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From: rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu (Russell Hendel)
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 20:24:52 -0400
Subject: A Succinct Explanation Of Toomah VS Niddah

In response to recent discussion on Toomah-Taharah laws allow me to
point out that what we don't have today is the "ability to fully remove
Toomah and become Tahor." However both the laws and statuses of Toomah
and taharah are in effect.

As an application of this we see that
	* I can't bring sacrifices because only tahor people can & I
can't become tahor
	* A priest cannot defile himself on a dead person since both the
status of of becoming defiled and the prohibition still exist
	* Similarly relations with a Niddah are still prohibited
	* While the full Taharah process for say women who give birth
requires bringing sacrifices nevertheless the intermediate taharah stage
of going to mikvah after appropriate counting of Tahor days does exist

I hope this distinction--becoming tahor vs status and
prohibitions--clarifies the matter

Russell Jay Hendel; Ph.d; ASA; rhendel @ mcs drexel edu