Sanctity Is Stronger Than The Whole Lot Of Hell  ― Thomas Merton

The Gemara relates a quiz that Chaggai the prophet gave to the Cohanim. In our Gemara there is a discussion about the exact nature of the questions and the answers however I would like to focus on a beautiful explanation of the Malbim on these verses (Chaggai 2:12-14)

הֵ֣ן ׀ יִשָּׂא־אִ֨ישׁ בְּשַׂר־קֹ֜דֶשׁ בִּכְנַ֣ף בִּגְד֗וֹ וְנָגַ֣ע בִּ֠כְנָפוֹ אֶל־הַלֶּ֨חֶם וְאֶל־הַנָּזִ֜יד וְאֶל־הַיַּ֧יִן וְאֶל־שֶׁ֛מֶן וְאֶל־כָּל־מַאֲכָ֖ל הֲיִקְדָּ֑שׁ וַיַּעֲנ֧וּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֛ים וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לֹֽא׃

If a man is carrying sacrificial flesh in a fold of his garment, and with that fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, will the latter become holy? In reply, the priests said, “No.”

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חַגַּ֔י אִם־יִגַּ֧ע טְמֵא־נֶ֛פֶשׁ בְּכָל־אֵ֖לֶּה הֲיִטְמָ֑א וַיַּעֲנ֧וּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֛ים וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ יִטְמָֽא׃

Haggai went on, “If someone defiled by a corpse touches any of these, will it be defiled?” And the priests responded, “Yes.”

וַיַּ֨עַן חַגַּ֜י וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֵּ֣ן הָֽעָם־הַ֠זֶּה וְכֵן־הַגּ֨וֹי הַזֶּ֤ה לְפָנַי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְכֵ֖ן כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יְדֵיהֶ֑ם וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר יַקְרִ֛יבוּ שָׁ֖ם טָמֵ֥א הֽוּא׃

Thereupon Haggai said: That is how this people and that is how this nation looks to Me—declares the LORD—and so, too, the work of their hands: Whatever they offer there is defiled.

The pashut peshat in the quiz is as follows: In Scenario One, the priests were asked if one holds sacrificial flesh inside their garment, and then through the garment touches other kinds of food, all that food now become consecrated? Obviously no. And in scenario two the question is if someone who is impure who touched a corpse now directly touches his food will it be rendered impure? Obviously, the answer is yes.

Because this quiz seems so simple, our Gemara invests much more complex levels to the quiz having to do with tertiary, quaternary and quinary levels of Tumah. However the Malbim understands these verses as simply stated, and in fact the quiz was obvious because the prophet was alluding metaphorically to a bigger problem. He was saying that if you have barriers or insulation between yourself and that which is holy, the holiness will not penetrate. On the other hand, if you are in contact with that which is contaminated you’ll become contaminated and spread the contamination as well. This was a rebuke to the Jewish people that they were not internalizing their holiness and allowing barriers to separate them. On the other hand, unfortunately, they were in with impurities and spreading it further.

Holiness must be allowed to penetrate into the heart. What stops holiness? Barriers. What barriers stop you from being holy?

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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