the general and specifics of tumah and taharah law. Per his role of Temple service and year round consumtion of terumah, is required to be in a tahor (pure) state (Maimonides, end of introduction to Mishnayoth Seder Taharoth) Hezekiah ben Manoah rationalizes the Latin name Leviticus given to this book as a demonstration of its contents pertaining primarily to the Kohen who is part of the Tribe of Levi.^[6]

Mishna

The Mishnah dedicates one of its six sub-divisions to the Torah laws of tumah, uncleanliness, and taharah, cleanliness. This division is called Tohorot (plural "ritual cleanlinesses") and consists of twelve tractates.

Mandatory or optional

Common Torah knowledge stipulates that there is no letter-of-law requirement for the Israelite to abstain from becoming tamei (impure) save for the three annual holiday periods, where visiting the Temple in a tahor (pure) state is a mitzvah, and thus mandatory.

However, based on the verse "And ye shall be holy men unto me" (Exodus 22:31), chazalic writers during the Second Temple period, such as Gamaliel,^[7] the Jerusalem Talmud to Shabbat 8b; Hiyya the Great to Abba Arika, have encouraged the act of keeping the nuances of tumah and taharah all year round (Targum Yonathan to Exodus 22:30 et al.) An Israelite who volunteered to keep the laws and details of tumah and taharah all year round was called a porush; meaning "separated", i.e. separates himself from tumah.

In the Diaspora

Some Torah commentators and poskim advocate the keeping of prespecified nuances of tumah and taharah even in the absence of the temple in Jerusalem and even in the diaspora.^[8] The advocated sub-divisions of tumah and taharah include tumath ochlin v'mashkin (consuming food and drink that did not become tamei)^[9] and abstaining from the midras of a niddah.^[10]

Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, in his Igrot Kodesh, discouraged abstaining from any object made unclean by a menstruating woman in modern times, with the exception for unique individuals ^[11]

Purification

In the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, special sacrifices and ceremonies were performed for purification from various types of uncleanliness, including the Red Heifer ceremony for contact with the dead, and special ceremonies for tzaraath and childbirth. Today, in the absence of the Temple, the only ritual purification method available involves washing or immersion in a mikveh. Orthodox Jews and to a lesser extent, Conservative Jews still perform such purification rituals as are possible. Typically, a person or an object ceases to be unclean by waiting a certain length and then immersion in a mikveh.

Causes of uncleanliness

It is possible for a person to become unclean through the mitzvah (holy deed) of tending to a dead person, the deceased being a source of uncleanliness.

See also

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

References