[Avodah] is this ok?

[Akiva Miller]

R' Saul Newman asked:

> why does an ex-meshumad toivel?
> is there not an inyan of removing tum'ah?

We tend to associate tevilah with removal of tumah, but that is a gross over-generalization. Tevilah is also often done to add kedusha.

I think the simplest example of this is the many tevilos done by the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur - surely no one thinks that there's any tumah he needs to get rid of. I would think that tevilas keilim is another example - the pots aren't really tameh, are they?

I think there are also times when tevilah is for *both* tumah and kedushah reasons: When men tovel for Shabbos or Yom Tov, for example, I understand it to be for both purposes - getting rid of those forms of tumah that we are able to get rid of, and also for added kedusha. Similarly, the tevilah of a ger - While one could argue that it is to get rid of the rabbinically imposed tumah of non-Jews, the d'Oraisa requirement must be for something above and beyond that.

Akiva Miller

____________________________________________________________
Woman is 53 But Looks 25
Mom reveals 1 simple wrinkle trick that has angered doctors...
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/50325bf338a765bf25503st01vuc