When is the Pure Bird Impure? "And G-d spoke to Moses as follows: Speak to the Children of Israel, saying, 'When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male child, she shall be impure for a seven day period… as during the days of her separation shall she be impure… For thirty-three days shall she remain in blood of purity; she may not touch anything sacred and she may not enter the Sanctuary until the completion of her days of impurity. If she gives birth to a female child, she shall be impure for two weeks, as during her separation; and for sixty-six days, she shall remain in blood of purity… (Vayikra 12:1-5). After the initial seven-day period for a male child (fourteen days for a female child), the Yoledet immersed in a Mikveh and was then permitted to her husband, but an additional "waiting" period of thirty-three days for a male child (forty total), and sixty-six days (eighty total) for a female child followed. During this supplementary period, though she was permitted to her husband, she was still banned from Mikdash grounds or from eating Kodashim or "coming in contact" with "anything holy". Rashi notes that during this supplementary period, Biblically, even if she experienced her menstrual flow, she was not considered a Nida. (However today, the Halacha does in fact regard a woman experiencing her menstrual flow during this period as a Nida [Yoreh Deah 194:1]). At nightfall of the forty-first or eighty-first day (the supplementary period actually ended at sunset) she became pure and, if the wife of a Kohein, was permitted to eat Teruma. On the morning of the forty-first day (or the eighty-first day), the Yoledet brought a male sheep and a turtle dove or pigeon to the Mikdash for an Olah and a Chatat. If she was poor, she might substitute an additional turtle dove or pigeon in place of the sheep (Vayikra 12:1-5). Upon offering her required Korbanot, she was permitted to eat Kodashim. The sage R. Simeon ben Yochai explained that the sin offering effected atonement for the Yoledet, not because she gave birth - children are a blessing from G-d - but because of the possibility that in the pain of birthing, she might have sworn never to cohabit with her husband again (Nida 31b). Ibn Ezra posited that the parturient's Olah atoned for blasphemous thoughts she might have entertained because of her pain. (If an Israelite had "forbidden thoughts" - Avon Machshevet HaLeiv - and contemplated such prohibited behavior as blasphemy, the worship of idols, apostasy, etc., after atoning for his sin, he brought an Olah. The concept of bringing an Olah to expiate forbidden thoughts was derived from Iyov (Job) who brought Olot saying, "It may be that my sons have sinned and blasphemed G-d in their hearts" (Iyov 1:5). Rabeinu Bechai suggests that the Chatat brought by the Yoledet expiates for the sin of Eve who, because of her disobedience, brought death into the world. Why does the birth of a male child engender impurity for only forty days (7+33) while the birth of a female child engenders impurity for eighty days (14+66)? Does this not show "the cultic inferiority of the female sex"? The surprising answer is "no"; this "extra impurity" does not suggest "cultic inferiority" at all. In fact, it indicates the exact opposite because "extra impurity" is usually a sign of greater deference and esteem. Redolent of Kabalistic imagery, the Or Hachayim Hakadosh illustrates the "origin" of "extra impurity" in a wonderful parable. "Let us assume that we have two containers inside a house, one filled with honey, the other full of refuse. If you take both of these containers outside, you will observe that the container of honey attracts swarms of flies whereas the container of refuse attracts an insignificant number of flies by comparison." Similarly, holiness "attracts all kind of negative spiritual elements. These are the forces of impurity that always attempt to attach themselves to anything sacred because they wish to benefit from the… sweetness of holiness" (Chukat). Far fetched? Consider this Mishna. "The Sadducees (who denied the validity of Torah She'b'al Peh) say, 'We cry out against you O Pharisees (a.k.a. "Chazal") because you declare that the Holy Scriptures (i.e. hand-written parchment scrolls) render the hands impure, but the writings of Hamiram (i.e., heretical books or the works of Homer) do not render the hands impure.'" R' Yochanan ben Zakkai reminded the Sadducees that even they would agree, "the bones of an ass are pure but the bones of Yochanan Kohein Gadol render impure." They replied, "As our love for them increases), greater is their (power to engender) impurity…. Using the same principle which the Sadducees themselves accepted, R' Yochanan ben Zakkai responded, 'So it is with the Holy Scriptures: our (greater) love for them is (reflected) in their (greater) ability to generate impurity, whereas the writings of Hamiram which are not precious to us do not engender impurity. (Since we have no love for the writings of Hamiram), "they do not render the hands impure" (Yada'yim 4:6). If we apply this principle, "the more impurity, the more respect", it would seem that the "extra" impurity engendered by the birth of a female child, if anything, demonstrates the "cultic superiority" of the female sex! With the exception of the eight small "unclean creeping things" specified in Vayikra 11:29-38, the Torah considers carrion of only the larger mammals "worthy" of having the ability of generate impurity. Moreover, the dead human being is the most defiling source of impurity of all! (Water-creatures [and birds] do not contaminate, perhaps because their origin is water [B'reishit 1:20], the very element which engenders purity.) However, there is something else. The whole cycle of birth and death, which can easily provide the basis of an "alternative spirituality", was banned from the Beit Mikdash - the earthly house of the Eternal One. The religions of the ancient world, Egypt, Canaan, Babylonia, etc., all revolved around the birth and death cycle. Nature came to life in the spring and "died" when the growing season was over; gods were born, died and were "resurrected". "Mother-earth" was so intimately connected with the life, fertility, and death of its inhabitants that earth-cults were inevitable. A widespread ancient myth with hundreds of local variations, told how the goddess Ishtar (or Osiris, Demeter, Attis, etc.) descended to the nether world to seek her lover. The disappearance of Ishtar threatened to end all life on earth because with her departure, all procreation ceased. Many frenzied spring festivals throughout the ancient world celebrated her "return". If man died like the nature gods did, could not a way be found to enable him to return to life again as they appeared to do? These myths and hopes formed the basis of the mystery religions, which were so popular in the latter days of Bayit Sheini. "The female more than the male is involved in the birth-death cycle, and therefore, is a greater focus of impurity, just because she represents a greater potentiality for a different religious orientation." Catriel's book in progress: The Temple of Jerusalem, A Pilgrim’s Perspective; A Guided Tour through the Temple and the Divine Service [The
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