In search of purity

Chapter 16 of Leviticus describes the rituals that the High Priest had to perform on the day of Atonement in order to achieve God’s forgiveness for the transgressions committed, as it is defined by the verse that summarizes the essence of this peculiar day (16:30): “Because on this day (by means of officiated rituals and repentance) all your errors will be atoned for, to purify them, before God you will have to purify yourselves”. It follows from the quoted verse that by committing an error or a transgression the person becomes impure and that a state of purity is achieved through a ritual of sacrifices and offerings that accompany a feeling of repentance and contrition. In the case of damage caused to a neighbor, the damage must be compensated beforehand. But what is impurity? Jacob Milgrom (The Rationale for Biblical Impurity, Janes ...