Monday 7 May 2012

P. Tazria, 7 vs. 14

Two Questions come to Mind at the Beginning of Tazria

1. Why is the Mitzva of B'rit Milah embedded in the Mitzvah of Tuma't and Taharat Leidah?

2. What is the reason that a zachar triggers just 7 days of tum'ah while a n'keivah triggers 14 day?

See the Text Below

The answer there seems disarmingly simple.

The 7 days of Tum'ah for the mother who gives birth to a boy gets terminated by the B'rit Milah. Perhaps this is due to the healing associated with the B'rit or to some other dynamic. Yet the mention of the B'rit seems out of place UNLESS it's there all along to teach us that very lesson.

The case of boy/girl twins is a bit difficult to explain, but yeish l'yasheiv

See Rashi re: N'keivah causing more damage. In this approach, the damage caused is the same, just that the [potential]. B'rit of the Boy mitigates it 50%.

Text of Sazria 12:1-4.
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ויקרא פרק יב

א וידבר ה' אל-משה לאמר.  ב דבר אל-בני ישראל, לאמר, אשה כי תזריע, וילדה זכר--וטמאה שבעת ימים, כימי נדת דותה תטמא.  ג וביום, השמיני, ימול, בשר ערלתו.  ד ושלשים יום ושלשת ימים, תשב בדמי טהרה; בכל-קדש לא-תגע, ואל-המקדש לא תבא, עד-מלאת, ימי טהרה. 

Shalom and Regards,
RRW

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