Tuma and Tahara - Purity and Impurity

[edu]

When we pray for the restoration of the Temple and some of us are even actively are involved in trying to increase Jewish control over the Temple Mount, we are moving in the right direction but we are still not doing enough.
One of things that we should be doing more, is to make ourselves more proficient in the laws of Tuma and Tahara - {purity and impurity} so that we will know how to act on a personal level, if we merit to have a rebuilt Temple in the near future.
There is a general principle in Judaism that the more we strive to fulfill a mitzva, the more Divine Assistance we get to fulfill it.

[muman613]

When we pray for the restoration of the Temple and some of us are even actively are involved in trying to increase Jewish control over the Temple Mount, we are moving in the right direction but we are still not doing enough.
One of things that we should be doing more, is to make ourselves more proficient in the laws of Tuma and Tahara - {purity and impurity} so that we will know how to act on a personal level, if we merit to have a rebuilt Temple in the near future.
There is a general principle in Judaism that the more we strive to fulfill a mitzva, the more Divine Assistance we get to fulfill it.

Indeed what you are saying is true. And I give a mighty 'Yasher Koach' to all who are involved in attempting to rebuild the Holy Temple on the Temple mount. Am I not correct in stating that in order to remove the Tuma Meit (Impurity of the Dead) requires the ashes of the Red Cow?

I remember a few years ago someone claimed to have a Red Cow which fulfilled the requirements as laid out in our Torah. But then I believe it was found out to be posul/invalid... Correct me if I am wrong...

But there is certainly merit in teaching and learning the laws of family purity (niddah) and building mikvot for women to use. It is also essential that we combat the easy access of internet pornography because, while I am certainly not perfect in this arena, it has become a very big problem for many. Tzvi Fishman who writes for Arutz Sheva spends a lot of time and effort to teach Jews about the importance of not engaging in sexual immorality in any form (And he gets a LOT of flack from his readers).



http://www.chabad.org/search/keyword_cdo/kid/1457/jewish/Family-Purity.htm

By the way Edu, Shana Tovah Umetukah for you and your family... It has been an interesting year and I value your opinion...

[edu]

lshana tova tikateivu to Muman613 and other lovers of Torah and Israel that participate in this forum.

Because the holiday is approaching I have to be brief for the time being.
To sum it up there are halachic solutions to the problem of Tumat Meit (Impurity from contact with the dead).

But even if we use them, we still have to solve other Purity issues not connected with Tumat Meit.
Again there are solutions but they require study and awareness.

[edu]

One of the various solutions to deal with the issue of Tuma, at least in order to allow us to rebuild the Temple is dealt with in Rabbi Elbaum's book, Torat Habayit Vol.3, siman 64, halacha 1
Here's a translation. The Rambam wrote (Beit Habechira 7:23) "When the builders enter to build and repair the Temple Sanctuary {Heichal} etc.... if they did not find pure people, the impure should enter" {end of quote, and his ruling is based on a long tract of Gemara at the end of Eiruvim}.
Seemingly the implication from the ruling of the Rambam is that even the impure enter to build and that is even to build from the very beginning; and even though Rambam doesn't explicitly mention the altar, but it is simple that the altar is part of the construction. Now since there are those that stutter about the meaning of  Rambam {in Beit Habechira 7:23} and wish to say that the intent is only to fix, if the building is already built, and in truth all questions need an answer.
We exerted ourselves and found, with G-d's help among the poskim that also the altar, it is permitted to construct in impurity {tuma}.See the book Mikdash Melech of the Rabbinic Genius, Maran, Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank zt"l, who wrote explicity in his book page 147: It is a long Braita in Eiruvin 105A and so ruled the Rambam that for the sake of building one can enter the House of the Holy of Holies, even in impurity and if so for the sake of building the altar definitely one is allowed to enter.
To be continued, G-d willing and bli neder

[edu]

Rambam in Hilchot Para Aduma chapter 2 halacha 7 teaches us
that one can have individuals that were never contaminated with the impurity of Tumat Meit {contact with the dead} if from birth, a child was raised and confined to a special area that was built in such a way to block Tuma rising up from any possible grave of a dead person, beneath.
This method in fact was used during the Second Temple, as one step in the preparation of new Red Heifers
which were used to purify people and objects from those that already did have contact with the dead and had the status of Tumat Meit.
We theoretically have the ability to recreate this process and raise a child until he is bar mitzva when he can then perform some of the Temple sacrifices and activities for us.
But in this case although we have solved the Tumat Meit problem, we have to make sure to solve other Tuma issues. This can be done but it takes preparation and awareness.

[edu]

Some of the sacrifices, namely, those that have a fixed time, can be offered despite there being contact with the dead, Tumat Meit, if the majority of the community is also impure, due to Tumat Meit.
While there are some limitations to this halacha, that I don't want to discuss right now, perhaps, the Rabbis will agree on some method to make use of this halacha, to restore sacrifices immediately.
Also some Rishonim claim based on the Talmud, that ashes of the red heifer, Para Aduma, still existed from what was produced in Temple Times, hundreds of years after the Temple was destroyed.
Perhaps, one day we can rediscover those ashes.
I read in a book Geula Bederech Hateva, by the historian, Morgenstern, that at least one of the major disciples of the Vilna Gaon, claimed {if he can be believed} that he knew where such ashes were located if ever they would be needed.