(כא) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֶלְעָזָ֤ר הַכֹּהֵן֙ אֶל־אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַצָּבָ֔א הַבָּאִ֖ים לַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה זֹ֚את חֻקַּ֣ת הַתּוֹרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃
(כב) אַ֥ךְ אֶת־הַזָּהָ֖ב וְאֶת־הַכָּ֑סֶף אֶֽת־הַנְּחֹ֙שֶׁת֙ אֶת־הַבַּרְזֶ֔ל אֶֽת־הַבְּדִ֖יל וְאֶת־הָעֹפָֽרֶת׃ (כג) כׇּל־דָּבָ֞ר אֲשֶׁר־יָבֹ֣א בָאֵ֗שׁ תַּעֲבִ֤ירוּ בָאֵשׁ֙ וְטָהֵ֔ר אַ֕ךְ בְּמֵ֥י נִדָּ֖ה יִתְחַטָּ֑א
וְכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־יָבֹ֛א בָּאֵ֖שׁ תַּעֲבִ֥ירוּ בַמָּֽיִם׃
(21) Eleazar the priest said to the troops who had taken part in the fighting, “This is the ritual law that the LORD has enjoined upon Moses:
(22) Gold and silver, copper, iron, tin, and lead— (23)every thing whose nature it is to withstand fire—these you shall pass through fire and they shall be pure, except that they must be purified with water of lustration;
and anything whose nature it is that cannot withstand fire you must pass through water.
- If we read 'tamei' as touched by trauma instead of 'impure or unclean', how could this change our understanding of 'tahor'- pure or clean?
- What images, thoughts or associations come up for you when you see 'purified by fire' or 'cleansed by water'
- Why do we need two different ways of 'purification', such opposing elements yet achieving a similar purpose...
- When we heal we sometimes need different ways to heal, sometimes by fire, sometimes by water, which kind of healing do you seek in this moment?
Fire
(17) Now the Presence of the LORD appeared in the sight of the Israelites as a consuming fire on the top of the mountain.
Water
His steadfast love is eternal;
Through this, his heart will be purified. As it is written, “Anything that was used over fire, must go through fire <and be purified>.” And when he has purity of heart, he then merits to each time speak new words—an aspect of holy spirit.
דֶּרֶךְ הָאֵשׁ וְהָרוּחַ לִהְיוֹת מַהֲלָכָם מִמַּטָּה מִטַּבּוּר הָאָרֶץ לְמַעְלָה כְּלַפֵּי הָרָקִיעַ. וְדֶרֶךְ הַמַּיִם וְהָאָרֶץ לִהְיוֹת מַהֲלָכָם מִתַּחַת הָרָקִיעַ לְמַטָּה עַד לָאֶמְצַע. שֶׁאֶמְצַע הָרָקִיעַ הוּא הַמַּטָּה שֶׁאֵין לְמַטָּה מִמֶּנּוּ. (...) טֶבַע הָאֵשׁ חַם וְיָבֵשׁ וְהוּא קַל מִכֻּלָּם. וְהָרוּחַ חַם וְלַח. וְהַמַּיִם קָרִים וְלַחִים (...) וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם יְסוֹדוֹת לְכָל גּוּפִים שֶׁתַּחַת הָרָקִיעַ יִמָּצֵא כָּל גּוּף וְגוּף מֵאָדָם וּבְהֵמָה וְחַיָּה וְעוֹף וְדַג וְצֶמַח וּמַתֶּכֶת וְאֶבֶן גָּלְמוֹ מְחֻבָּר מֵאֵשׁ וְרוּחַ וּמַיִם וְעָפָר.
It is the nature of fire and air to go upwards, from the center of the earth upwards towards the expanse; and it is the nature of water and earth to direct their movements beneath the expanse toward its center, as the center of the expanse is the lowermost point, than which there is nothing lower. (...) By nature fire is warm and dry and, therefore, lighter than all of them; and the air is warm and moist; and water is cool and moist;(...)it is found that each and every body, whether of man, beasts, animal, fowl and fish, or whether of plant, mineral and stone, its unformed matter is a fusion of fire, air, water and earth.