Mattot 42-3

Tribes

Numbers 31:13-24

Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp.

Num. 31:13 NIV

Can the pure be mixed with the impure?

The 12000 soldiers had touched the dead during war. That's why they were all ritually impure and couldn't enter the camp of the sacred people. Therefore, Moshe, Eleazar, the high priest and all the chiefs of the congregation went out to receive them.

The impure couldn't enter the pure camp, but the pure ones could come out to receive the impure ones without being contaminated. Even though the high priest was the most sacred person of Israel and couldn't be in contact with death, he could come out where the impure were and instruct them about how they had to get purified in order to enter the pure area. This teaches us that the impure can't be introduced in the pure. But the pure can influence over the impure to purify it.

What a beautiful scene! Men can't enter in the sacred presence of the Eternal due to their state of impurity and mortality. But the sacred comes out from the Eternal's presence to purify it and grant it immortality so men can enter His sacred presence and remain there forever.

Blessed be the Eternal for having come to encounter us to rescue and purify us!!

Ketriel