Sinai & The Law

every animal that has a separate but incompletely divided hoof or that doesn't chew the cud is unclean for you; anyone who touches them will become unclean.

Whatever goes on its paws, among all animals that go on all fours, is unclean for you; whoever touches its carcass will be unclean until evening;

and whoever picks up its carcass is to wash his clothes and be unclean until evening -these are unclean for you.

"'The following are unclean for you among the small creatures that swarm on the ground: the weasel, the mouse, the various kinds of lizards,

the gecko, the land crocodile, the skink, the sand-lizard and the chameleon.

They are unclean crawling creatures; whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean until evening.

Anything on which one of them falls when dead will become unclean -wooden utensil, article of clothing, leather, sacking -any utensil used for work; it must be put in water, and it will be unclean until evening; then it will be clean.

If one of them falls into a clay pot, whatever is in it will become unclean, and you are to break the pot.

Any food permitted to be eaten that water from such a vessel gets on will become unclean, and any permitted liquid in such a vessel will become unclean.

Everything on which any carcass-part of theirs falls will become unclean, whether oven or stove; it is to be broken in pieces -they are unclean and will be unclean for you;

although a spring or cistern for collecting water remains clean. But anyone who touches one of their carcasses will become unclean.

If any carcass-part of theirs falls on any kind of seed to be sown, it is clean;

but if water is put on the seed and a carcass-part of theirs falls on it, it is unclean for you.

"'If an animal of a kind that you are permitted to eat dies, whoever touches its carcass will be unclean until evening.

A person who eats meat from its carcass or carries its carcass is to wash his clothes; he will be unclean until evening.

"'Any creature that swarms on the ground is a detestable thing; it is not to be eaten -

whatever moves on its stomach, goes on all fours, or has many legs -all creatures that swarm on the ground; you are not to eat them, because they are a detestable thing.

You are not to make yourselves detestable with any of these swarming, crawling creatures; do not make yourselves unclean with them, do not defile yourselves with them.

For I am ADONAI your God; therefore, consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy; and do not defile yourselves with any kind of swarming creature that moves along the ground.

For I am ADONAI, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. Therefore you are to be holy, because I am holy.

"'Such, then, is the law concerning animals, flying creatures, all living creatures that move about in the water, and all creatures that swarm on the ground.

Its purpose is to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.'" Suggested readings for Parashah Sh'mini from the B'rit Hadashah:

ADONAI said to Moshe,

"Tell the people of Isra'el: 'If a woman conceives and gives birth to a boy, she will be unclean for seven days with the same uncleanness as in niddah, when she is having her menstrual period.

On the eighth day, the baby's foreskin is to be circumcised.