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Adam, the first human, is created from the "dust of the ground," and Abraham is promised that his descendant will be as numerous as "the dust of the earth." Dust and dirt also play roles in many other stories, rituals, and laws throughout biblical and rabbinic literature, like the commandment to cover blood of a slaughtered animal with earth and the role of dirt in the sotah ritual.
Notable Sources
All Sources
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Adam's Divine Earthly Origin
TANAKH
The book of Genesis, the first book of the Torah, narrates the creation of the first human, Adam, from the earth's humus, and the divine act of God breathing life into him.
Sacred Dirt and Holy Water
TANAKH
The Torah describes the ritual determining the culpability of a woman suspected of adultery. The book of Numbers details how, as part of the ritual, a priest mixes holy water with dirt from the Tabernacle floor in an earthen vessel.
The Universal Dust of Humanity
MIDRASH
The midrashic tradition teaches that God formed Adam out of earth gathered together from all over the world. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, an eighth-century aggadic work, explains why this is.
The Dual Nature of Dirt
MIDRASH
The book of Genesis describes how God created Adam out of dirt. Bereshit Rabbah, an ancient midrashic work on the book of Genesis, explores the meaning and significance of different words used for dirt in this biblical narrative.
The Ritual of Collecting Dust
TALMUD
The ritual of the sotah involves a unique and detailed procedure for collecting dust within the sanctuary. The talmudic tractate Sotah describes the specific steps the priest follows, including the use of a marble tablet with a ring to access the dust, ensuring it is visible upon the water.
From Dust to Dust
KABBALAH
The Zohar teaches that everything originates from dust and ultimately returns to dust, emphasizing the cyclical nature of existence. This foundational work of Jewish mysticism uses the metaphor of dust to illustrate the interconnectedness of all things.
Examining Blood with Earth
TALMUD
The rabbis debated the specific locations from which earth should be brought to examine blood, reflecting their meticulous approach to ritual purity. The talmudic tractate Niddah discusses the examination of blood stains and the types of earth from various valleys to be used for this purpose.
From Dirt to Eternity
JEWISH THOUGHT
The body, made from dirt, returns to it upon death, while the soul, if meritorious, resides in a separate, elevated realm known as the world of souls. In Derekh Hashem, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto explores the journey of the soul after death and its eventual reunion with the body at resurrection.
Removing Mud on Shabbat
HALAKHAH
The Shulchan Arukh provides specific guidelines for removing mud from clothing on Shabbat, ensuring compliance with Sabbath restrictions. In the authoritative 16th-century code of Jewish law, the Shulchan Arukh, Rabbi Joseph Karo details permissible methods to avoid the appearance of laundering and the prohibition of grinding when the mud is dry.
The Impurity of Earth
COMMENTARY
The movement of a clod of earth can render one ritually impure, depending on its origin. Rabbi Ovadiah of Bartenura’s 15th-century commentary on the Mishnah, clarifies the laws of ritual purity and impurity related to earth from different locations.
The Prohibition of Sweeping on Shabbat
COMMENTARY
Sweeping the house on Shabbat might seem harmless, but it can lead to prohibited forms of labor. The Mishnah Berurah, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan's late 19th-century commentary on Jewish law, explains the prohibition against sweeping on Shabbat due to concerns about inadvertently leveling the floor.
The Nuances of Dirt and Earth
COMMENTARY
Understanding the nuanced differences between Hebrew words can deepen our comprehension of biblical texts. Malbim, a 19th-century rabbi and biblical commentator, distinguishes between עפר (dirt) and אדמה (earth), highlighting their unique characteristics and broader definitions.
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