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Corpses and Purity

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Corpses and Purity Red Heifer Ritual Leviticus 10:10 ֽוּ ֲל ַה ְב ִ֔דּיל ֵ֥בּין ַה ֖קּ ֹ ֶדשׁ וּ ֵ֣בין ַה ֑ח ֹל וּ ֵ֥בין ַה ָטּ ֵ֖מא וּ ֵ֥בין ַה ָטּ ֽהוֹר׃ for you must distinguish between the sacred and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean; Numbers 19:11­16 ַהנּ ֵֹ֥ג ַע ְבּ ֵ֖מת ְל ָכל־ ֶ֣נ ֶפשׁ אָ ָ֑דם ְו ָט ֵ֖מא ִ שׁ ְב ַ֥עת יָ ִמֽים׃ ֣הוּא יִ ְת ַח ָטּא־ ֞בוֹ ַבּ ֧יּוֹם ַה ְשּׁ ִל ִ֛ישׁי וּ ַב ֥יּוֹם ַה ְשּׁ ִבי ִ֖עי יִ ְט ָ֑הר ְו ִאם־ ֨א יִ ְת ַח ֜ ָטּא ַבּ ֧יּוֹם ַה ְשּׁ ִל ִ֛ישׁי וּ ַב ֥יּוֹם ַה ְשּׁ ִבי ִ֖עי ֥א יִ ְט ָהֽר׃ ָכּֽל־ ַהנּ ֹ֡גֵ ַע ְבּ ֵ֣מת ְבּנֶ ֶפ ֩שׁ ָהאָ ָ֨דם ֲא ֶשׁר־יָ ֜מוּת ְו ֣א יִ ְת ַח ֗ ָטּא ֶאת־ ִמ ְשׁ ַ֤כּן יְה ָו ֙ה ִט ֔ ֵמּא ְונִ ְכ ְר ָ֛תה ַה ֶנּ֥ ֶפשׁ ַה ִ֖הוא ִמיִּ ְשׂ ָר ֵ֑אל ִכּ ֩י ֨ ֵמי נִ ָ֜דּה א־זַֹ֤רק ָע ָלי ֙ו ָט ֵ֣מא יִ ְה ֔יֶה ֖עוֹד ֻט ְמאָ ֥תוֹ ֽבוֹ׃ ֚ז ֹאת ַהתּוֹ ָ֔רה אָ ָ֖דם ִכּֽי־יָ ֣מוּת ְבּ ֑א ֹ ֶהל ָכּל־ ַה ָ֤בּא ֶאל־ ָה ֙א ֹ ֶהל֙ ְו ָכל־ ֲא ֶ֣שׁר ָבּ ֔א ֹ ֶהל יִ ְט ָ֖מא ִ שׁ ְב ַ֥עת יָ ִמֽים׃ ְוכ ֹל֙ ְכּ ִ֣לי ָפ ֔תוּ ַח ֲא ֶ֛שׁר ֵאין־ ָצ ִ֥מיד ָפּ ִ֖תיל ָע ָ֑ליו ָט ֵ֖מא ֽהוּא׃ ְו ֨כ ֹל ֲא ֶשׁר־יִ ֜ ַגּע ַעל־ ְפּ ֵ֣ני ַה ָשּׂ ֶ֗דה ַבּֽ ֲח ַלל־ ֶ֙ח ֶר ֙ב ֣אוֹ ְב ֔ ֵמת ֽאוֹ־ ְב ֶ֥ע ֶצם אָ ָ֖דם ֣אוֹ ְב ָ֑ק ֶבר יִ ְט ָ֖מא ִ שׁ ְב ַ֥עת יָ ִמֽים׃ He who touches the corpse of any human being shall be unclean for seven days. He shall cleanse himself with it on the third day and on the seventh day, and then be clean; if he fails to cleanse himself on the third and seventh days, he shall not be clean. Whoever touches a corpse, the body of a person who has died, and does not cleanse himself, defiles the LORD’s Tabernacle; that person shall be cut off from Israel. Since the water of lustration was not dashed on him, he remains unclean; his uncleanness is still upon him.This is the ritual: When a person dies in a tent, whoever enters the tent and whoever is in the tent shall be unclean seven days; and every open vessel, with no lid fastened down, shall be unclean. And in the open, anyone who touches a person who was killed or who died naturally, or human bone, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. Mishnah Kelim 1.1 ֲאבוֹת ַה ֻטּ ְמאוֹת, ַה ֶשּׁ ֶרץ, ְו ִשׁ ְכ ַבת זֶ ַרע, וּ ְט ֵמא ֵמת, ְו ַה ְמּצ ָֹרע ִבּי ֵמי ָס ְפרוֹ, וּ ֵמי ַח