Parsha Shmini: Day 7 (Leviticus 11:33-47)

(Study Notes)

(Leviticus 11:33)

In Leviticus chapter 11, verse 33 Moshe tells us that if one of these unclean animals dies and falls into an earthenware vessel, the vessel and everything in it becomes irreversibly unclean. The vessel must be broken.

If we remember our previous lessons about an earthenware vessel, we can recall that even when such vessels touched a holy piece of flesh, they must be broken. Considering the laws of the vessel that has contacted holy flesh can help us understand the laws that Moshe is laying out here.

Previously, we learned that since an earthenware vessel is porous, when flesh is boiled in an earthenware pot, remnants of the flesh may remain in the pores, and thus the pot must be broken. Whether the flesh is holy or unclean, these principles remain. This is to avoid anyone from becoming either holy or unclean through touching the Earthenware vessel in which either a holy piece of flesh or an unclean piece of flesh fell into, respectively.

(Leviticus 11:35)

In Leviticus chapter 11, verse 35 we learn that if the carcass of an unclean animal contacts a stove or an oven, the stove or the oven must become unclean and must be smashed.

We must understand that this specific law directly speaks to the types of ovens that were used back in the days of Moshe. These ovens were mostly made of stone or earth and where not of metal like they are today. So, because of the materials they were made out of, which were porous materials, the stoves and ovens had to be destroyed.

Today, however, many ovens and stoves are made of metal material. As we have learned previously regarding holy flesh, the metal pots that contact holy flesh can be scoured and considered clean. It does not need to be destroyed. This ideology can likewise be applied with unclean flesh when it contacts a metal stove or oven.

(Leviticus 11:34)

In Leviticus chapter 11, verse 34 Moshe teaches us that any clean animal or food will become unclean if it comes in contact with water that has come in contact with the carcass of any of the unclean animals named in versus 29 through 30.

If any liquid was in the vessel and the vessel became unclean by contact with a carcass of an unclean animal, the liquid will also become unclean. Therefore, we learn that uncleanness is transferable and necessitates cleansing through mikvah.

(Leviticus 11:36)

 In Leviticus chapter 11, verse 36 Moshe tells us that if the carcass of an unclean animal falls into a spring of water or a cistern of water that collects water, the water will still be clean.

This is because the volume of water is vastly greater than the carcass. Just like if a drop of milk spills into a pot of meat, the dish is still considered kosher. We learned that, however, if anyone touches a carcass that is in the water, they will become unclean, and will need to wash and remain unclean until evening.

We can learn a lot about Hashem and how He operates by deeply considering the laws regarding the spring or cistern, stated above. We learn that Hashem is full of chesed and considers the good more than He considers the bad. Throughout Jewish history, we see the promise of Hashem come to pass with His people. Though we sin and become like the dead carcass in a cistern (the well of Torah wisdom), in the grand scheme of things, Hashem sees us as the clean cistern.

Filled with the waters that come from His fountain of living water, which is the Torah, our sins will one day be as the drop of uncleanliness in the well of pure water. This level of holiness is promised to come in the days of moshiach when the knowledge of Hashem will cover the earth as water covers the sea. Torah wisdom will be lived in righteous action. There will be so much holiness that sin (if sin is present at all) will be so small that it will be negligible.

Currently , though sin reigns, Hashem knows that at the true Jewish heart level, His people are clean—after all, clean is how He made us (and all creation) at the beginning. It is only when we (like all of humanity) go astray and deliberately touch the dead carcass that we become unclean and need to perform to teshuvah.

Through teshuvah and (currently offering the animal sacrifices through the prayers of our lips), Hashem forgives the sins of His Jewish people and removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. In the end, Hashem promises that all of the sins of His chosen, beloved Jewish people will be forgiven completely. Though there may now be more than a drop of that which is unclean, one day, prayerfully soon, Hashem will come, he will send Elisha, and he will send the Davidic King to make everything clean and right.

(Leviticus 11:37)

 In Leviticus chapter 11, verse 37 we learned that if a carcass falls on an unplanted seed, the seed remains clean. If however, water was placed on the seed and a carcass of an unclean animal touches the seed, the seed becomes unclean.

This is because water breaks down the hard outer shield of the seed. This breaking down causes the outer shell to become porous. When porous, much like the Earthenware vessel, remnants of the unclean carcass can make its way to the plant inside the shell of the seed.  When this seed begins to germinate through the addition of water, the life that springs forth from the seed has the potential to be tainted with the unclean carcass.

These examples can be used to understand what can happen in the lives of lost Jews.

Hashem has promised that there are 10 lost tribes of Judah, who dwell among the Earth, who may not know they are Jews. Like a seed they are unplanted, but what lies within them has the potential to bring forth Jewish life. When they come in contact with the carcass of a false religion, they do not necessarily become unclean. Indeed, there are many Jews currently in other religions who do not know they are Jews, but God has mercy.

It is only when you add the water of life, which is the water of Torah, that the carcass-contacted seed begins to know the Jewish God, the Jewish Torah, and the Jewish life that dwells within them. When water is added to such a soul, and that soul comes in contact with a false religion or a false god, then that Jewish soul becomes unclean, especially if they continue to hold on to the false religion while in the cistern of Hashem.

But when Hashem performs such a miracle as to reveal the Jewish soul inside the seed who is lost in false religions, Hashem will also ensure to bring His Jewish child out of the unclean waters. When such a person performs teshuvah, Hashem has complete mercy, grace, and forgiveness for the seed who fell into ground upon which a dead carcass fell. This mercy is extended because it is likely that the person was on such carcass-laden grounds  unwittingly.

