In this selection from Part Two, Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi suggests a possible explanation for the Torah's concept of Tum'ah (ritual impurity). The author proposes that this impurity is connected to the loss of life (or the loss of potential life).
Tzara’at is similarly related to the loss of life - in particular, loss of the Shekhinah’s light and influence.
59. The Kuzari: Do you
have a satisfactory explanation for this subject [of ritual impurity]?
60. The Rabbi: I have
already told you that our intellect is unable to grasp the Divine Order. It is best
not to attempt to give reasons for profound matters such as these.
However, I take the liberty of suggesting – without claiming
that this is the true reason – that impurity from leprosy and bodily discharges
may be related to the ritual contamination by corpses (טומאת מת).
Death is the greatest loss, and a leprous limb is as if dead.
The same is true for lost sperm, as it was endowed with potential
living spirit, capable of producing human life. Its loss is the opposite of the
essence of life and spirit. Due to its fine nature, this loss is only felt by highly
sensitive spirits and noble souls who cleave to the Divine, to prophecy, or to
true visions and revelations.
Some individuals experience melancholy when they have not
purified themselves from a state of impurity. It has been demonstrated that
their touch can ruin sensitive objects, such as flowers and wine. Most of us are
affected by proximity to dead bodies and graves. Our minds are temporarily disoriented
when we find ourselves in a house where a corpse is lying. Those of a coarser
character, however, remain unaffected.
We see the same phenomenon with intellectual pursuits. Those
who seek purity of thought in philosophic studies or purity of soul in prayer
and communion with God will notice the detrimental effect of heavy foods and
excessive eating and drinking. They will also find that preoccupation with
women, associating with scoffers, and engaging in songs of love and jests will impair
their pursuits.
61. The Kuzari: This
explains to me why this particular excess of bodily fluid – seminal discharges
– contaminates, even though it is wholly spirit, whereas urine and feces do
not, despite their repulsive odor, appearance, and quantity.
But I still lack an explanation for leprosy (tzara’ath) appearing
in clothing and houses.
62. The Rabbi: As I already
mentioned, this phenomenon was the result of the special qualities of the
Shekhinah. The Shekhinah dwelled in the Jewish people like the spirit of life dwelling
in the human body. It granted them a Divine life-force, bestowing nobility,
beauty, and splendor to their souls, bodies, appearance, and dwellings. When
the Shekhinah departed from them, their wisdom diminished, their bodies
deteriorated, and their beauty faded.
The effect of the departure of the Shekhinah’s light was
noticeable in each individual, just as one may see the sudden withdrawal of a
person’s spirit due to fright or anxiety, which makes an impact on the body. One
may find black or green marks on women and on youths who venture out at night,
the result of their delicate constitution; they attribute this to demons.
Sometimes, experiencing such a frightening event, or witnessing someone dead or
killed, will bring about physical or mental illness that is difficult to heal.
