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40-575: The yeshiva was founded by the Hasidim of Grand Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter ( Imrei Emes ), the fourth Gerrer Rebbe , and was named after the Rebbe's father, Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter , ( Sfas Emes ). With the Rebbe's approval, the head staff included Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kasher , Rabbi Yaakov Henich Sankevitz, and Rabbi Nechemiah Alter (the Rebbe's brother). The yeshiva opened with 25 students, who were soon joined by other students from Poland. All

80-432: A conduit for Divine and Godly manifestation. Although ṭum'ah and ṭaharah is sometimes translated as unclean and clean , it is more a spiritual state than a physical one. Once initiated (for the physical signs that initiate tzaraath , zav and niddah , see below) it is generally immeasurable and unquantifiable by known mechanical detection methods, there is no measure of filth, unsanitary, or odorous affiliation with

120-543: A corresponding adjective, ṭamé (טָמֵא), "impure". Likewise the Hebrew noun ṭahara ( טָהֳרָה ‎) is also derived from a verb, in this case ṭaher ( טָהֵר ‎) "to be ritually pure". and in the transitive piel "to purify". The verb and noun have a corresponding adjective, ṭahor ( טָהוֹר ‎), "ritually pure". The word is a cognate to the Arabic word ' طهارة ' ṭahāra(h) (pronounced almost identically, with

160-430: A married couple), and others are unavoidable (i.e. if a person dies suddenly while other people are in the house). Thus, there is no automatic moral stigma to becoming "impure"; impurity "comes to everyone universally and without exception by virtue of biological existence". Certain activities are prohibited as a result of acquiring this "impure" status. For example: Just as it is a severe offense to bring impurity into

200-505: A number of cases, no specific sin is mentioned; overall sinful behavior has led to impurity. Christine Hayes argues that moral impurity is the reason for the gentile expulsion and alienation that occurs in Ezra–Nehemiah . However, S.M. Olyan argues that this expulsion was inspired by earlier biblical traditions regarding both ritual and moral impurity. The Mishnah devotes one of its six sub-divisions, named Tohorot ("purities"), to

240-411: A red-brick ohel in the shape of a house was built over the two graves. Both graves are visited frequently by students in the yeshiva before and after their learning sessions. The ohel includes both a section for men (in the same room as the graves) and a section for women behind a rear door. The ohel is equipped with sinks for the use of visitors after they visit the graves. A small garden lies to

280-409: A red-brick ohel was placed over both graves, which are visited regularly by students in the adjoining yeshiva. The Hebrew acronym for Rabbi Avraham Mordechai is "Re'em ( Hebrew : רְאֵ"ם ). A religious moshav in central Israel is named for the Rebbe, Bnei Re'em , ( lit. Sons of Re'em) as well as the nearby junction of highway 40 and highway 3 . Tumah In Jewish religious law , there

320-541: Is ṭumath ochlin v'mashkin (consuming food and drink that did not become ṭamei ). Sages such as Rabban Gamaliel and Hiyya the Great encouraged eating only pure food at all times. Targum Yonathan considered this to be implicit in Exodus 22:30 . One who kept this stringency was called a porush , meaning "separated" (from ṭumah ). This was also one of the criteria for being a haver (a "friend" or "fellow" with whom

360-427: Is a category of specific Jewish purity laws , defining what is ritually impure or pure: ṭum'ah ( Hebrew : טומאה , pronounced [tumʔa] ) and ṭaharah ( Hebrew : טהרה , pronounced [taharɔ] ) are the state of being ritually "impure" and "pure" , respectively. The Hebrew noun ṭum'ah , meaning "impurity", describes a state of ritual impurity . A person or object which contracts ṭum'ah

400-456: Is said to be ṭamé ( טמא ‎ Hebrew adjective , "ritually impure"), and thereby unsuited for certain holy activities and uses ( kedushah , קְדֻשָּׁה‎ ‎ in Hebrew) until undergoing predefined purification actions that usually include the elapse of a specified time-period. The contrasting Hebrew noun ṭaharah ( טָהֳרָה ‎) describes a state of ritual purity that qualifies

440-534: The Admorim in Israel sent their sons to it, as well. The yeshiva grew year by year. In 1926, the Rebbe circulated a letter to his Hasidim on the day of his father's yahrzeit , expressing his support of the yeshiva: In the holy city of Jerusalem, a junior yeshiva has now been founded, in memory of my saintly father. It fills a need for the young students who live there, since the existing yeshivos cannot cater to all

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480-578: The Israelites and post-exilic Jews , particularly during the First and Second Temple periods , and to a limited extent are a part of applicable halakha in modern times. The Hebrew noun ṭum'ah ( טֻמְאָה ‎) derives from the verb ṭamé ( טָמֵא ‎), in the qal form of the verb "to become impure"; in the niphal to "defile oneself"; and in the transitive Piel to defile something or pronounce something impure. The verb stem has

520-816: The Mount of Olives , with the help of the Red Cross . Others believed that the Rebbe should be buried on the grounds of the Yeshiva, and his body transferred to a grave on the Mount of Olives after the war was over. The Rebbe's son and successor, Rabbi Yisrael Alter , gave the go-ahead to bury him in the yeshiva courtyard, where he lies until today. The Imrei Emes was succeeded as Rebbe by his sons, Rabbi Yisrael Alter ( Beis Yisrael ), Rabbi Simcha Bunim Alter ( Lev Simcha ), and Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter ( Pnei Menachem ), in that order. In 1996, after less than four years as Rebbe,

