Numbers 5-6

On Holiness
Numbers 5: Unclean Persons / Confession and Restitution / Concerning an Unfaithful Wife
Numbers 6: The Nazirites / The Priestly Benediction

On Holiness
I am working on this theory of holiness - that holiness is sanctity expressed by separateness. What is holy in the bible (or at least thus far) is what is separate. Holiness is an ordering principle. There are things that are holy and things that are unholy. Holy means clean or pure; unholy means unclean or impure. Clean and pure things are not mixed with other things. Kosher laws not only specify which animals are edible, but prevent the mixture of milk and meat, which are symbols of life and death.

Holiness works on a number of levels. Individual items may be holy or unholy, but so may be Israel. When Israel acts in a way that makes itself holy - separate from the corrupting ways of the peoples around it - it is with God. When Israel acts in a way to make itself unholy - disobeying God's laws or adapting the ways of surrounding peoples - it finds itself away from God, in exile. The bible, after all, is the story of exile and return, and of Israel following God's instructions. It is the obedience and disobedience of God on the personal and communal levels that gives us the story of the bible.

Unholiness, by the way, is contagious, if the bible's bit on leprosy tells us anything. Holiness, on the other hand, must be worked toward. Frequently things must be consecrated to make them holy. Adherence to specific laws impart holiness.

Some of today's reading will deal with holiness, the rest with laws whose observance results in holiness. Let's dig in.

Numbers 5

Unclean Persons: Numbers 5.1-4
The Lord commands Moses to command the Israelites to expel from the camp everyone who is leprous, has a discharge, or is unclean from contact with a corpse.

They are to be removed in the name of holiness, which is the name of cleanliness. Says God: "they must not defile the camp, where I dwell among them" (Num. 5.3). These people are impure and therefore desecrate the camp, God's residence. It is a bit of holiness housekeeping.

Confession and Restitution: Numbers 5.5-10
A law: When one person wrongs another so as to incur guilt, that person shall confess the sin and make full restitution, adding an extra one-fifth. What the bible does not say is that the wrong this law refers to is manslaughter. This can be inferred from the following instruction:

If the injured party has no next of kin to whom the restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong shall go to the Lord for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for the guilty party.
(Num. 5.8)

Even though the text does not directly mention death, it can be inferred by context clues.

Another law: The sacred donations may be earmarked for a priest, so that he will receive the meat or bread or whatever is being offered, after the Lord's portion is taken out.

Concerning an Unfaithful Wife: Numbers 5.11-31
I'm going to say this upfront: this law is sexist by today's standards. And there is no reverse procedure for a woman accusing a man of unfaithfulness. The standards clearly favor the male in this male-dominated society. In any case, the procedure for determining a woman's unfaithfulness is full of symbolism. And if the woman is found innocent, the man bears no guilt for a false accusation.

If a woman commits adultery or is accused of adultery by her husband in "a spirit of jealousy," and there is no witness, it must be determined whether she did, in fact, defile herself through adultery. The man must bring a rain offering of one-tenth an ephah of barley flour as a grain offering. It is to have no oil or frankincense, "for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembrance, bringing iniquity to remembrance" (Num 5.15). The cost of the whole procedure is a half-bushel of grain, which must be furnished by the accusing husband.

The priest shall put the woman before the Lord presumably in front of the altar of burnt offering. This would be a terrifying place indeed though holy, it is nevertheless a place of blood and fire. The priest then takes some dust from the floor, and adds it to an earthen vessel full of holy water. The pure water does not become polluted by the dust - it is holy dust in holy water, so the mixture is holy. This "water of bitterness," as it is called, will curse the woman if she is guilty.

The priest should dishevel the woman's hair and have her hold the grain offering. The symbol of the accusation is now held by the accused. The priest makes the woman utter an oath claiming that the water of bitterness will bring a curse if the woman is not innocent. If the woman is innocent, she will be immune. If not, the woman will suffer bitter pains, she will have a discharge, and her uterus will drop. The priest will write the curses of pain, discharge, and the dropped uterus, and whatever is written on will be put in the water so that the words dissolve and the water takes on the curse both literally and figuratively.

The priest then should sacrifice the grain offering and the woman should drink the water of bitterness. If she is guilty, she will suffer the curse. If not, she will be immune to it.

Numbers 6

The Nazitites: Numbers 6.1-21
Israelite men and women have the opportunity to dedicate themselves to the Lord, thereby making themselves holy. These people are called "nazirites." The dedication may occur for a period of time or one's whole life. A vow is necessary to become one, and a nazirite may reenter society if he or she wishes.

Nazirites must abstain from all products of the grapevine, including grapes, raisins, grape juice, wine and vinegar. They must also not cut their hair. They may not go near a corpse, even that of their mother and father, which is a more strict rule than applies to a priest (with the exception of the highest priest).

If a nazirite accidently comes into proximity of a dead human, the nazirite incurs guilt and must undergo a process of cleansing. On the seventh day of cleansing the nazirite must shave his or her hair. On the eighth day the nazirite must bring two turtledoves or young pigeons to the tent of meeting to be sacrificed, one as a sin offering, the other as a burnt offering. The nazirite must bring a year-old lamb as well, as a guilt offering. From here the nazirite begins anew, with the former period of removal to the Lord voided by the contact with death. Holiness, apparently, is a fickle thing.

Nazirites may end their devotion to the Lord as a group. They should offer offer a sacrifice of an unblemished year-old male lamb, an unblemished year-old ewe lamb, an unblemished ram, a grain offering, and a drink offering. The nazirites shall then shave their heads and burn the hair under the sacrifice of well-being. The priest shall take the shoulder of the ram and some bread, put it in the hands of the nazirites, and elevate the ofering. After this, the nazirites may drink wine, thereby ending their time of dedication to the Lord.

The Priestly Benediction: Numbers 6.22-27
The Lord tells Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to bless the Israelites in the following way:

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
(Num. 6.24-26)

That's some biblical poetry right there.