The Meaning of Life – Tazria-Metzorah
וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר. דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר וְטָמְאָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים כִּימֵי נִדַּת דְּוֹתָהּ תִּטְמָא (ויקרא יב, א-ב).
Many shy away from shiurim directly related to the subjects in this week’s (double) parsha because of the “ick” factor involved and the “off chance” of (chas vechalila) offending the opposite gender. They instead focus on “safer”, indirectly related subjects that are more “politically correct”. This is a shame, because in this week’s parsha we find one of the most profound principles in the entire Torah and the answer to the eternal question of “the meaning of life”.
The first chapter of this week’s parsha deals with childbirth and the ramifications regarding טֻמְאָה וְטָהֳרָה. This is a unique chapter in the Torah in many respects and there are numerous questions relating to the psukkim in it.
The first thing you will notice is that it is a very short chapter – only 8 psukkim. It is the shortest chapter in the entire Torah, and the question is why?
Secondly, there is repetition of the word לֵּאמֹר in the first two psukkim - דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר.וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר. Why is it necessary to repeat that word twice?
Thirdly, it says אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ. Surely it is the male that is מַזְרִיעַ and not the female?
Fourthly, why in reference to giving birth to a boy, is the passuk written in the past tense וְיָלְדָה זָכָר. While in reference to giving birth to a girl, the passuk is in the future tense נְקֵבָה תֵלֵד?
Fifthly, why is the purification time for a baby girl - double that of a baby boy?
Finally, the mother has to bring two Korbanot, an Olah and a Chatat, which are sin related. What sin did she commit by giving birth?
The Mefarshim pick up on all these questions and answer them in turn. I will skip the first question relating to the length of the perek and address it later after filling in a few blanks.
Why is the word לֵּאמֹר repeated twice? The Or HaChayim gives two answers. His first (quoting the Sifra תו"כ) is that repetition of this word implies elevated spirituality and comes to teach us that the laws of טֻמְאָה וְטָהֳרָה regarding a childbearing mother apply only to Am Yisrael and not to the other nations, who are impure. His second answer is also spirituality-related, but this time in reference to the woman. The fact that there is proximity between the second לֵאמֹר and the word אִשָּׁה implies that the elevated spirituality in this case resides with the woman and is on a par with (or even higher than) the man. The mitzva of פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ is incumbent only on the man and not the woman (שלחן ערוך אבן העזר סימן א סעיף יג) and one might think that since the woman is not obligated to observe this mitzva, the reason she is doing it is to seek physical pleasure. Therefore the Torah comes to teach us that the מעלה of the woman in this case is higher than the man, because she is doing it out of pure motives to give rise to offspring, even though it will entail great suffering on her part.
Regarding the next question, surely it is the male that is מַזְרִיעַ and not the female? Many of the Mefarshim (R’ Bachyei, Sforno, Kli Yakar etc.) pick up on this and explain that the passuk is not referring to “sperm” per se, but which of the partners is “first” to initiate fertilization. According to the Mefarshim, if the woman initiates fertilization אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ (with the egg), then the child born is a boy, if the man initiates fertilization (with the sperm), the child born is a girl. I am not sure how this correlates with modern science and gender determination via the XY chromosomes, but we have to accept דברי רבותינו as correct. Science, as it evolves, often changes its tune and almost always eventually concurs with the Torah.
Why in reference to a male does it use the past tense and with a female, the future tense? The Or HaChayim, connects this to his second answer above, that the woman only achieves the elevated spiritual status relating to the mitzva of פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ after conception has actually taken place and not until then. Intention in this case does not count, only action.
Before answering the other questions a short introduction is necessary.
This perek regarding childbirth and the next perek regarding blemishes on the skin speak about אִשָּׁה and אָדָם. Why does the next section of blemishes use the word אָדָם and not say אִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה כִּי יִהְיֶה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרָם, since the blemishes apply equally to men and women? The use of the word אָדָם specifically infers that this is a reference to Adam Harishon. In fact the perek of the childbearing mother (and the next perek about the blemishes) are intricately connected to Adam and Chava and their sin.
When HKB”H created man and woman He commanded them to procreate. This was the first commandment given to mankind. The process of procreation before the sin was instant (Sforno, Breishit 3, 16). On the same day conception and birth took place. It was not a nine month pregnancy and there was no birth related pain. For want of a better description, it was a “polaroid” version of the way many other mammals in the animal kingdom effortlessly give birth.
