269. Purifications of the Old Law: Spiritual and Bodily Uncleanness

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

Two Types of Uncleanness in the Old Law #

• Spiritual uncleanness (maior immunditia): corruption of mind through sin—requires expiation by sacrifice for sin
• Bodily uncleanness (minor immunditia): from contact with unclean things—requires only sprinkling of water
• These impede access to divine worship (cultus divinus), either in the mind’s devotion to God or in bodily sacrifices and offerings

Sources of Bodily Uncleanness #

• Death and corpses: body regarded as unclean because death is corruption
• Leprosy: from putrefaction of fluids that corrupt the flesh
• Menstrual flux: women undergoing blood flow considered unclean
• Male seed: through infirmity, nocturnal pollution, or intercourse
• Contact with unclean things: whatever touches unclean becomes unclean
• Inanimate things: houses, vestments, vessels can contract uncleanness from corruption or contact

Literal Reasons for Purifications #

1. Reverence for sacred things: Just as people do not handle precious objects with soiled hands, the unclean must be purified before approaching divine worship
2. Avoidance of idolatry: Gentiles used human blood and seed in sacrifices to idols; the law prohibits such practices
3. Health and contagion: Leprosy and other corruptions spread; the law protects the community
4. Distinction from defilement: Avoiding association with lepers and infirm peoples whose sickness was abominable

Figurative Meanings of Bodily Uncleannesses #

• Uncleanness of corpses → uncleanness of sin (death of the soul)
• Leprosy → heretical doctrine (contagious, mixed true and false like leprosy’s patchy appearance)
• Menstrual flux → idolatry
• Male seed → unclean speech
• Coition → original sin (transmitted to offspring)
• Contact with unclean things → consent to another’s sin (per 2 Cor 6:17: “Go forth from the middle of them and be separated”)

The Red Heifer Sacrifice (Numbers 19) #

Historical Context #

• Offered in memory of Israel’s sin in worshipping the golden calf (Aaron’s sin)
• Performed outside the camp (as Christ suffered outside the gate)
• Priest (Eleazar) handed the sacrifice to be immolated
• Ashes collected by a clean man and mixed with living water for purification

Literal Significance #

• Red color: represents the corruption of idolatry that must be burned away
• Cedar wood: does not easily corrupt; retains integrity
• Hyssop: retains odor after drying
• Scarlet/twice-dipped thread (coccus): dyed in water, signifying the elements
• Four elements signification: Cedar (earth), hyssop (air via odor), coccus (water via dye), fire (burning)
• Those who sprinkle become unclean, breaking infinite regress: one who sprinkles must be cleaned by another

Figurative Meanings (Ratio Figuralis) #

• Red cow = Christ according to His infirmity (feminine sex)
• Redness = blood of His passion
• Integral age, no blemish, unbroken yoke = Christ’s perfect operation without sin
• Cedar, hyssop, scarlet = height of hope, humility/faith, charity—virtues through which we adhere to Christ’s suffering
• Living water mixed with ashes = baptism receiving power from Christ’s passion
• Sprinkling seven times = universality (seven days of the week) and perpetuity of Christ’s cleansing power “unto vespers”—until the end of the world
• Those performing sacrifice become unclean = Jews made unclean by killing Christ, yet through this our sins are expiated

The Paradox of Unclean Purification #

• The priest and those handling the sacrifice contract uncleanness
• Yet their actions purify others
• Signifies that Christ’s passion, though appearing as death and corruption, cleanses us from sin
• The uncleanness remains “usque vespers” (until evening/end of present life) because those treating sacred things for others’ cleansing contract uncleanness themselves

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) #

Ritual Elements #

• Celebrated on tenth day of seventh month (once yearly)
• High priest first offers sacrifice (calf) for himself, commemorating Aaron’s sin with golden calf
• Ram offered in holocaust, signifying priestly prophecy ordered to God’s honor
• Two goats offered for people’s sins

Purification and Forgiveness #

• Necessary because priests have weakness and need expiation before offering for people
• Goats represent the animal suited to bearing sins (as in Luke 15’s parable of prodigal son)

Important Definitions #

Immunditia (Uncleanness) #

Two-fold:

1. From corruption of mind or body (maior immunditia)—requires sacrifice
2. From contact with unclean things (minor immunditia)—requires water sprinkling

Cultus Divinus (Divine Worship) #

Two-fold:

1. Spiritual: devotion of mind to God
2. Bodily: sacrifices, offerings, and other material actions

Aspersion (Sprinkling) #

The ritual sprinkling of water (sometimes mixed with ashes) for purification; related to reverence and the phrase “casting aspersions”

Examples & Illustrations #

Woman with Hemorrhage (Gospel Account) #

• Woman suffering menstrual flux approaches Christ and touches His garment
• Required courage despite being ritually unclean
• Christ heals her, demonstrating His power to transcend Old Law restrictions
• Shows Christ’s compassion even for the defiled

Contemporary Jewish Practice #

• After suicide bombings, Jews collect all body parts to maintain ritual integrity
• Wear protective coverings not only for sanitation but for ritual purity reasons
• Demonstrates continuity of purity concern even in modern context

Post-Partum Purification #

• In 1980s Catholic tradition (especially Maronite), women underwent four-day bathing period after childbirth
• Mother would come to church for special blessing of child (particularly firstborn)
• This was the “Purification of Mary” in the Roman ritual
• Families sometimes brought children specifically to monastery for blessing rather than parish

Handling Sacred Objects #

• Old pastor objected to lipstick on communicants’ lips during Eucharist, as it soiled altar linens
• Analogous to reverence principle: precious books should not be touched with soiled hands
• Example: three editions of texts—pocketbook, desk copy, venerable copy (like Leonine edition of Thomas)
• Shows how principle of reverence applies to both sacred and precious secular things

Superstitions in Mediterranean Cultures #

• Lebanese Christians wear turquoise (not blue topaz) to ward off evil eye—superstitious though popular
• Italian communities retain traditional healing and superstitious practices alongside modern medicine
• Shows persistence of Old Law-type purity concerns in contemporary folk religion

Questions Addressed #

Why was purification necessary if creation is good? #

• Purifications address corruption (death, disease, sin), not creation itself
• They remove impediments to worship, teaching reverence through cleanliness requirements

How does the red heifer paradox work? #

• Those performing the sacrifice become unclean, yet it purifies others
• Priest who sprinkles becomes unclean; another must sprinkle him
• Breaks infinite regress and signifies Christ’s passion (appearing as death/corruption) brings salvation

Why do inanimate things contract uncleanness? #

• Whatever touches something unclean becomes unclean
• Applies to houses, vestments, vessels
• Corruption spreads through contact, requiring destruction (burning) of contaminated articles

Why do those performing sacred functions remain unclean? #

• Those treating sacred things for others’ cleansing contract uncleanness themselves (Gregory)
• Remains “until vespers” (usque vespers)—until end of present life
• Signifies the cost of ministering to others’ spiritual needs

Notable Quotes #

“The body is more fit to be cast out than dung” — Heraclitus (cited by Berquist, discussing bodily uncleanness)

“Go forth from the middle of them and be separated and do not touch the unclean” — 2 Corinthians 6:17 (on avoiding consent to sin through contact)