Tazria
The Kedusha of A Baby .
Our parasha begins with the laws of a yoledet (a lady after childbirth) and tumat leidah (ritual impurity following birth). We would like to discuss, what reason lies behind the law that dictates that a yoledet becomes tamei unpure as a result of childbirth?
The Potential of Man
The Midrash tells us that when Adam Harishon was first created, his height was equal to the distance from one end of the world to the other. In other words, Adam Harishon spanned the entire world. The deeper idea behind this could be that Hashem gave Adam the potential for unlimited ruchniyut (spirituality) and this is symbolised by his physical dimensions, which spanned the entire world. If a person utilises his full potential (which is symbolised by his body) he can amass an entire "world" of spirituality and elevate himself to immense spiritual heights.
The "Key" of Childbirth
The Gemara in Niddah relates that a foetus in its mother's womb can "see" from one end of the world to the other. We would like to explain that a foetus in its mother's womb has no independent physical body at that stage, and its identity is solely the neshama. The neshama, which is completely spiritual, is able to "see" and perceive all that is occurring in the world, because it is not confined by the physical limitations of the body.
The Gemara in Ta'anit writes that there are three keys that are controlled only by Hashem: the keys for childbirth, livelihood and rain. The reason for this could be because it is specifically at childbirth that the connection is made between the neshama of the baby, which existed independently until this stage, and the body of the baby, which commences to function independently at childbirth. Only Hashem can make this connection between the neshama and the body.
The Impurity of a Yoledet
It is said in the name of the great Kotzker Rebbe zy"a, that the reason that childbirth causes tumah to the mother is because the highest peak of spirituality that a person will ever experience is: while he is in his mother's womb. Therefore, when a baby is born and leaves the womb, it loses great spiritual potential which can only exist in the womb, therefore in the absence of the potential for kedusha, tumah emanates. This is the source of tumat yoledet.
The principle behind this idea is that kedusha and tumah are two polar opposites and are mutually exclusive. When kedusha is present, tumah cannot exist, and when there is tumah it is impossible for there to be kedusha. This idea is also found in this parasha in the mitzvah of milah. Brit milah is the removal of the orlah which symbolises tumah. As soon as a baby is circumcised and the tumah of the orlah is removed, the baby can connect to kedusha.
Forbidden Foods and Yoledet
We would also like to suggest that this is the reason for the juxtaposition of the parshiyots of ma'achalot assurot (in the end of Parashat Shemini) and the parasha of tumat yoledet and brit milah (in the beginning of Parashat Tazria). Just as the Torah prohibits the consumption of ma'achalot assurot because these foods ``block" and disconnect the person who consumes them from kedusha, so too as soon as a baby is born it loses some of its spiritual potential, because now it consists of a mundane body , and this, to a certain extent disconnects the baby from its prior, unlimited spiritual potential and causes tumat yoledet.
As we read the parshiyot of tumah and tahara, let us "refresh" our connection to kedusha, and this will elevate our neshamots and bring us closer to Hashem.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Gad Bouskila
