Banished from the Camp
Nasso
Scattered throughout the Torah are 8 passages which, according to the Talmud, were all taught on the day the Mishkan was erected. In one of these passages, appearing in Parshas Nasso, Hashem commands Moshe to expel anyone who was impure from the camp.
Once the Mishkan was completed and the Temple service was operational, the Divine Presence rested in the camp, imbuing it with holiness. From this moment on, impure people could no longer be present.
The Posuk lists 3 categories of impure people; someone who was afflicted with Tzaraas, a Zav who had become Tamei as a result of a bodily emission and anyone who had come in contact with a dead body.
Chaza”l explain that these different impurities did not have the identical status and were not treated the same. Only certain areas of the camp would be off-limits, depending on the source or type of one’s impurity.
The camp of Bnei Yisrael (described in Parshas Bamidbor) comprised of 3 rectangular camps, situated one within the other. At the centre was the Mishkan. This is referred to as the Camp of the Shechina (Divine Presence).
Surrounding the Mishkan were the Kohanim and Leviim, comprising the Camp of the Levites.
The remaining 12 Shvatim camped around the Levites in the Israelite Camp.
The Metzora was expelled outside of all 3 camps. He had to dwell alone outside the Machane Yisroel. A Zav was permitted in the Israelite camp but forbidden to enter the Levite Camp.
Someone who had become impure via contact with a corpse, was allowed into the Levite Camp but was forbidden to enter the courtyard of the Mishkan, the Camp of the Shechina. In fact, a corpse itself could be present in the camp of the Leviim as we see with the body of Yosef which was transported by the Leviim and rested in their camp.
Every part of the Torah is eternal, baring lessons and instruction that is relevant in all times. What message can we learn from these laws when we no longer observe the laws of purity?
The Kli Yakar quotes a Midrash which equates these 3 categories of impurity to the 3 cardinal sins.
Tzaraas came as punishment for a number of sins including idolatry. Furthermore the sin of Lashon Hara (the most common cause of Tzaraas), is deemed equivalent to worshipping idols.
The Zav emission was as sign of sexual immorality and forbidden relationships.
Impurity from contact with the dead corresponds to the sin of murder.
These 3 sins are also hinted in the letters spelling the word טמא (impure). ט has a numerical value of 9; one who murders kills a being that took 9 months to create. Furthermore, in the Messianic age there will be 9 cities of refuge where inadvertent murderers will be exiled.
The מ represents the 40 days of the Flood. One of the sins of the people (and animals) of that generation was immoral relationships. The final letter, א is the first letter of the Alef Beis and has a gematria of 1. This represents the Oneness of Hashem and His absolute unity. An idolater denies this unity by worshipping another deity.
Our sages teach us that on account of the 3 primary sins the First Beis Hamikdash was destroyed. The Temple was the resting place of the Divine Presence. The Shechina cannot tolerate these evils and when they became widespread, the Temple became defunct.
On the day that the Mishkan was complete and the Divine Presence descended, Moshe was warning the Jewish people not to drive Hashem’s presence away. Not only were they to cast out impure people but also impure and unholy behaviour.
It is unlikely that any of us has committed any of the 3 primary Aveiros. But we may be guilty in their more subtle forms;
Embarrassing someone publicly is akin to murder. Just this week in the USA we witnessed how societal attitudes and prejudices resulted in bloodshed. Expressing anger is likened to idolatry and Lashon Hora is equal to all of these 3 sins. The Torah teaches us that if we want Hashem’s presence to dwell in the world amongst us, we need to banish these impurities from our midst.
Once the Mishkan was completed and the Temple service was operational, the Divine Presence rested in the camp, imbuing it with holiness. From this moment on, impure people could no longer be present.
The Posuk lists 3 categories of impure people; someone who was afflicted with Tzaraas, a Zav who had become Tamei as a result of a bodily emission and anyone who had come in contact with a dead body.
Chaza”l explain that these different impurities did not have the identical status and were not treated the same. Only certain areas of the camp would be off-limits, depending on the source or type of one’s impurity.
The camp of Bnei Yisrael (described in Parshas Bamidbor) comprised of 3 rectangular camps, situated one within the other. At the centre was the Mishkan. This is referred to as the Camp of the Shechina (Divine Presence).
Surrounding the Mishkan were the Kohanim and Leviim, comprising the Camp of the Levites.
The remaining 12 Shvatim camped around the Levites in the Israelite Camp.
The Metzora was expelled outside of all 3 camps. He had to dwell alone outside the Machane Yisroel. A Zav was permitted in the Israelite camp but forbidden to enter the Levite Camp.
Someone who had become impure via contact with a corpse, was allowed into the Levite Camp but was forbidden to enter the courtyard of the Mishkan, the Camp of the Shechina. In fact, a corpse itself could be present in the camp of the Leviim as we see with the body of Yosef which was transported by the Leviim and rested in their camp.
Every part of the Torah is eternal, baring lessons and instruction that is relevant in all times. What message can we learn from these laws when we no longer observe the laws of purity?
The Kli Yakar quotes a Midrash which equates these 3 categories of impurity to the 3 cardinal sins.
Tzaraas came as punishment for a number of sins including idolatry. Furthermore the sin of Lashon Hara (the most common cause of Tzaraas), is deemed equivalent to worshipping idols.
The Zav emission was as sign of sexual immorality and forbidden relationships.
Impurity from contact with the dead corresponds to the sin of murder.
These 3 sins are also hinted in the letters spelling the word טמא (impure). ט has a numerical value of 9; one who murders kills a being that took 9 months to create. Furthermore, in the Messianic age there will be 9 cities of refuge where inadvertent murderers will be exiled.
The מ represents the 40 days of the Flood. One of the sins of the people (and animals) of that generation was immoral relationships. The final letter, א is the first letter of the Alef Beis and has a gematria of 1. This represents the Oneness of Hashem and His absolute unity. An idolater denies this unity by worshipping another deity.
Our sages teach us that on account of the 3 primary sins the First Beis Hamikdash was destroyed. The Temple was the resting place of the Divine Presence. The Shechina cannot tolerate these evils and when they became widespread, the Temple became defunct.
On the day that the Mishkan was complete and the Divine Presence descended, Moshe was warning the Jewish people not to drive Hashem’s presence away. Not only were they to cast out impure people but also impure and unholy behaviour.
It is unlikely that any of us has committed any of the 3 primary Aveiros. But we may be guilty in their more subtle forms;
Embarrassing someone publicly is akin to murder. Just this week in the USA we witnessed how societal attitudes and prejudices resulted in bloodshed. Expressing anger is likened to idolatry and Lashon Hora is equal to all of these 3 sins. The Torah teaches us that if we want Hashem’s presence to dwell in the world amongst us, we need to banish these impurities from our midst.