What does the word 'cleanliness' mean to you?
(מא) אָ֤ז תִּנָּקֶה֙ מֵאָ֣לָתִ֔י כִּ֥י תָב֖וֹא אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתִּ֑י וְאִם־לֹ֤א יִתְּנוּ֙ לָ֔ךְ וְהָיִ֥יתָ נָקִ֖י מֵאָלָתִֽי׃
(41) Thus only shall you be freed from my adjuration: if, when you come to my kindred, they refuse you—only then shall you be freed from my adjuration.’
(כח) וְכִֽי־יִגַּ֨ח שׁ֥וֹר אֶת־אִ֛ישׁ א֥וֹ אֶת־אִשָּׁ֖ה וָמֵ֑ת סָק֨וֹל יִסָּקֵ֜ל הַשּׁ֗וֹר וְלֹ֤א יֵאָכֵל֙ אֶת־בְּשָׂר֔וֹ וּבַ֥עַל הַשּׁ֖וֹר נָקִֽי׃
(28) When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox is not to be punished.
(ז) מִדְּבַר־שֶׁ֖קֶר תִּרְחָ֑ק וְנָקִ֤י וְצַדִּיק֙ אַֽל־תַּהֲרֹ֔ג כִּ֥י לֹא־אַצְדִּ֖יק רָשָֽׁע׃
(7) Keep far from a false charge; do not bring death on those who are innocent and in the right, for I will not acquit the wrongdoer.
(י) וְלֹ֤א יִשָּׁפֵךְ֙ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֔י בְּקֶ֣רֶב אַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָ֑ה וְהָיָ֥ה עָלֶ֖יךָ דָּמִֽים׃ (ס)
(10) Thus blood of the innocent will not be shed, bringing bloodguilt upon you in the land that the LORD your God is allotting to you.
(ה) כִּֽי־יִקַּ֥ח אִישׁ֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה חֲדָשָׁ֔ה לֹ֤א יֵצֵא֙ בַּצָּבָ֔א וְלֹא־יַעֲבֹ֥ר עָלָ֖יו לְכָל־דָּבָ֑ר נָקִ֞י יִהְיֶ֤ה לְבֵיתוֹ֙ שָׁנָ֣ה אֶחָ֔ת וְשִׂמַּ֖ח אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֥וֹ אֲשֶׁר־לָקָֽח׃ (ס)
(5) When a man has taken a bride, he shall not go out with the army or be assigned to it for any purpose; he shall be exempt one year for the sake of his household, to give happiness to the woman he has married.
(ח) יָשֹׁ֣מּוּ יְשָׁרִ֣ים עַל־זֹ֑את וְ֝נָקִ֗י עַל־חָנֵ֥ף יִתְעֹרָֽר׃
(8) The upright are amazed at this; The pure are aroused against the impious.
(י) וּֽלֲהַבְדִּ֔יל בֵּ֥ין הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ וּבֵ֣ין הַחֹ֑ל וּבֵ֥ין הַטָּמֵ֖א וּבֵ֥ין הַטָּהֽוֹר׃
(10) for you must distinguish between the sacred and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean;
In what ways does Leviticus mean 'cleanliness' or 'purity?'
(ל) כִּֽי־בַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּ֛ה יְכַפֵּ֥ר עֲלֵיכֶ֖ם לְטַהֵ֣ר אֶתְכֶ֑ם מִכֹּל֙ חַטֹּ֣אתֵיכֶ֔ם לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה תִּטְהָֽרוּ׃
(30) For on this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you of all your sins; you shall be clean before the LORD.
(טז) רַחֲצוּ֙ הִזַּכּ֔וּ הָסִ֛ירוּ רֹ֥עַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶ֖ם מִנֶּ֣גֶד עֵינָ֑י חִדְל֖וּ הָרֵֽעַ׃
(16) Wash yourselves clean; Put your evil doings Away from My sight. Cease to do evil;
(יב) לֵ֣ב טָ֭הוֹר בְּרָא־לִ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים וְר֥וּחַ נָ֝כ֗וֹן חַדֵּ֥שׁ בְּקִרְבִּֽי׃
(12) Fashion a pure heart for me, O God; create in me a steadfast spirit.
