What's Impure About Childbirth?! The Bible's Strange Purity Laws | Aleph Beta

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What's Impure About Giving Birth?! (Part 1 of 2)

The Bible's Strange Laws Of Impurity After Childbirth

This parsha is chock-full of obscure laws about ritual impurity and purity (tumah and tahara in Hebrew). And as if ancient purity laws aren't confusing enough, the opening laws in this parsha are particularly confusing – and even kind of disturbing. They're about a mother's state of tumah caused by giving birth. What's impure about birth? Why would it cause tumah?

In this video, Ami explores this difficult set of laws, and discovers a surprising story hiding within the text. Seeing these laws in light of that story will help us understand what they're about, and what they still mean for us today. Come take a look!

Related courses:

What Do Tumah And Tahara Mean Today?

What Does Childbirth Have In Common With Leprosy?

The Tzaraat Purification Ritual: What Does It Mean?

The Torah's Guide To Parenting

Ami Silver

Scholar

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