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13 [1] HE HATH DEFILED THE SANCTUARY OF THE ETERNAL. Scripture mentioned this [punishment of] excision without explanation, saying, *he hath defiled the Tabernacle of the Eternal*, because He had already warned us against defiling the Sanctuary, just as He said, *she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the Sanctuary*. For since He mentioned [this prohibition] there in dealing with a lesser degree of impurity, namely, that of a woman after childbirth in the days of her purification, which is a natural event for her, it [is self-understood that it] applies equally to all impure persons. He has also mentioned the [requirement of] immersion [in a ritual pool for purposes of purification], saying, *but if he wash them not* [i.e., the garments which have become unclean], *nor bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity*, that is to say, *he will bear his iniquity* if he transgresses [the law and does] that which he is admonished not to do [i.e., if he eats holy food or enters the Sanctuary whilst he is still impure, or when he is wearing impure garments]. Therefore He stated here in respect of the impurity [conveyed] by a corpse that *whosoever touches the dead* *and purifieth not himself* [with the waters of purification], even though he washes his clothes and bathes himself in water, is [nonetheless] considered one who defiles the Tabernacle, just as if he had not immersed himself [in a ritual pool] at all. Thus it was only necessary to mention that the purification [by means of sprinkling the waters of purification] prevents him from becoming pure [if he did not sprinkle them upon himself, even if he washed his clothes and bathed himself in water], this being the meaning of the expression, *his impurity is yet upon him*, that is to say, even though he has immersed himself [in a ritual pool] like all other impure people, he still remains impure, *because the water of sprinkling hath not been sprinkled upon him*.
It is possible that the verse is referring to the man [mentioned above, who had become defiled by the corpse], and the meaning thereof is as follows: “*whosoever toucheth the dead, even the body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself* — ‘he who’ *hath defiled the Tabernacle of the Eternal shall be cut off from Israel*.” There are similar cases where the letter *shin* or the word *asher* [defining the nature of a relationship such as: who, which, that, etc.] is missing, [as in the following verses]: *l’chol yavo g’vurathecha* [which is to be understood as: *l’chol — asher — yavo g’vurathecha — Thy might to every one ‘that’ is to come*]*; v’chol yesh lo* (*and all he had*) *he put into his hand* [which is to be understood as: *v’chol — asher — yesh lo — and all ‘that’ he had he put into his hand*]*; eth haderech yeilchu bah* [which is understood as: *eth haderech — asher — yeilchu bah — the way ‘in which’ they must walk*]. There are many such verses. And the meaning of the expression *‘ki’ he hath defiled the Sanctuary of the Eternal* is “‘when’ he has defiled the Sanctuary of the Eternal,” [this usage of the word *ki* being similar to that found in the verse]*: ‘ki’ a bird’s nest chance to be before thee* [which means: “‘when’ a bird’s nest chance to be before thee”], and [it is like] its many companion-verses.
Now Scripture mentions here [the punishment of] excision twice [once in Verse 13 in connection with defiling the Tabernacle, and again in Verse 20 in connection with the Sanctuary]. In the opinion of our Rabbis this is in order to declare him liable for defiling the Tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, and also for the Sanctuary, i.e., the Permanent House [the Temple in Jerusalem]. According to the plain meaning [of Scripture] it may be that *eth mikdash Hashem* [usually translated: *the Sanctuary of the Eternal*] refers to the holy offerings. For He had already declared that he *that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which pertain unto the Eternal, having his impurity upon him*, is liable to excision; therefore He now declared furthermore that [in the case of impurity conveyed through a corpse] even if [the impure person] immerses himself [in a ritual pool] he is still liable [to that punishment], if he does not purify himself on the third and seventh day [with the waters of purification, before he eats of the holy offerings]. The meaning, then, of *mikdash Hashem* [literally: the “Sanctuary” of the Eternal] will be [as if it said]*: kod’shei Hashem* (the “holy things” of the Eternal), as in the expression *eth mik’dsho mimenu* [literally: “the Sanctuary thereof,” which really means: *eth kodsho mimenu* — “the hallowed part thereof”]. Thus the [punishment of] excision mentioned in [this] section refers to [entering] the Sanctuary [whilst impure, as stated above in Verse 13], and [eating] its hallowed offerings [in such a state, as mentioned in this verse here].
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that [implied] by the literal meaning [of Scripture], namely that the first [mention of] excision [in Verse 13] refers to one who [actually] touches the corpse, as He said, *Whosoever toucheth the dead, even the body of any man that is dead*, and the second [mention thereof, i.e., in Verse 20 here] applies to those who were rendered impure by *ohel* but did not [actually] touch *the bone* or *the grave*; for the meaning of [the expression] *but the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself* is: “*but the man that shall be unclean* by any of these means [mentioned in Verses 14-16] *and shall not purify himself*, [*that soul shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly*].” By way of the Truth [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], it is possible that the expression *mikdash Hashem* is alluding to the Sanctuary of the Sanctuary.
Version: Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976
Source: https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH002108945/NLI
License: CC-BY