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WASHING OF THE HANDS
 Washing
of the hands as a form of immersion is by far the most widespread. The
method of washing is either by immersion up to the wrist or by pouring
1/4 log (approximately 1/2 pint) of water over both hands from a
receptacle with a wide mouth, the lip of which must be undamaged. The
water should be poured over the whole hand up to the wrist, but is
effective as long as the fingers are washed up to the second joint. The
hands must be clean and without anything adhering to them; rings must be
removed so that the water can reach the entire surface area. The water
should not be hot or discolored and it is customary to perform the act
by pouring water over each hand three times. The hand washing ritual is
commonly known as netilat yadayim/taking water to the hands, or
lifting of the hands.
Clean
hands are seen as a symbol of a guiltless soul, one that could stand
before G-d with a clean heart. Upon entering the sanctuary and
ministering to G-d one must be free of guilt and all impurity. In Psalm
134:2 it is written:
"Lift up your
hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD".
In
Psalm 28:2 it is written:
"Hear the
voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands
toward thy holy oracle."
Rav Sha'ul/Rabbi
Paul put it this way in 1 Timothy 2:8 as it is written:
"I will
therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without
wrath and doubting".
When
a murder was committed, the body found out in a field, and the
perpetuator unknown, a determination was made as to which village was
nearest to the slain person. The elders of the village that was nearest
to the slain person were to go out into the field with a heifer of the
herd that had not had a yolk placed on her neck or had ever been worked.
They were to take the heifer to a valley with running water, which had
not been plowed or sown. The neck of the heifer was to be broken in the
valley. The elders were to say "Our hands have not shed this blood nor
did our eyes see it." the elders were to wash their hands over the
heifer's neck asking for forgiveness of Israel and ask the L-rd not to
place the guilt of innocent blood on the people. In Deuteronomy 21:6 it
is written:
"And all the
elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their
hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley: (7) And they shall
answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our
eyes seen it. {8} Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people
Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not
innocent blood unto thy people of Israel's charge.
And the blood shall be forgiven them. {9} So shalt thou put away the
guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is
right in the sight of the LORD.
At
the trial of our Messiah when the sentence of death had been passed by
Pilate, to show to everyone that Yeshua/Jesus was a just and
innocent man Pilate washed his hands. This act was to convey to all
present that he was not responsible and was guilt free of this death. In
Matthew 27:24 it is written:
"When Pilate
saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he
took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am
innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it".
By
the first century washing of the hands had developed into a tradition of
the elders and expanded into other areas besides removal of guilt.
Washing the hands is a rabbinic ordinance to correct the condition of
tomeh yadayim/impurity of hands. According to one tradition
"impurity of the hands" (and washing them as a means of purification)
was instituted by King Solomon. while another has it that the disciples
of Hillel and Shammai were responsible for it. It seems that the custom
spread from the kohen/priests, who washed their hands before
eating consecrated food, to the pious among the laity and finally became
universal. The detailed regulations concerning "impurity of the hands:
constituted one of the 18 ordinances adopted in accord with the opinion
of the school of Shammai against the school of Hillel, and it met at
first with considerable opposition. In order to establish the practice
the rabbis warned of dire consequences for those who disregarded it,
even going so far as to predict premature death. The reasoning was that
in the marketplace one may touch ceremonially impure things; the
impurity is removed by rinsing up to the wrist. Orthodox Jews today
observe n'tilat-yadayim/ritual hand washing before meals. The
rational for it has nothing to do with hygiene but is based on the idea
that "a man's home is this
Temple," with the dining table his altar, the
food his sacrifice and himself the kohen/priest. Since the
Tanakh/Old Testament requires the kohen/priest to be
ceremonially pure before offering sacrifices on the Temple altar, the rabbinic ordinance
requires the same before eating a meal. We see an example of this is in
Mark 7:3 as it is written:
"For the
Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not,
holding the tradition of the elders." (They were also careful that all
their pots, pans, dishes etc. were immersed in the mikvah). {4} "And
when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many
other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing
of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables"
We
see in Mark 7:5 what seems to be a contradiction in scripture. Messiah
appears to be condemning all of Pharisaic tradition, in the answer He
gives to the Pharisees, when criticized for not keeping the tradition of
the elders.
{5} "Then the
Pharisees and scribes asked him, 'Why walk not thy disciples according
to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"
The
answer is recorded in Mark 7:7-8 as it is written:
"Howbeit in
vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
{8} For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of
men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye
do."
Actually
Messiah was only opposed to those practices of the Pharisees that placed
human tradition above G-d's command. Please remember that Messiah never
broke any commandment but He did break quite a few of the traditions of
the elders.
WASHING THE HANDS AND FEET
Washing
of the hands and feet is a type of immersion and was a requirement for
the kohen/priests before participating in the
Temple
service. Each time before entering into the Tabernacle or the Temple the kohen/priest must wash his
hands and feet under a penalty of death. In Exodus 30:17-21 it is
written:
"And the LORD
spake unto Moses, saying, {18} Thou shalt also make a laver of brass,
and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it
between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt
put water therein. {19} For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands
and their feet thereat: {20} When they go into the tabernacle of the
congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when
they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire
unto the LORD: {21} So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that
they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him
and to his seed throughout their generations.
