It might seem harsh at first glance, but let's dig into the story behind it, as told in Bamidbar Rabbah (7) – a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Numbers.
The verse that sparks this discussion is from Numbers 5:2: "Command the children of Israel, and they shall send out from the camp every leper and every zav, and every one impure by means of a corpse." A zav, by the way, is someone who has become ritually impure due to a bodily emission. So, why this seemingly exclusionary command?
Rabbi Tanchuma bar Rabbi Abba uses a powerful analogy, drawing from Proverbs 25:4: "Remove the dross from silver, and a vessel will emerge for the smith." What does that mean? Well, as long as impurities are mixed in, silver can't shine in its full beauty, it can't be crafted into anything worthwhile. Only by removing the waste, the dross, can its true potential be realized.
That’s how it was with the Israelites.
According to this midrash, when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, they were, shall we say, a bit rough around the edges. Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews echoes this, describing the Israelites' suffering under Pharaoh. They were toiling, building with mortar and bricks. Accidents happened constantly – a falling stone, a beam in the eye. Many were left with physical blemishes.
Then came Sinai. God was about to give the Torah, but He wondered, "Is this the generation worthy of receiving it? Blemished, imperfect?" But He also didn't want to delay the giving of the Torah. What to do?
Here’s where the story takes a truly miraculous turn. God sent angels to heal the Israelites! Rabbi Yehuda, quoting Rabbi Simon, emphasizes this point. How do we know they were all healed? The Torah tells us "They stood at the foot of the mountain" (Exodus 19:17). Standing implies being able-bodied. "Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform" (Exodus 24:7) suggests no one was an amputee. "And we will heed" (Exodus 24:7) indicates no one was deaf. "All the people saw the sounds" (Exodus 20:15) – a mind-bending phrase interpreted as proof that none were blind. And "All the people answered" (Exodus 19:8) shows that no one was mute.
Wow.
If you need further proof, Bamidbar Rabbah points to Exodus 15:26: "All the disease that I placed in Egypt I will not place upon you, as I am the Lord your healer." They were completely healed, made whole, and ready to receive the Torah.
But (there's always a but, isn't there?), after the sin of the Golden Calf, according to our midrash, they reverted to their blemished state, becoming zavim and lepers once more. Moses saw the people "wild" (parua) in Exodus 32:25, which the text connects to leprosy, drawing a parallel to Leviticus 13:45: "The leper in whom the mark is…and the hair of his head shall be unshorn [farua]…"
So, after the Tabernacle was built, and God's presence was dwelling among them, the command came to separate those who were impure. Why? "So that they will not defile their camp, in which I dwell in their midst" (Numbers 5:3).
It wasn't about casting people out forever, but about maintaining a state of purity within the camp, a space where God's presence could dwell. It’s a challenging concept, this idea of ritual purity and impurity. But Bamidbar Rabbah offers a powerful image: the Israelites, like silver, needed to be refined before they could truly shine and fulfill their purpose. And sometimes, that refinement requires separation, healing, and a renewed commitment to holiness. What does that process of refinement look like in our own lives?