Midras uncleanness

Midrasuncleanness(Hebrew:טומאת מדרס) is one of the forms ofritual impurity in Judaismwhich can be transmitted by either an object or person. The term may be translated aspressure uncleanness.

Woman inniddahstate standing on elevator rug using her full body weight, thereby rendering the rug a "midras tmeiah" (unpure midras)

Amidras(lit. "trampled on" object) is an object that can be a carrier of ritual impurity. Common objects that could potentially become unclean, and become a suchmidrasobject, include achair,sofa,mattress,andrug.A person who becomes unclean is categorized as a "father of uncleanliness".

A niddah hut (Mergem Gogo) at the Jewish village ofAmboberin northern Ethiopia, 1976.Beta Israeliwomen left their homes and stayed at the hut during menstruation, until they couldimmerseat the river and return home.

Hebrew Bible

The general concept of amidras,an object becoming a carrier for uncleanliness, is brought in the book of Leviticus, though the following verse does not employ the Hebrew termmidras;

Anyone who touches his bed must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.

— Leviticus 15:5,NIV

Becoming unclean

According to Maimonides onZavim4:4, themidrasobject becomes unclean by a person who is a "father of uncleanliness"(such as a man with aseminal emissionor a woman in the middle ofmenstruation) putting most of their body weight in one (or more) of five ways on themidras;

1. sittingon themidraslike a chair
2. lyingon themidraslike a rug
3. leaningon themidras
4. standingon themidraslike a mat
5. hangingfrom themidras

Transmitting uncleanliness

Once themidrasbecomes unclean, it transmits uncleanliness to clean persons or objects by one of seven ways;

1. bytouchingthemidras
2. bycarryingthemidras
3. bysittingon themidras
4. bylyingon themidras
5. byleaningon themidras
6. bystandingon themidras
7. byhangingfrom themidras

The person or object who becomes unclean via themidrasis categorized as aRishon L'Tumah.

Purification

The purification of themidrasobject is accomplished by immersing the object in amikveh bath(beforesunset), and the subsequent elapse of sunset.

Disqualified objects

Objects that are not subject to becoming unclean asmidrasinclude;

1. Unformed plates ofterracotta,
2. Any object or vessel ofstone,
3. Fabric or vessels made from fish (or any sea-life)
4. Objects or vessels affixed to the ground