However, after the sin, Chava was punished הַרְבָּה אַרְבֶּה עִצְּבוֹנֵךְ וְהֵרֹנֵךְ בְּעֶצֶב תֵּלְדִי בָנִים. The reason her punishment was so severe is because she caused Adam to sin. If not for her, Adam would not have sinned with the עץ הדעת.
The entire sin, from beginning to end, was procreation related.
It began with Adam’s tardiness in fulfilling the mitzva of פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ. It continued with Chava (duped by the נחש) trying to “duplicate” HKB”H’s process of creating life on her own (without Adam and HKB”H), by mixing dust (flour – from the wheat of the עת הדעת) with water and breathing “life” into the “dough” (Meir Panim, chap. 16). It followed with Chava committing adultery with the נחש (Yevamot 103b) and conceiving Kayin (Pirkei de'Rebi Eliezer 21). Then Chava fed Adam the forbidden bread of the עץ הדעת and had relations with him, from which Hevel was conceived. Both births, Kayin and Hevel, included twin sisters (Pirkei de’Rebi Eliezer, ibid.).
There are three mitzvot in the Torah that are specifically female related – חלה, נידה, הדלקת הנר (rashei teivot חִנָה). Women that are negligent in these mitzvot risk dying in childbirth chas veshalom (Mishna, Shabbat, 2, 6).
Adam was called the Challah of the World, because HKB”H did Hafrashat Challah from the newly created world and this Challah was Adam himself. By destroying Adam, Chava destroyed the Challah of the World and was subsequently punished by having to restore that “Challah” in perpetuity. The birth process is a kind of Hafrashat Challah, separating the newborn from the mother (Alsheich, Breishit 3, 16). In addition, the mitzva of Hafrashat Challah from bread dough is primarily incumbent on the woman.
The originally planned procreation process involved no impurity. However, by sinning with the נחש and the עץ הדעת, Chava introduced an element of impurity into the process. Since Chava’s entire sin was procreation related, her punishment was similarly related, דם בתולין, דם נידה, suffering during pregnancy and pain in childbirth. The travails of childbirth are so severe that at the height of her suffering, the childbearing mother mentally resolves to never again have children, which she subsequently cries out verbally. However, immediately after the birth, the woman regrets these thoughts and words. This is why she has to bring a Korban Olah (for impure thoughts) and a Chatat (for verbalizing them). The act of childbirth itself is not a sin chas veshalom, it is the thoughts and words resulting from anguish and suffering, which require כפרה. If the child is a boy, the tikkun is for the טומאה of the mother (a descendant of Chava) alone. If it is a girl, the tikkun is for both the mother and the girl (both descendants of Chava) and is therefore doubled.
While a child is in the mother’s womb, there is a lit candle on his/her head (Nida 30b). Adam was also called נרו של עולם, the Candle of the World, as he radiated the אור הגנוז of the Creation. By destroying Adam, Chava doused the Candle of the World and has to therefore make recompense in perpetuity by lighting Shabbat and Yom Tov candles, to rekindle and restore this light.
If women are negligent in these specific three mitzvot, which serve as a tikkun for Chava’s sin, they are not accomplishing their purpose in this world and their life is forfeit.
Adam was not blameless in this episode - he was tardy in performing פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ and was מושך בערלתו (Sanhedrin 38b). The tikkun he has to perform in perpetuity is undergoing Brit Milah, 8 days after birth. Why davka 8 days? There are numerous reasons. It is after the 7 initial days of purification of the mother and allows the parents to be besimcha at the Brit. It allows the newborn to experience at least one Shabbat. The number eight represents a metaphysical dimension on a higher level than the physical. In addition, by being tardy in performing פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ, the first commandment he was given, Adam has to, by the sweat of his brow, toil to survive in this world. What initially was given to him on a plate – food, the procreation process – all subsequently became toil. The man has to work hard to sustain himself and his family, he has to toil to find a wife (as difficult as Kri’at Yam Suf, Sota 2a) and raise and support children.
The first perek of Tazria is the shortest perek in the Torah, because in essence it is the prelude to everything else. After the sin of Adam and Chava, the road back, the tikkun - begins with this perek. The tikkun for the sin can be found and is encapsulated in this perek. The “numerics” hint to the tikkun. It is פרק יב, alluding to the 12 Tribes of Am Yisrael who are the tikkun for the world. It has 8 psukkim, referring to Brit Milah on the 8th day, a renewal of our covenant with HKB”H.