Messiah
washed the feet of this talmidim/disciples/students at the last
passover Seder. This act has inspired many traditions in many
dominations. Actually several dominations have been formed on this one
act alone. Messiah was preparing His talmidim/students to
receive their ministry just as the sons of Aaron had. Yeshua was also
acting as a priest installing/consecrating His talmidim/students
into the office of kohen/priest. In Exodus 30:20 it is written:
"When they go
into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water,
that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to
burn offering made by fire unto the LORD"
The
sons are Aaron were already cleansed from impurity, but even so they had
to wash their hands and feet, or under penalty of death they could not
serve in the Temple. Just as the talmidim/students could not
receive their ministry until they had been washed. In John 13:4 it is
written:
"He riseth
from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded
himself. {5} After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash
the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was
girded. {6} Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him,
Lord, dost thou wash my feet? {7} Jesus answered and said unto him, What
I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. {8} Peter
saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I
wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. {9} Simon Peter saith unto
him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head."
SPRINKLING
I
am often asked, "What about Sprinkling?" Sprinkling was a form of
Ablution used in the purification of the Tabernacles and the Temple. The
ashes of the red heifer was mixed with water and in some cases blood and
sprinkled on items that could not be immersed. It is said that the water
Yeshua/Jesus turned to wine at the wedding in Canna was mixed
with ashes of the red heifer. In John 2:6-9 it is written:
And there
were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying
of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. {7} Jesus saith
unto them, fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the
brim. {8} And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the
governor of the feast. And they bare it. {9} When the ruler of the feast
had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was:
(but the servants which drew the water knew;)".
Sprinkling
was a part of the purification process of cleansing the leper. In this
case, a person was sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice. Always a
total immersion was to follow. In Leviticus 14:6-7 it is written:
"As for the
living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and
the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the
bird that was killed over the running water: {7}And he shall sprinkle
upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall
pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open
field".
If
a person was exposed to a dead body of either a human or unclean animal,
or if a person went into a tomb/grave, then this person became unclean.
Part of the purification process was to be sprinkled with the water
mixed with the ashes of the red heifer. His tent, cooking vessels, and
anything that he touched was sprinkled with this mixture on the third
and the seventh day after he had become unclean. The seventh day he was
to totally immerse himself (Numbers 19:18-19).
There
are other times that sprinkling is used as part of the purification
process. They are very similar to what was just mentioned in the
previous paragraph.
CUSTOMS
It
was customary for the sages (those who recorded the scriptures) to
immerse each day before beginning work. If during the day they had a bad
thought or began to perspire they had to go and immerse. The
understanding being that they must be pure to work in the scriptures.
Before
the young boys would begin to study the scriptures each day they would
go through an immersion.
Before
presenting a sacrifice in the Holy Temple the person would go through
the Mikvah. Even today many people immerse before Yom
Kippur/Day of Atonement, Rosh haShanah/Feast of Trumpets
and the Sabbath.
Immersion
in the mikvah is an act of self re-newal and re-birth and
therefore, it is customary to immerse as a sign of repentance. When a
person had been through an area of sin it was customary for him to go
through the mikvah. If a person had been very sick he would go
through the mikvah.
Some
upon rising in the morning would go through the mikvah before studying
Torah.
One
passing under an Asherah tree becomes impure and must go through an
immersion. An Asherah tree is described in Jeremiah 10:3-5 as it is
written:
For the
customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the
forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. {4} They deck
it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with
hammers, that it move not. {5} They are upright as the palm tree, but
speak not: they must needs be borne because they cannot go".
To
some this description resembles the modern Christmas tree.
After
being expelled from the Garden of Eden, tradition tells us that Adam set
in the river and repented of his sin of high treason.
WASHING OF THE DEAD
There
was a custom in some communities to immerse the body after death in the
mikvah as a final purification ritual to prepare the person for
resurrection. The practice was strongly discouraged by many rabbis,
however, on the grounds that it discouraged women from attending the
mikvah/ritual bath, when there attendance was required by Torah.
The most widespread custom is to wash the deceased with 9 kav
(approximately 4 1/2 gallons) of water. We even today practice washing
and dressing our dead. However it is not for the purpose of a final
purification rite. Rav Shaul/Paul was asked about this custom
and answered this way. In 1 Cor 15:29 it is written:
"Else what
shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at
all? why are they then baptized for the dead"?
Basically
what he is saying "this is an act that states that you believe in the
resurrection, if you do not believe in the resurrection why are you
doing this". This was only a custom and not a commandment. It was also
the custom to anoint the dead person before burial, we see an example of
this in Luke 7:36-38 as it is written:
"And one of
the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into
the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. {37} And, behold, a woman in
the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in
the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, {38} And
stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with
tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his
feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Remember
there was a very short time after the death of Yeshua until
they buried him. In the story in Luke 7:36-38, the woman was a sinner as
we all are if we do not receive the cleansing blood of Yeshua.
She was giving Him the preparations for His burial and resurrection.
IMMERSION OF THE EARTH
The
earth went through an immersion in Genesis 1:2 it seems to make it
ritually pure for the creation of Adam. It is said in Midrash that God
intended to give Torah/instruction to the generations of Noah. That
generations was so vile and corrupt that it could not accept Torah. Only
eight souls were found to be righteous at that time. Thus we see another
immersion of the earth. If water could not rectify man by purifying him,
it would do so by destroying all who were evil.
The
covenant has been given that the earth will not go through another
immersion by water but the next time it will be a purification of fire.
Just as the men of war returned from battle all the spoils received that
could be put through the fire were to be purified in that manner. The
men of war could not enter the camp for seven days. We will be with
Yeshua for a seven year period while the purification by fire is
being performed on the earth.
Part 4
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