Portion of the Portion

She Gives Birth to a Baby and Becomes Impure

The beginning of this week’s portion starts off with laws pertaining to childbirth. We are told that after giving birth a woman becomes ritually unclean. Why should having a baby make a woman TAMEI? What in the process of childbirth - bringing new life into the world - is connected with impurity? We would think the opposite - that with a new life life comes more purity.

TUM’A - impurity is a result of the absence of TAHARA. TUM’A, so to say, fills the void of the lack of holiness. The highest level of TUM’A is a dead body - where the person’s NESHAMA has left. The lack of that holy soul makes the body impure.

So how is a woman who just brought a new NESHAMA, a new life, into the world impure? Our Rabbis teach that the key to birth is in Hashem’s hand alone and He doesn’t share it with any of His helpers. When a woman is giving birth, G-d is there with her - He doesn’t send a SHALI’ACH or anyone else to help HIM in this task. G-d Himself is there with her through her labor, as the verse says: “VAYIFTACH ET RACHMAH” - G-d himself opened up her womb to let the baby out. So at each birth there is a special aura of holiness with G-d’s SHECHINA hovering there. The Kotker Rebbe explains that since G-d’s presence is at each birth, at the end of the birthing process, when G-d ,so to speak, departs, there is a lowering of holiness and TUM’A fills this gap. That is why the woman becomes impure.

Baby Carrots with Green Beans and Roasted Garlic
16 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 lb. (350g) green beans, trimmed
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 lb. (350g) baby carrots, peeled
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

To prepare garlic, bring 2 cups water to boil in small saucepan. Add garlic. Boil 3 minutes. Drain, peel garlic. Drizzle olive oil over garlic cloves and wrap loosely in foil. Bake 30 minutes at 180C. Let cool.

Cook beans in boiling salted water till tender (about 4 minutes). Drain.

Cook carrots with sugar and salt till tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and cool. Combine garlic, beans and carrots. Saute in 2 Tbsp. olive oil until heated through. Add salt and pepper to season - serve hot.

• Other Portion of the Portion
• SHOV'VIM TAT
• The Women in Sh'mot
• Fanatic? Who Me?