But as we learn throughout the prophets, in the end, Hashem promises to reunite the last 10 tribes with the tribes of Judah. The northern kingdom and the southern kingdom will again be united into one Jewish kingdom ruled by Hashem as king and the earthly Davidic king as prince.

Like the larger piece of the afikomen, which we just excitedly found during our Pesach Seders, Hashem will excitedly find all of the lost Jews (the larger portion of Jews): the 10 lost tribes. These seeds when found will be planted along with the rest of the Jews in the land of Israel. Though they may be unclean, it will only be until evening, but when morning dawns, and the light of Hashem comes, they like the rest of the Jewish nation, will be clean for all eternity.

(Leviticus 11:39)

In Leviticus chapter 11, verse 39 Moshe teaches if a clean animal dies of natural causes anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean until evening. Moshe teaches that you can eat of the animal if it dies naturally, but you must wash your clothes and you will remain unclean until evening because of touching the carcass. If you carry the carcass of a clean animal that died naturally, you are unclean until evening, so you are to wash your clothes and when evening comes and a new day dawns, you will again be clean.

This law regarding the carcass of even clean animals making a Jewish person unclean teaches us about the sanctity of life in Hashem‘s eyes. In Hashem’s eyes, the life of all of His creation is holy and sacred. Death only came upon the Earth when sin entered the world. Thus, the death of even a clean animal represents sin. This is because in Hashim’s original design He only intended for life. Death did not exist. So an animal dying came only because man sinned.

Because it is the sin of man that brought death to the world, when the carcass of a dead animal, even if it is clean, is touched, the person becomes unclean because the sin of man (in general) brought the possibility of death to the Animal Kingdom. So in an act of teshuvah, the person can immerse themselves in a Mikva, remain unclean until evening and when the new day dawns they will be forgiven and considered clean again.

This too brings to mind the state of being when Hashim returns, and moshiach arrives. Indeed, we can read in Isaiah that the lion will lay down with the lamb, and that the baby will play over a cobra‘s nest. This means that the natural order of creation will be restored when peace comes through the keeping of Mitzvot, which is promised to be in full when Hashem comes and teaches His Torah to all the world.

(Leviticus 11:41-42)

In Leviticus chapter 11 verses 41 through 42, Moshe lists again more characteristics that makes an animal unclean and unfit for eating. Here we read the list as those that

1. swarm on the Earth,

2. crawl on its belly,

3. walks on all fours and

4. has many legs.

These restrictions bring to mind things such as the snake that crawls on its belly, the centipede that has many legs, spiders that have many legs, all of which Hashem through Moshe calls an abomination.

(Leviticus 11:43)

In Leviticus chapter 11, verse 43 Hashem again commands that none of his Jewish people should bring an abomination upon themselves through the abominations of anything that swarms on the Earth.

In this passage, we can understand that drawing an abomination upon oneself would be like drawing the plagues of Egypt upon oneself for fun. It would be as if the person is uniting themselves with, or to, Egypt instead of Hashem.

When Hashem brought the plagues on Egypt, He

• brought plagues of swarming things,

• He used Moshe’s rod that turned into a snake,

• the frogs, though they did not walk on all fours are in the category of unclean reptiles, and

• Hashem brought plagues of insects, many of which might have had many legs.

Hashem says in Deuteronomy 28:27, that He “will strike you with the Egyptian plagues,” if you do not obey Hashem and observe faithfully all of His commands and laws which He enjoined upon us.

So if one draws abominations upon themselves, that means they are willingly bringing upon themselves the plagues and resulting death of Egypt.

But if one withdraws themselves away from abominations and  performs teshuvah, though they may be unclean until evening, when a new day dawns at nightfall, Hashem will take the child back, forgive their sins fully and will consider His Jewish child clean, righteous, and fully sinless. This does not come by the merits of another person, nor the death of a fellow Jew.

Rather, this forgiveness and declaration of holiness by Hashem comes from individual accountability, which includes teshuvah, taking the yoke of Heaven, loving Hashem supremely, keeping His mitzvot (even sacrificially), and living a life of Torah.

(Leviticus 11:44-45)

As such, in Leviticus chapter 11 verses 44 through 45 Hashem commands,

So we shall be holy because He is holy.

In Deuteronomy chapter 27 and 28 Hashem lays out the blessings and the curses that occur when we do keep His Torah versus when we don’t keep his Torah respectively. If Hashem’s people do not keep His commands, the plagues of Egypt are promised to come. That is, when we make ourselves unclean by choosing to sin and choosing not to keep Mitzvot, we are choosing to bring upon ourselves the plagues of Egypt.

But, when we sanctify ourselves and our lives and choose to be holy and love Hashem with all of our heart, and all of our soul, and all of our might, even when we are imperfect, Hashem has mercy. He provides the way to make ourselves clean through teshuvah, mikvot, and the prayers of our lips for our animal sacrifices until the time when the Temple is restored.

So long as we cling to Hashem and take upon ourselves the yolk of heaven and honor Hashem with our lives, when He returns, He will make us holy with a new heart and a new soul that will simply know and be able to do that which pleases Hashem 100%. Our will will be aligned completely with the will of Hashem, which will bring blessing upon blessing and eternal shalom.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Kimberly Davis