Lower Levels of Impurity - Tum'at Midras If a Zav ("Any man who will have a discharge - abnormal seminal emissions - from his flesh…", Vayikra 15:2,3, 13-15), Zava (a woman who had abnormal Nida-like bleeding after the conclusion of her normal menstrual period, Vayikra 15:25), Nida, or Yoledet sat on a chair, rode on a saddle, or lay on a couch, these accoutrements became susceptible to a particular type of "seven-day" impurity called in the Gemara and Midrashic literature, Tum'at Midras (lit. "place of pressure or treading impurity"). The sages explain that the Torah cited the chair, couch and saddle merely as examples; the concept of Midras- impurity includes any article which can serve as a support for the human body. Similar to other Temei'im (Jews who are ritually impure), the "bearers" of Tum'at Midras, could neither enter the Mikdash compound nor could they eat Kodashim. Tum'at Midras was a form of impurity unique to the Zav, Zava, Nida and Yoledet. While the Written Word only addresses these ordinances to the Zav, the Sages teach us that Hilchot Midras applied equally to the Zava, Nida, and Yoledet as well. The Torah says, "Any bed upon which the Zav reclines is rendered impure and any vessel upon which he will sit shall be rendered impure. A person who will touch his bed shall immerse his garments and immerse himself in the water and he remains impure until the evening. (The Torah says "his bed"; therefore a man does not render anything impure by Tum'at Midras which is not his personal property. Hil. Keilim 24:7) And one who sits upon a vessel, upon which the Zav shall sit, shall immerse his garments and immerse himself, and he remains impure until evening. And one who touches the flesh of the Zav shall immerse his garments and himself in the water and he shall remain impure until the evening. If the Zav will spit upon a pure person, he (the person spat upon) shall immerse his garments and immerse himself in the water and he shall be impure until the evening. The saddle upon which the Zav will ride upon shall become impure. And whoever touches anything that will be beneath him shall become impure until evening; and whoever carries them shall immerse his garments and himself and be impure until the evening. Whomever the Zav touches without rinsing his hands in water shall immerse his garments and immerse himself in water and remain impure until the evening. Earthenware pottery that the Zav will touch shall be broken; and any wooden utensil shall be washed in water…" (Vayikra 15:4-12). If a Zav & co. (who are "fathers of impurity") moved a Tahor (one ritually pure), the Tahor became defiled. In other forms of Tum'a, the Tahor was ritually contaminated only if he moved a "father of impurity" - a primary source of impurity (e.g. a dead dog, a dead Sheretz - one of the 8 unclean "creeping things" enumerated in Vayikra 11:29-38, etc.). The Rambam summarizes, "…if a pure man moved the Zav (even without touching him), he is ritually contaminated in the same way he would be if he had actually carried the Zav. If the Zav moved a Tahor - even without physical contact (e.g. in a wheelbarrow) - whether a person, vessels or even earthenware, he has contaminated them. Being moved by a Zav is equivalent to being touched by him." (Hil. Metam'ei Mishkav Umoshav 8: 2). Though Tum'at Midras may be defined as the degree of impurity which is conveyed to a chair, bed, couch, saddle etc. when the Zav & co. stands on, sits, lies, rides on, or leans against, it only takes effect if the object was specifically manufactured for and is usually used for that particular purpose. If an object was not originally made for that specific purpose - for sitting, lying on, etc. - it would not be contaminated if the Zav sat on it. The Gemara comments, "I might think if the Zav overturned a Se'ah - a barrel which can hold a Se'ah's measure - and sat on it… the barrel would become impure. Consequently it is written, 'And anything upon which he sits (shall be impure)'. This teaches us that only articles actually fashioned for that purpose become impure. Otherwise we can say to him - to the Zav - "Get up so we can do our business" (Shabbat 59a). An excellent example of the importance of "special intent" in Halacha, the susceptibility of every article or utensil to impurity is therefore judged by its primary function and the original intention of the manufacturer. Also an object specifically made to support the body in motion (e.g. a diving board) as opposed to the body at rest (e.g. chair) is not susceptible to impurity. Midras- impurity could be spread even without direct contact with the object. If a Zav caused pressure to be put upon such an object even if he did not physically touch it, he rendered the article impure. "If he sat on a bed and there were four cloaks under the four legs of the bed, they (all) become impure…" (Zavim 3: 7). "If there were ten cloaks, one above the other, and he sat on the topmost one, all are rendered impure" (Zavim 4:5). The Rambam writes, "…even if there were 100 cloaks or mattresses, they would be all rendered impure. Even if between the sleeping or sitting Zav and the bed… which was specifically made for sleeping… there were positioned heavy stones which weighed vastly more than he did, those objects (e.g. the bed under the stones etc.) would be rendered impure" (Hil. Metam'ei Mishkav Umoshav 6:5, Note Keilim 1:3). Vessels of stone, earthenware, or utensils which have their origin from creatures of the sea, birds or are firmly attached to the ground are not susceptible to Midras- impurity. Vessels made of earthenware are not susceptible to Midras-impurity but if a Zav put his finger inside their airspace or touched their interior, he contaminated them. (We have accepted the logic of Ra'avad's critique on Rambam. Rambam in Hilchot Metam'ei Mishkav Umoshav 8:4 rules that, "If the Zav put his hand or foot within the airspace of an earthenware vessel and did not touch the (interior) side and did not cause it to move, it is still pure." The basis of their disagreement is based on divergent interpretations of deliberations found on Shabbat 82b.) Normally an earthenware vessel can be contaminated only if the source of impurity touches the interior of the vessel or enters its airspace. (A Sheretz suspended by a string inside the vessel but not touching the sides would still contaminate.) The ritually defiled accouterments of the Zav, Zava, Nida, and Yoledet are impure for seven days. But interestingly enough, there is no specific Biblical sanction for the rabbinical ruling that the chair, bed, couch or saddle upon which they sat are actually impure for seven days. However, since the Torah does say that a ritually pure person who touched their accouterments is rendered impure for one day, based on other precedents, the Sages were able to logically conclude that the accouterments indeed acquired a seven-day impurity. A person or object that has a one-day impurity can not contaminate people or vessels; he/it can only render impure food and liquids. <to be continued> Catriel's book in progress: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrims Prospective; A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service [The
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