[Avodah] Closed In vs Separated

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Apr 15, 2021 at 10:55:54PM -0400, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
>> Unqelus translates "tzaraas" as "segirus" or "segirusa".
>> "Tzarua" is "segir", etc...
>> Later in the parashah, he renders "nidah" as "richuqeih".
>> "Closed in" vs "distanced". Both causes of tum'ah.

> ArtScroll's "Onkelos" says this on Vayikra 13:2 -
>> Onkelos consistently refers to tzaraas as s'giru - literally,
>> confinement or closure - alluding to the obligation to confine the
>> afflicted one in certain cases, as stated below..

Wait one second... A nega on a person causes them to be sent michutz
lamachaneh. How do we define something by a feature that is only true
"in certain cases"?

> and on Vayikra 15:19 -
>> The Hebrew term niddah, as well as the Aramaic term richuk, mean
>> "separation" or "distancing." The period when a woman is a niddah is thus
>> called because during the time she is distanced from touching other people...

There is a difference between saying that the closure or distancing are
features of the halakhos of each, and saying that this is the defining
feature of the condition itself, the very word they should be called by.

If tzara'as is not just some tum'ah that causes one to be locked up
but defined by the locking up (assuming the above question is answered),
and nidah isn't just a kind of tum'ah that causes her to be distanced
but is defined by that distancing... What is "tum'ah" that they both have
in common?

...
> According to this, the nonkosher animals can impart two different kinds of
> tum'ah: Merely touching it is usually muttar, though it puts one into a
> halachic category which has various ritual restrictions. But ingesting it
> is always assur; it affects one's neshama in bad ways.

> Perhaps nidah and tzaraas parallel the above. Perhaps niddah is merely a
> ritual tum'ah, requiring only a certain physical distancing, whereas
> tzaraas is a spiritual tum'ah that has severe negative effects.

Well, the case of ben niddah indicates otherwise.

But I was wondering how this solves the problem to begin with. So, one
must stay away from spiritual tum'ah, but ritual tum'ah requires (in
some cases) locking up? Wouldn't it cause an obligation to stay away,
but with little damage?

The Seforno gives a different distinction, not helpful to answering
my question for similar reasons: He says that all tum'ah comes from
sin... Tzara'as comes from one's own sin, niddah -- from Chavah's.

But the Seforno's distinction could be the hashkafic basis for yours,
if yours holds up.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Today is the 23rd day, which is
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   3 weeks and 2 days in/toward the omer.
Author: Widen Your Tent      Gevurah sheb'Netzach: How does my domination
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                          stifle others?