Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the Torah’s directive about the separation of Terumah from produce to be given to the Kohen. The verse reads:

“And you shall bear no sin by reason of it, seeing that you have set apart from it the best thereof” (Bamidbar 18:32).

The Gemara interprets this as a warning not to designate inferior produce as Terumah while retaining the superior portion for oneself. Yet, beyond this practical message, there is a deeper mystical idea at play here.

The Sefer Chana Ariel (Chukas 1) sheds light on the nature of tum’ah (ritual impurity). He explains that tum’ah is not merely a lack of holiness or secular status (chullin), but rather a more intense and negative state that arises from the sudden vacuum created when holiness departs. This explains why tum’ah often appears around death and loss of life, as the body, which once contained a holy soul, is left in a state of emptiness that invites impurity.

A physical analogy for this idea can be found in the sound of thunder. Thunder is caused by a sudden rush of air filling the vacuum created by the intense heat of lightning, which instantaneously incinerates a significant portion of air. Similarly, the vacuum left by the departure of something significant can be more damaging than mere absence. The Chana Ariel applies this concept to the mitzvah of Terumah. He suggests that one might worry that by sanctifying a portion of food, the remaining portion could become impure due to the “departure” of the holy portion. This concern is addressed by the Torah’s reassurance: “You shall bear no sin by reason of it.” Separating Terumah will not generate impurity in the remaining produce.

While Chana Ariel does not delve into why this effect does not occur, we might consider the nature of the produce before Terumah is separated. Prior to designation, the entire crop is not considered holy; rather, it is an undifferentiated whole that has the potential to be divided into holy and non-holy portions. In this sense, the separation of Terumah is not a loss of purity or sanctity, but simply a process of clarification and designation. It’s unlike the departure of a soul from a body, where a joint mission and sacred bond are severed, creating a vacuum of holiness that leads to tum’ah. In the case of Terumah, the act of separation is merely categorization, not the removal of a vital force, and thus it does not lead to impurity in the remainder.

This concept also carries a broader message: true impurity often arises not from something neutral or mundane but from the abrupt absence of sanctity, highlighting that in certain contexts, spirituality, like nature, “abhors a vacuum.” 

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

Do you like what you see? Please subscribe and also forward any articles you enjoy to your friends, (enemies too, why not?)