ָטּאת ֶ שׁ ֵאין ָבּ ֶהם ְכּ ֵדי ַהזָּיָה, ֲה ֵרי ֵאלּוּ ְמ ַט ְמּ ִאין אָ ָדם ְו ֵכ ִלים ְבּ ַמ ָגּע, וּ ְכ ֵלי ֶח ֶרשׂ ַבּ ֲא ִויר, ְו ֵאינָם ְמ ַט ְמּ ִאין ְבּ ַמ ָשּׂא: The fathers of impurity are a: sheretz, semen, [an Israelite] who has contracted corpse impurity, a metzora during the days of his counting, and the waters of purification whose quantity is less than the minimum needed for sprinkling. Behold, these convey impurity to people and vessels by contact and to earthenware by presence within their airspace, But they do not convey impurity by being carried. Numbers 19: 1­10 ַויְ ַד ֵ֣בּר יְה ָ֔וה ֶאל־מ ֹ ֶ֥שׁה ְו ֶאֽל־אַ ֲה֖ר ֹן ֵלא ֽמ ֹר׃ ֚ז ֹאת ֻח ַ֣קּת ַהתּוֹ ָ֔רה ֲא ֶשׁר־ ִצ ָ֥וּה יְהָ֖וה ֵלא ֑מ ֹר ַדּ ֵ֣בּר ׀ ֶאל־ ְבּ ֵ֣ני יִ ְשׂ ָר ֵ֗אל ְויִ ְק ֣חוּ ֵא ֶלי ֩ ָפ ָ֨רה ֲא ֻד ֜ ָמּה ְתּ ִמי ֗ ָמה ֲא ֶ֤שׁר ֵאֽין־ ָבּ ֙הּ ֔מוּם ֲא ֶ֛שׁר א־ ָע ָ֥לה ָע ֶ֖לי ָה ֽע ֹל׃ וּנְ ַת ֶ֣תּם א ֹ֔ ָתהּ ֶאל־ ֶא ְל ָע ָ֖זר ַהכּ ֵֹ֑הן ְוהוֹ ִ֤ציא א ֹ ָת ֙הּ ֶאל־ ִמ ֣חוּץ ַלֽ ַמּ ֲח ֔נֶה ְו ָשׁ ַ֥חט א ֹ ָ֖תהּ ְל ָפ ָנֽיו׃ ְו ָל ֞ ַקח ֶא ְל ָע ָז֧ר ַהכּ ֵֹ֛הן ִמ ָדּ ָ֖מהּ ְבּ ֶא ְצ ָבּ ֑עוֹ ְו ִה֞זָּה ֶאל־ ֨נ ֹ ַכח ְפּ ֵ֧ני ֽא ֹ ֶהל־מוֹ ֵ֛עד ִמ ָדּ ָ֖מהּ ֶ֥ שׁ ַבע ְפּ ָע ִמֽים׃ ְו ָשַׂ֥רף ֶאת־ ַה ָפָּ֖רה ְל ֵעי ָ֑ניו ֶאת־עָֹ֤רהּ ְו ֶאת־ ְבּ ָשׂ ָר ֙הּ ְו ֶאת־ ָדּ ֔ ָמהּ ַעל־ ִפּ ְר ָ֖שׁהּ יִ ְשׂ ֽר ֹף׃ ְו ָל ַ֣קח ַהכּ ֹ֗ ֵהן ֵ֥עץ ֶ֛א ֶרז ְו ֵא ֖זוֹב ְוּשׁ ִ֣ני תוֹ ָ֑ל ַעת ְו ִה ְשׁ ֕ ִלי ֶאל־ ֖תּוֹ ְ שׂ ֵר ַ֥פת ַה ָפָּ ֽרה׃ ְו ִכ ֨ ֶבּס ְבּגָ ָ֜דיו ַהכּ ֹ֗ ֵהן ְו ָר ַ֤חץ ְבּ ָשׂר ֙וֹ ַבּ ֔ ַמּיִם ְואַ ַ֖חר יָ ֣בוֹא ֶאל־ ַהֽ ַמּ ֲח ֶ֑נה ְו ָט ֵ֥מא ַהכּ ֵֹ֖הן ַעד־ ָה ָעֽ ֶרב׃ ְו ַהשֵֹּׂ֣רף א ֹ֔ ָתהּ יְ ַכ ֵ֤בּס ְבּגָ ָדי ֙ו ַבּ ֔ ַמּיִם ְו ָר ַ֥חץ ְבּ ָשׂ֖רוֹ ַבּ ָ֑מּיִם ְו ָט ֵ֖מא ַעד־ ָה ָעֽ ֶרב׃ ְואָ ַ֣סף ׀ ִ֣אישׁ ָט ֗הוֹר ֚ ֵאת ֵ֣א ֶפר ַה ָפּ ָ֔רה ְו ִה ִנּ֛י ַח ִמ ֥חוּץ ַלֽ ַמּ ֲח ֶ֖נה ְבּ ָמ ֣קוֹם ָט ֑הוֹר ֠ ְו ָהיְ ָתה ַל ֲע ַ֨דת ְבּ ֵנֽי־יִ ְשׂ ָר ֵ֧אל ְל ִמ ְשׁ ֶ֛מ ֶרת ְל ֵ֥מי נִ ָ֖דּה ַח ָ֥טּאת ִהֽוא׃ ֠ ְו ִכ ֶבּס ָהא ֹ֨ ֵסף ֶאת־ ֵ֤א ֶפר ַה ָפּ ָר ֙ה ֶאת־ ְבּגָ ָ֔דיו ְו ָט ֵ֖מא ַעד־ ָה ָ֑ע ֶרב ְוֽ ָהיְ ֞ ָתה ִל ְב ֵ֣ני יִ ְשׂ ָר ֵ֗אל ְו ַל ֵ֛גּר ַה ָ֥גּר ְבּתוֹ ָ֖כם ְל ֻח ַ֥קּת עוֹ ָלֽם׃ The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: This is the ritual law that the LORD has commanded: Instruct the Israelite people to bring you a red cow without blemish, in which there is no defect and on which no yoke has been laid. You shall give it to Eleazar the priest. It shall be taken outside the camp and slaughtered in his presence. Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle it seven times toward the front of the Tent of Meeting. The cow shall be burned in his sight—its hide, flesh, and blood shall be burned, its dung included—and the priest shall take cedar wood, hyssop, and crimson stuff, and throw them into the fire consuming the cow. The priest shall wash his garments and bathe his body in water; after that the priest may reenter the camp, but he shall be unclean until evening. He who performed the burning shall also wash his garments in water, bathe his body in water, and be unclean until evening. A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the cow and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place, to be kept for water of lustration for the Israelite community. It is for cleansing. He who gathers up the ashes of the cow shall also wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. This shall be a permanent law for the Israelites and for the strangers who reside among you. Numbers 19:17­19 ְו ָלֽ ְקח ֙וּ ַל ָטּ ֔ ֵמא ֵמ ֲע ַ֖פר ְ שׂ ֵר ַ֣פת ַהֽ ַח ָ֑טּאת ְונָ ַ֥תן ָע ָ֛ליו ַ֥מיִם ַח ִיּ֖ים ֶאל־ ֶכּֽ ִלי׃ ְו ָל ֨ ַקח ֵא֜זוֹב ְו ָט ַ֣בל ַבּ ַמּיִ ֮ם ִ֣אישׁ ָטהוֹ ֒ר ְו ִה ָזּ֤ה ַעל־ ָה ֙א ֹ ֶהל֙ ְו ַעל־ ָכּל־ ַה ֵכּ ֔ ִלים ְו ַעל־ ַהנְּ ָפ ֖שׁוֹת ֲא ֶ֣שׁר ָהֽיוּ ָ֑־שׁם ְו ַעל־ ַהנּ ֹ֗גֵ ַע ַבּ ֶ֙ע ֶצ ֙ם ֣אוֹ ֶבֽ ָח ֔ ָלל ֥אוֹ ַב ֵ֖מּת ֥אוֹ ַב ָקּֽ ֶבר׃ ְו ִה ָזּ֤ה ַה ָטּה ֹ ֙ר ַעל־ ַה ָטּ ֔ ֵמא ַבּ ֥יּוֹם ַה ְשּׁ ִל ִ֖ישׁי וּ ַב ֣יּוֹם ַה ְשּׁ ִבי ִ֑עי ְו ִח ְטּא ֙וֹ ַבּ ֣יּוֹם ַה ְשּׁ ִבי ֔ ִעי ְו ִכ ֶ֧בּס ְבּגָ ָ֛דיו ְו ָר ַ֥חץ ַבּ ַ֖מּיִם ְו ָט ֵ֥הר ָבּ ָעֽ ֶרב Some of the ashes from the fire of cleansing shall be taken for the unclean person, and fresh water shall be added to them in a vessel. A person who is clean shall take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle on the tent and on all the vessels and people who were there, or on him who touched the bones or the person who was killed or died naturally or the grave. The clean person shall sprinkle it upon the unclean person on the third day and on the seventh day, thus cleansing him by the seventh day. He shall then wash his clothes and bathe in water, and at nightfall he shall be clean. .
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