Purity Customs: Food, Hands and Beyond (~2.5 h)

This seminar explains various Jewish purity customs, such as washing hands and avoiding certain foods, as "fences" built around commandments that direct Israelites to be pure as they approach God (like in Ex 30:17-20). If you are not familiar with the rabbinic practice of "building fences" to protect people from transgressing commandments, it's easy to see this technique in practice in the Sermon on the Mount. As we study together, we consider how purity customs are depicted in the Letter of Aristeas and get into a discussion about John's baptism in Luke 3. Besides the Bible, we peek into Mishna, Tractate Kelim, and Pirkei Avot and read from Avot deRabbi Natan to gain a better cultural understanding of ancient customs and ideas associated with spiritual and physical purity. Together, we discuss the Mark 7 handwashing incident to see how a common Jewish custom was completely missed and misunderstood.

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