“The meaning of life” is …… life! We have to understand what “life” actually is to understand its true meaning and purpose.
R’ Bachyei on the 2nd passuk in the parsha says that “life” is essentially divided into three parts. The first part, called יצירה is entirely dark. The second part, called עולם הזה is partially light and partially dark. The third, called עולם הבא is entirely light. It is a progression, each stage surpassing the former.
The first part, יצירה, is the child in the mother’s womb. Life in the womb takes place in total darkness. The Gemara (Nida 20b) describes what it is like. R’ Simlai says that the fetus in the womb is like a folded book. The two hands rest on the temples, the two elbows rest on the two legs, the two heels rest on the behind, and the head is between the knees. The mouth is closed and the umbilical cord open and it eats and drinks what the mother eats and drinks. The fetus does not pass waste products that would kill the mother. During birth, that which was closed is opened and that which was open is closed for if not, the child could not survive for even one hour. There is a lit candle on the fetus’ head and it sees from one end of the world to the other. No days of man are better than these months in the womb and the fetus is being taught the entire Torah. When the fetus emerges into the world, an angel slaps it on the mouth and causes it to forget all the Torah. The fetus does not emerge until it makes a vow. Be a tzaddik and not a rasha and even if the whole world says you are a tzaddik, in your eyes you should view yourself as a rasha (and constantly do tshuva). Know that HKB”H is pure and his messengers are pure and the neshama He has given you is pure and if you keep it pure, well and good, if not He will take it back from you.
That is the demise of the first stage of life and we then enter the next, middle, stage of life - עולם הזה. Just like the prior stage was preparation for this stage, עולם הזה is also a preparation for the next, third and final, stage. This middle stage is a mixture of light and dark, based on the functioning of the two primary luminaries in Heaven, the sun and the moon and the two יצרים, the יצר הטוב and the יצר הרע. The purpose of this stage of life is to reclaim the entire Torah that was forgotten at birth, but this time - by our own efforts, and to uphold the vows made at birth. Since we were already taught Torah in the womb, the seeds of Torah already exist within us and whatever we learn during our lives in עולם הזה is essentially “revision”.
If we successfully traverse the first and second stages we then progress to the final, third stage. If not, we have to keep repeating the first and second stages until we get it right. This is תורת הגלגולים. The length of the first and second stages is dependent on whether they have achieved their purpose or not. If their purpose has been achieved, there is no point in prolonging them. Sometimes the purpose of the gilgul is achieved in the first stage and the second stage is unnecessary.
The third and final stage commences after the demise and successful completion of the prior stages and this stage, עולם הבא, is entirely light with no darkness and is without end.
Before Adam and Chava sinned, all three stages coalesced into one. The יצירה stage was instantaneous. The עולם הזה and the עולם הבא were indistinguishable and were one and the same. Adam Harishon before the sin was immortal and living an existence of עולם הבא.
However after Adam and Chava sinned, the first two stages were extended, made distinct and became preparatory stages of tikkun for the third. The meaning of life is to successfully reach the third stage, each having done our small (collective) share of tikkun for the sin of Adam and Chava. In the Geulah, the world will revert back to the state before Adam and Chava sinned.
Now that we have a deeper understanding of the stages of and the purpose of life, we can better understand the concepts of טֻמְאָה וְטָהֳרָה. Purity, טָהֳרָה, is synonymous with life while impurity, טֻמְאָה, is synonymous with death. Even the letters in the words themselves reflect this. The letter ט is common to both however the remaining letters indicate the essence. הֳרָה indicates the beginning of life (pregnancy) while מְאָה indicates the end of life (100 years). Incidentally the letter ט in both is quantifying. טָ-הֳרָה defines pregnancy as 9 months. טֻ-מְאָה is 900 years, Adam died after 900 years (aged 930).
Everything that causes טֻמְאָה is related to death. Cadaver. Carcass of a creature. Dead ovum (נידה, זבה). Dead sperm (קרי, זב). Intercourse (millions of dead sperm cells). Leprosy (likened to death). Impure (non-Kosher) creatures are cruel and kill (cause death) to other creatures.
This is why the Torah forbids same gender relationships, because they cannot possibly result in life. They are a denial of שלושה שותפין לאדם and a repeat of Chava’s sin, when she tried to eliminate Adam from the equation of procreation.
