• | Print |
•  Email

Parshat Shemini
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו 

Uniting with the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land 

"להבדיל בין הטמא והטהור"

"And purify our hearts to serve You in truth". (Shabbos prayer) Torah is called 'truth' not only in many places, but in many cases is considered to be synonymous with the concept 'truth'. In this way we can understand that a very important part of Torah study is the concept of 'purity'.

Since Torah study is not just a mere intellectual endeavor, but rather a spiritual quest for Godly truth, it is imperative that one clears the spiritual 'blockage'/'clogging' called 'tuma' (impurity), described by our Sages as a type of spiritual blockage (see p. Vayeshev of our first year on this). Interestingly, much of the mitzvot concerned with purity are fufilled by intellectually knowing their laws and being able to discern the pure from the impure. This matter once again reflects the relationship of purity to Torah, as Torah too has strong emphasis on the intellect. Indeed, the order of Mishna that deals with purity, Taharot, is called by our Sages 'Daat' - 'Knowledge' or 'Intellect'.

Taking another look at the grand scope of laws of purity, we also find that their practice is almost exclusive to the Land of Israel. Even leaving the concept of Rabbinical impurity in the Diaspora aside, it is clear even on a Biblical level that the main issues of purity that pertain to truma, kodashim (holy articles), and their like are unique to the Land of Israel and the Bais HaMikdash. This can be explained once again as being due to the Holy Presence in the Land and in the Bais HaMikdash, a matter that requires spiritual 'plumbing'/purification to open the channels for the manifestation of this Godly light in the consciousness of People and upon this holy earth. Nevertheless, it should be noted that impurity does not always totally invalidate one of the holy articles we just mentioned. In the case of truma, for example, one is forbidden to impurify pure truma, but if truma is impurified it is still given to the Kohen, albeit only for the use of fuel (for a fire, etc) but not as food.

The concepts of purity, Torah, and 'daat'-knowledge, and the Land of Israel come beautifully together in Hebron. Of the cities of the Land of Israel Hebron is singled out by 'Shaar Hahatzer' as a city that one can achieve special purity. In the Zohar 'Hebron' is considered synonymous with Torah, for one who occupies oneself with Torah is called a 'haber' by our Sages. Hebron also means connection, while 'daat'-knowledge means connection, as it says "and Adam 'yada'-'knew'/'connected' to his wife". Of course, this is Hebron, Beacon of our Holy Land. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Real Stories from the Holy Land #114:

"For many years I have been delivering shiurim on Daf Yomi to the public, while sometimes there are more those that attend and sometimes there are less. One summer day, I came to deliver the shiur, but nobody came, so I decided to deliver the shiur as usual announcing the daf we were on (which was 10 days behind the worldwide Daf Yomi...), as if to the 'walls of the Bais Midrash'. Suddenly, from the other side the shul quickly came an elderly man and sat before me, listening to the shiur attentively. After the shiur he told me that he was so grateful that I delivered a shiur on this specific daf, for he had married off his daughter just 10 days ago and had missed this very daf on that day..." T.S.H

Sources: Rambam Trumot 2, 14

Comments, questions, and/or stories, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.