The concept of ‘purity’ makes many who’ve grown up in a Christian dominated culture feel uncomfortable. It calls to mind the creepy fetishization of women’s virginity and the doctrine of ‘original sin’ that treats our bodies as impure sources of moral contamination. The Jewish idea of purity is completely different. Every morning, we say “ Elohai, neshama she-natata bee, tehora hee, ” which means, Eternal, the soul you have given me, it is pure. Judaism doesn’t seek to rid us of ‘original sin’, it tries to help us return to our spirits’ and our  bodies’ natural purity. 


haggadah Section: Urchatz