(ט) תְּחַטְּאֵ֣נִי בְאֵז֣וֹב וְאֶטְהָ֑ר תְּ֝כַבְּסֵ֗נִי וּמִשֶּׁ֥לֶג אַלְבִּֽין׃
(9) Purge me with hyssop till I am pure; wash me till I am whiter than snow.
(א) מִזְמ֗וֹר לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אַ֤ךְ ט֭וֹב לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אֱלֹהִ֗ים לְבָרֵ֥י לֵבָֽב׃
(1) A psalm of Asaph. God is truly good to Israel, to those whose heart is pure.
Does the affliction if Tzara-at help us to understand nekiyut: It attacked the skin, clothing and walls of the home?
What might be parallels in our behaviour?
(א) מדת הנקיות היא היות האדם נקי לגמרי מכל מדה רעה ומכל חטא. לא די ממה שהחטא בו מפורסם וגלוי, אלא גם כן ממה שהלב נפתה בו להורות היתר בדבר, שכאשר נחקור עליו באמת נמצא שלא היה ההיתר ההוא נראה לו, אלא מפני היות הלב עדיין נגוע קצת מן התאוה, כי לא טהר ממנה מכל וכל, על כן תמשכהו להקל לו.
(1) The trait of Cleanliness is that a man be completely clean of all bad traits and all sins. [This applies] not only for sins which are familiar and recognized but also for those to which one's heart is enticed to rationalize that it is permissible; but when we truthfully examine the matter, we find that it appeared to the person justified only because his heart was afflicted by some desire and not entirely purified of it. Therefore, it pulled him to be lenient.
(יב) ואמנם ודאי, שהמדה הזאת קשה, כי טבע האדם חלש ולבו נפתה על נקלה, ומתיר לעצמו הדברים שיוכל למצא בהם כדי הטעאה. ובודאי שמי שהגיע לזאת המדה, כבר הגיע למדריגה גדולה, כי בפני מלחמה חזקה עמד ונצח. ונבוא עתה לבאר פרטי המדה הזאת.
(12) Certainly this trait is difficult to attain for man's nature is weak. His heart is easily seduced and he permits for himself things that allow for self-deception. Undoubtedly, one who has attained this trait has already reached a very high spiritual level. For he has stood in the midst of the raging battle and emerged victorious. We will now explain the details of this trait.
Rabbi Chaim Luzzato lists these as the concerns that affect cleanliness:
theft, forbidden relationships, forbidden foods, words that hurt: giving misleading advice, slander and gossip, hatred and vengeance, oaths, lying, chillul Ha'Shem, observance of Shabbat and Chagim, and character traits: anger, jealousy, lust after wealth and honour.
Are there examples of each that you can identify with?
Which of the above is contemporary society mainly concerned with?
What aspects of cleanliness from Luzzato's list might you take in to the week ahead to practice.
(א) אֱלהַי. נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי טְהורָה הִיא. אַתָּה בְרָאתָהּ. אַתָּה יְצַרְתָּהּ. אַתָּה נְפַחְתָּהּ בִּי. וְאַתָּה מְשַׁמְּרָהּ בְּקִרְבִּי. וְאַתָּה עָתִיד לִטְּלָהּ מִמֶּנִּי. וּלְהַחֲזִירָהּ בִּי לֶעָתִיד לָבוא. כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה בְּקִרְבִּי מודֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ...
(1) My God, the soul which you have placed within me is pure. You have created it; You have formed it; You have breathed it into me. You preserve it within me; You will take it from me, and restore it to me in the hereafter. So long as the soul is within me, I offer thanks before You...