About the Book
The 10th book in the Mishne Torah, the first of three volumes targeted at those who want to know all Jewish law regarding purity and impurity by the greatest arbiter of Jewish law, The Great Eagle.
The Book of Purity deals with impurity and how to become pure again, and is the last book regarding the temple after Service and The Offerings.
The order of laws in the Book of Purity begin with the sources of impurity, continues onwards to disscuss things that make man impure and finishes with the ways how to become pure again.
The concept of purity indicates a situation in which a person may engage in holy texts and come into the temple, and impurity indicates a situation where restrictions apply regarding such things.
Impurity is not because of a moral flaw, purity allows greater connection to God.
Structure of the Book:
The Laws of the Impurity Imparted by a Human Corpse:
The laws governing the impurity imparted by a human corpse.
The Laws of the Red Heifer:
The special purification from the worst impurity, impurity imparted by a human corpse, by water wich was sprinkled with the ashes of the Red Heifer.
The Laws of the Impurity Imparted by Tzara’at:
The general term for tzara’at that afflicts humans, garments and homes, and those afflicted by them have continuous chumras.
The Laws of the Sources of Impurity that Impart Impurity to the Places Where One Lies and Sits:
A group that includes a woman in her menstrual state a woman who gave birth a zav and a zavah,, all are impure for seven days, and those who come in contact with them are imoure until evening. The uniqueness of these, also including the leper, is that they make impure anything they sit or lie on it even without direct contact..
The Laws of Other Primary Categories of Impurity:
The remaining impurities, impurity of a carcass and impurity of vermin and avut hatumaa from takanot hahamim,, also make impure until evening.
The Laws of the Impurity Contracted by Foods:
After the laws of sources of impurity come laws regarding what can become impure, food that can become and pass on impurity..
The Laws of the Impurity Contracted by Keilim:
After the laws of sources of impurity come laws regarding what can become impure, dishes that can become and pass on impurity..
The Laws Governing Mikveot:
At the end of the book after all the laws of impurity, the ways to be cleansed from impurity are described, immersion in the mikveh. And although that is not enough for purification from all impurities, it is required in all of them..
Example Pages From the Book
Books From This Category:
The Book of Service
The book describes the process of worship at the Temple, and communal sacrifices, in oreder to create yearning for the Temple.