With the destruction of the Second Temple, many of the laws of purity and impurity became moot. Furthermore, most of the biblical ritual purification ceremonies (which involved sacrifices) were no longer available. Nevertheless, if one studies our two Torah portions one can see that there was a worldview and attitude to life embedded in those rituals. Through the opposing states of purity and impurity, the Torah points us toward both upholding life, as well as dealing constructively with the inescapable—but often shattering—incursion of death into our lives.

Download or listen to the full Dvar Torah below.