Zav
| Part ofJudaicseries of articles on |
| Ritual purity in Judaism |
|---|
 |
In Jewish ritual law, azav(Hebrew:זב;lit. "one who[se body] flows" ) is a man who has had abnormal seminal discharge from the male sexual organ, and thus entered a state ofritual impurity.A woman who has had similar abnormal discharge from her genitals is known as azavah.
Purification requirements for thezavinclude counting seven days without seminal discharge, immersion in aspring,and bringing certainkorbanot(sacrifices). In the realm oftumah and taharahlaw, thezavhas the ability to create amidrasand is prohibited from entering specific areas of theTemple Mount.
The impurity ofzavis unique in that it cannot be purified by immersion in a normalmikveh,but rather requires immersion in a spring of running water (mayim hayim).[1]
Etymology[edit]
The Hebrew verb stemzuv(Hebrew זוּב), inbinyan Qalform, iszava(זָבָה). It means "to flow," as in "a landflowing with(זָבַת) milk and honey ".[2][citation needed]
Hebrew Bible[edit]
The laws governingzavstatus appear in the book ofLeviticus,introduced as follows:
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When any man hath an issue out of his flesh, his issue is unclean. And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue, or his flesh be stopped from his issue, it is his uncleanness.
This is followed by the laws relating to azav:the impurity laws, the purification procedure when the flow has stopped, and the sacrifices to be offered after purification (Leviticus 15:4–15).
The similar laws of azavahappear later in the same chapter (Leviticus 15:25–30). The commandment regardingniddah,found in the same chapter, uses the same Hebrew verb meaning "to flow", even though its laws are somewhat different from that of thezavorzavah(Leviticus 15:19).
In the second year afterthe Exodusfrom Egypt, when the Israelites were about to travel, they were commanded to send thezavoutside the camp (Numbers 5:2).
In rabbinical literature[edit]
The laws of thezavare first discussed in theMishnah,tractateZavim.A summary of the topic appears inSefer Hachinuch,Mitzvah 178.
Discussion of the physical situation[edit]
The malezav's discharge is different from that of the femalezavah:thezavahemits blood, while thezavemits a whitish fluid,[3]which has a slight reddish tinge.[4]According toMaimonides,thezavstate as a disease of the male reproductive system while the man's general health remains normal, causing semen to ooze out without stimulation, erection, or pleasure; and to be discolored and have a thin consistency.[4]
Based on the biblical Hebrew word החתים (lit. “sealed” )Abraham ibn Ezramentions thatzavstatus can also mean complete loss of ejaculation ability.[5]Maimonides understands the same word as meaning even a minute amount of ‘Zav’ discharge that passes the exiting boundary of the male urinary tract.[6]
Laws[edit]
If a man observes the abnormal discharge once, he becomes impure for a single day, like one who ejaculated normal semen.[7]If he observes the discharge twice, the full seven-day period of impurity is required. If he observes it three times, he is also required to bring the specified sacrifice. These observations can occur on the same day, or on consecutive days.[8]Only after the week's wait and immersion would he become ritually pure once more (Leviticus 15:25), but he would not be permitted to eatterumahnor to eat the flesh of a sacrifice until after bringing his sacrifice until nightfall of the eighth day.[9]
Thezavis quantified as anAv HaTumah,something able to transfer uncleanliness. In addition, his actualzavdischarge,saliva,semen, andurineare also deemed to haveAv HaTumahstatus.
In regard to the transportability oftumahfrom thezav,the Mishnah records that if a ritually clean person and azavboth sat on an animal, or in a small boat, then the ritually clean person would become ritually unclean by doing so, regardless of how far apart they might sit. This is known ashesset( "minor movement" ).[10]
Regularejaculationis treated as being distinct fromzav,and is known askeri(Leviticus 15:16–18).
Viewed as Divine punishment[edit]
Ibn Ezra notes that the Torah requirement of bringing asin-offeringupon the completion of seven clean days is an indication that thezavcommitted a sinful act that incurred hiszavstatus.[11]Similarly,Hezekiah ben Manoahwrites that the textual order of thezavlaws near those oftzaraathandembezzlement(me'ilah), and demonstrate thatzavstatus is incurred by lack of earnestness (to God) and sin.[12]
RabbiShabbatai HaKohen( "the Shach" ) comments thatzavstatus is a divine consequence for excessive indulgence in physical relations that take place in the laying position. Thus, as consequence, items thezavwill lay upon (i.e.midrasobjects) will becometamei(impure) for the duration of hiszavstate.[13]
In modern Judaism[edit]
The laws ofzavhave little relevance nowadays, as a state of purity is only required for activities such as entering theTempleand eatingterumah- activities which are not practiced nowadays.
Azavwould be prohibited from visiting theTemple Mountnowadays without undergoing the purification procedure.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Leviticus 15:13;Mishneh Torah,Mikvaot 1:5
- ^Exodus 3:8.
- ^Mishnah,Zavim 2:1
- ^abMaimonides,commentary to Mishna Zavim 2:2
- ^Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 15:13
- ^Maimonides, Commentary to Mishna Zavim 1,4Mossad HaRav Kookedition, with RabbiYosef Qafihcommentary, note 19
- ^Mishnah Zavim 1:1 (Beit Hillel's opinion)
- ^Mishnah,Zavim,1
- ^MishnahNega'im14:3 andObadiah ben Abraham's commentary
- ^Mishnah,Zavim,3-4
- ^Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 15:13
- ^Chizkuni "on Numbers 4:6
- ^Sifsei Kohento theChumashvol. 2 p. 245
Jewish life | ||
|---|---|---|
| Birth and infancy |  | |
| Coming of age | ||
| Daily life | ||
| Marriage | ||
| Religious practice | ||
| Religious items | ||
| Death | ||