Tumah

The concept of tumah is used in the Torah for three different matters: a. For tumah of touch and carrying. b. For prohibition of eating and c. For tumah that comes out of a person's body.

In Torat HaChassidut it is explained that tumah of touch is the makif (encompassing level) of kelipot and the other two are the pnimiyut (internality) of evil.

It should be noted that although in a specific way 'sitra achra' and 'tumah' are two different concepts: The 'sitra achra' also includes matters of reshut (permitted matters) (kelipat nogah), while "tumah" means complete evil (the three impure kelipot) - however, in a more general manner, the concept of tumah is often used for matters of reshut as well, and each place will be learned according to its context.

Tumah of Touch and Carrying

Extended topic - The Intention of the Mikveh

Its Concept in Chassidut

Tumah of touch is the aspect of makif of kelipah (and opposes the makif of kedushah). Therefore: a. Birur (refinement) is not relevant to it but rather complete nullification and removal. And b. This removal is through the makif of kedushah. That is, the refinement of good from evil is through inner light (b'chochmah itbariru), but the action of the makif is not refinement but complete destruction of evil.

The Reason It Is Purified in a Mikveh

Based on this, we can understand the concept of the mikveh which purifies specifically tumah of touch: Since this tumah is about the makif of kelipah, its removal from the world is through the waters of the mikveh which are the aspect of Keter (=makif of kedushah), and in avodah this is through the aspect of Daat (because Daat is in the middle column and therefore is related to Keter and ascends to Keter).

Connected to the Aspect of Smell

Just as in the body there are aspects of pnimiyut and makif (which are the matters of food and smell), so it is in the spirituality of the soul: The korbanot (which in avodah is the matter of prayer) are the pnimiyut of life-force, while taharah and tumah (which are only through touch and carrying) are connected to smell. As the saying goes, "Taharah took away the taste and the smell," and they are the aspect of makif, and just as the ketoret (which in avodah is the matter of teshuvah) is above all the korbanot: they are on the outer altar and it is on the inner altar and in the Kodesh HaKodashim.

The Difference Between Makif of Tumah and Makif of Clothing (Shatnez)

Tumah is the adhesion of the makif on the person, as his body becomes tamei through this and requires taharah even after he separates from contact with the tumah. This is not the case with shatnez, where when he removes the garment the prohibition is gone. That is, despite the fact that shatnez is also makif of kelipah (and is very difficult), the tumah of touch and carrying is more difficult and deeper than it.

Tumah of Desires and Prohibitions

Many times tumah is used for the concept of 'tumah' to refer to the blockage of the heart and mind caused not by touching an impure thing but as a result of transgressing a prohibition. That is, they interpret 'tumah' from the language of atimut and timtum (blockage and dullness).

And many times it is emphasized that timtum of the mind and heart are caused not only when one fails in sins, but even when one invests oneself in permitted desires. So that even when one contemplates and understands in the service of Hashem, the matters don't penetrate and illuminate within him.

In general, timtum of the mind and heart are both caused by immersion in desires, but specifically when a person is drawn to physical desires it causes mainly timtum of the heart, while immersion in the wisdom of the nations (secular knowledge) dulls the mind from recognizing kedushah.

Timtum (or Orlah) of the Heart

Extended topic - Timtum of the Heart

A thick and gross covering that envelops and covers the point of the pnimiyut of the heart, so that his heart is sealed and hardened until he cannot be moved at all with the movement of divine love and not even with the awakening of teshuvah with a broken heart at all. This timtum is not only in one who has come to complete tumah in deed (as a sin dulls a person's heart), but even if he is clean from all sin and only has in his heart grossness and materiality (that his heart desires every material desire for excessive pleasures of this world).

Timtum of the Mind

Extended topic - Timtum of the Mind

This is a state in which tumah seals and dulls the intellect of the person from thinking and understanding in the service of Hashem. And just as the yetzer hara weakens its power from the power of kedushah (as our Sages said, "If this vile one (the yetzer hara) encounters you, draw him to the beit midrash") and the yetzer tov strengthens - so it is on the other hand, when a person eats an impure thing his soul is transformed from that food and the yetzer tov weakens and the yetzer hara strengthens.

Tumah Coming Out from the Body

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The Three Impure Kelipot

The three impure kelipot are the general life-force of the seventy ministers, from which all prohibitions, impure animals, and lands of the gentiles receive their vitality.

These kelipot are completely evil and have no good in them at all, therefore they can never be elevated. It is understood that their correction is only through breaking and nullifying them and removing them from the world.

Extended topic - Tanya - Chapter 7

ABYA of Kelipot

The Ramaz wrote on the Zohar that kelipat nogah is like the Keter for the three impure kelipot. And Torat HaChassidut explains that kelipat nogah is the aspect of 'atzilut' of kelipah and the three impure kelipot themselves (stormy wind, great cloud, and flashing fire) are briah, yetzirah, asiyah of kelipah. That is, just as the drawing down of the vitality of kedushah in the worlds of BYA is possible only through atzilut (which is the intermediary between the Ein Sof and the created beings), so too the impure kelipot cannot receive vitality except through kelipat nogah.

And one of the matters in this in avodah is that if a person prevents himself from permitted desires (kelipat nogah), automatically the impure kelipot (prohibitions) will have no place to grasp onto him at all.

The Two Levels in the Three Impure Kelipot

Stormy Wind, Great Cloud, and Flashing Fire

These kelipot are indeed below nogah and are completely evil, but since they are closer to kedushah, it is easier to subdue them. Therefore, there are prohibitions that are easier to guard against, such as food prohibitions, theft, sexual immorality, and bloodshed.

Snake, Fiery Serpent, and Scorpion

The lower level in tumah is the three kelipot alluded to in the verse "snake, fiery serpent, and scorpion," and they are the kelipot furthest from kedushah and they are very powerful and very difficult.

The Rebbe explains their concept in the service of Hashem: Snake - "its venom is hot," meaning that the person begins to warm up and become enthusiastic about worldly matters, and this enthusiasm reduces his enthusiasm in matters of kedushah. Fiery Serpent - the enthusiasm in worldly matters becomes so strong in him that it not only diminishes the enthusiasm in kedushah but burns it completely. Scorpion - "its venom is cold," and this matter is worse than the snake and fiery serpent. Because when he has enthusiasm and warmth, even though it is in worldly matters, it still indicates life - and therefore this can be exchanged for vitality and enthusiasm of kedushah. But when he is in coldness, which is a sign of the opposite of vitality, this is much worse.