How did they manage in the times of the Bais Hamikdash?

mommyfish

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 1:49 pm

Every night my husband and I learn some of the parsha of the week together.
This weeks parsha discusses the laws of niddah. If we think it’s hard now, it was a million times harder then! Whatever the woman sat on, touched, etc became taamai if she was a niddah. How did they manage doing this each month? What was the tehorah process for the stuff? (Didn’t get up to that yet) And most importantly, is this what is going to be expected of us by moshiach?

Elfrida

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 3:35 pm

Tuma was just a result if niddah; there were all kinds of causes. They were much more familiar with the details of the halachos, and would have navigated their way through them automatically. Think how complicated Shabbos or kashrut is coming to it for the first time. But we are familiar with it, and while questions come up, we know the principles and deal with it all without too much trouble.

There will be a pretty steep learning curve to begin with. Plastic is not considered to be mekabel tuma, which will make life easier to begin with. We'll learn it in time.

leah233

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 3:38 pm

I heard that The Rambam says weren't any more makpid on these things then we are today.

When you were going to the Beis Hamikdash you went through the process of making yourself Tohar. The rest of the time they did like what we do today.

Plonis

Wed, Apr 14 2021, 3:45 pm

Most people were not on the level of "Chaver," who were always careful about tumah.

It sounds overwhelming like Taharas Hamishpacha does. In real life, these issues are much more minor and matter-of-fact.

I.e., DH has an emission which makes him a Zav, or DW becomes a niddah. They calculate how far retroactively they must consider themselves tomei, and isolate any vessels which may have become tomei. Most can be immersed in a mikvah for tahara, and presumably a chaver would prefer items that cannot become tomei, like a stone bench or fishskin bag.

While tomei they are careful what they touch, and DH prepares food while his wife is tomei so as not to be metamei the kelim.

After the waiting period, he or she goes to the mikvah, and life resumes.

I think that being tomei was less private, especially since there were multiple causes of tumah.

A non-chaver would just continue their lifestyle, because there's no issur of having tumah or eating food prepared in tumah. Before going to the Beis Hamikdash to be Oleh Regel, they would make sure that they (and their packed belongings?) were tahor.