Everything that results in life is related to טָהֳרָה. A woman may only conceive life while she is טְהֹרָה. During the 9 month pregnancy there is no impurity of נידה. The only seeming inconsistency is when a woman gives birth, she becomes impure. However, this was not HKB”H’s original plan, it is a result of and a tikkun for Chava’s sin. The original plan was that after birth the woman would not become impure.
טֻמְאָה וְטָהֳרָה have both a spiritual and physical component and affect the various stages of life. טֻמְאָה in עולם הזה can be physical (a dead body) and it can also be spiritual, resulting in sin and “death” in עולם הבא.
According to the Rambam, the origin of טֻמְאָה is some kind of fault, sin. Breishit is rife with them. The angels speaking lashon harah against man מָה אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תִזְכְּרֶנּוּ וּבֶן אָדָם כִּי תִפְקְדֶנּוּ. The tree (עץ הדעת) sinning and not obeying HKB”H’s directive to have the fruit and branches taste the same. The moon complaining and speaking lashon harah against the sun. Adam and Chava eating from the עץ הדעת. These are origins of טֻמְאָה in עולם הזה.
טֻמְאָה is a fact of עולם הזה, there is no escaping it. However, the existence of טֻמְאָה facilitates tikkun. By trying as much as possible to disassociate ourselves from טֻמְאָה we increase טָהֳרָה in עולם הזה - the טָהֳרָה is “born” out of the טֻמְאָה. This is the process of birth of the יולדת. This is how Am Yisrael were “born” out of the טֻמְאָה in Egypt. In the sifrei Chassidut this concept is called פושט צורה and לובש צורה, in order to assume a new form, the old form must first be discarded. This is the way a seed grows in the ground. It first rots and decays and this allows it to germinate and grow into a new plant.
The tikkun in עולם הזה is to dissociate ourselves as much as possible from טֻמְאָה. We do this by following the precepts of the Torah. There is one place on earth where טֻמְאָה does not exist, the Beit Hamikdash, it is not allowed to exist there. By virtue of this, the Beit Hamikdash becomes a direct gateway to HKB”H, with no obstacles.
When a man cannot afford a more expensive Korban, like a sheep, the phrase used in the Torah is וְאִם לֹא תַגִּיע יָדוֹ דֵּי שֶׂה (ויקרא ה, ז). In our parsha referring to a woman, the יולדת, the wording is different וְאִם לֹא תִמְצָא יָדָהּ דֵּי שֶׂה. The words דֵּי שֶׂה make up the word דִּישָׁה meaning “threshing”, one of the components of the חטא עץ הדעת. Chava took the fruit of the tree (wheat) and processed it (Brachot 58a) into bread and this included threshing the wheat. Adam also became complicit in this sin by eating. Adam’s punishment is to toil by the sweat of his brow, hence תַגִּיע יָדוֹ, from the לשון of יגיעה. The woman does not have her own possessions from which to to bring a korban, they belong to her husband. She therefore does not have to “toil”, she has to find תִמְצָא יָדָהּ. In both cases, the man and the woman, if a sheep is not offered, the replacement is two birds.
Two birds are part of the purification process for טֻמְאָה from leprosy (likened to death). They are connected to the sin of Adam and Chava, one of the sources of טֻמְאָה in this world. They are connected with threshing, as above. They are also connected in a different way. Chava had no business conversing at all with the נחש, she was a “chatterbox”. To make a tikkun for this, two “chattering/tweeting” birds are offered. This, incidentally, is also why the parsha of the יולדת precedes the description of the blemishes and leprosy, which are also the product of a loose tongue and lashon harah.
There are two very short chapters in the Torah, this one about the יולדת above that has only 8 psukkim and one other that has only 9 psukkim. What is the second shortest chapter in the Torah? It is שמות יב, the chapter that describes מכת בכורות. These two chapters are a pair. The one deals with death, the punishment of Pharaoh and the killing of his firstborn, alluding to the נחש and and his firstborn, קין of whom Pharaoh was a gilgul. The second deals with life and brit milah, the rebirth of Am Yisrael and the renewal of their covenant with HKB”H. The one deals with טֻמְאָה and the other with טָהֳרָה.
This hopefully gives us a deeper understanding of the meaning of life and our role and purpose in this life. B”H, if we all strive to run a mile from טֻמְאָה and cleave to טָהֳרָה in everything we do, we are effecting the tikkun that incrementally and collectively will result in the Geulah בבי"א.