560-460: The priests are expected to be knowledgeable and fluent in the general and specifics of ṭumah and ṭaharah law. Given his role of Temple service and year round consumption of terumah , each priest was required to be in a ṭahor state. The mainstream view among rishonim (leading 11th-15th-century legal authorities) and non-Kabbalistic authorities is that one is permitted to become tamei (except on those occasions when one must visit

600-606: The yahrzeits of the two Rebbes, thousands of people crowd into the ohel , effectively blocking the opening and spreading tumas meis from the graves into the yeshiva building. The administration now posts a sign warning kohanim to stay out of the yeshiva building on the day of a yahrzeit. 31°47′10″N 35°12′47″E  /  31.7862°N 35.2130°E  / 31.7862; 35.2130 Avraham Mordechai Alter Avraham Mordechai Alter ( Polish : Abraham Mordechaj Alter , Yiddish: Avram Mordche Alter, Hebrew : אברהם מרדכי אלתר ‎; 25 December 1865 – 13 June 1948),

640-504: The ṭahor ( טָהוֹר ‎; ritually pure person or object) to be used for kedushah . The most common method of achieving ṭaharah is by the person or object being immersed in a mikveh (ritual bath). This concept is connected with ritual washing in Judaism , and both ritually impure and ritually pure states have parallels in ritual purification in other world religions . The laws of ṭum'ah and ṭaharah were generally followed by

680-478: The Israelite sanctuary, "impurity" is also seen as a means of nullifying a worship site of other religions; though the rules for this impurity are not made clear. Different forms of impurity requires various rituals in order to regain a "pure" ( tahor ) status. For example: The term tumah is also used to refer to certain sins, for which there is no specific ritual to remove the impure status. For example: In

720-536: The Pnei Menachem died suddenly. A decision was made to bury him beside his father, the Imrei Emes, in the yeshiva courtyard. The decision sparked opposition from the municipality, which claimed that the presence of a grave in the heart of the now-developed city would be a potential source of contamination for the residents, but the funeral went ahead. After the Pnei Menachem was laid to rest beside his father,

760-604: The Temple, or touch holy objects), and thus there is no obligation to attempt to remain tahor . As an example, it is not only permitted but a mitzvah to tend to a dead person, even though this causes impurity. However, some rabbis have advocated keeping some of the laws of purity even in the absence of the temple in Jerusalem and even in the diaspora. One category that was commonly kept in Talmudic and pre-Talmudic times

800-476: The applicants. Besides, the program of study followed by them is not in harmony with the spirit of learning prevalent in Poland. The Rebbe visited the yeshiva for the first time on his third visit to Israel in 1927. Over the years, the Yeshiva continued to expand and at its peak the yeshiva's student body numbered hundreds of students from Israel and abroad, under the direction of Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Shaul Alter ,

840-401: The concept of zavah , as well as the tumah status of a niddah . The liberal view held that the concepts of ṭumah and ṭaharah are not relevant outside the context of a Holy Temple (as distinct from a synagogue ; hence a niddah cannot convey ṭumah today), found the concept of zavah no longer applicable, and permitted spouses to touch each other in a manner similar to siblings during

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880-477: The elongation of the second 'a') which has the same meaning in Islam. Some sources, such as Samson Raphael Hirsch on Genesis 7:2, claim that the meaning is "entombed", meaning the person or item that is in the tame state is blocked, and not in a state of receiving holy transmission. Ṭahor , by contrast, is defined as "pure" in the sense that the person or object is in a clear state and can/may potentially serve as

920-538: The exception of niddah and zav/zavah , and rules forbidding making a Kohen impure. These rules are still practiced in Orthodox Judaism . In Conservative Judaism , while the concept of niddah and a prohibition on sexual relations during the niddah period (including childbirth) are still agreed upon, recent decisions by the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards have endorsed multiple views about

960-597: The laws of ritual impurity. Neither the Babylonian nor the Jerusalem Talmud contains systematic commentaries to the tractates of Tohorot (except for Niddah which is an integral part of Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud as well), as these laws had little practical relevance after the destruction of the Temple. However, the laws are discussed many times in other tractates, and in later rabbinic literature. Maimonides clarifies that, in addition to all of Israel,

1000-546: The level above it. The levels are: The rabbis declared Torah scrolls to be impure by rabbinic law. This seemingly strange law had a practical purpose: it discouraged Jews from storing their terumah produce alongside Torah scrolls, which attracted mice and caused the Torah scrolls to be nibbled on as well. Following the destruction of the Second Temple, ritual impurity status ceased to have practical consequences, with

1040-462: The rabbis could eat without risk of violating purity laws), and according to some, the main criterion. Additionally, some rabbis advocated abstaining from the midras of a niddah . Rabbi Menachem Schneerson discouraged abstaining from any object made impure by a menstruating woman in modern times, with the exception for unique individuals. The rabbis describe a hierarchy of levels of impurity. In general, each level can result from touch by

1080-473: The reburial. After Alter's death, the dynasty continued with his three remaining sons, who became the consecutive next three heads of the Gerrer Hasidim worldwide: Rabbi Yisrael Alter (fifth rebbe of Ger); Rabbi Simchah Bunim Alter (sixth rebbe of Ger); and Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter (seventh rebbe of Ger). In 1996, Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter was buried next to his father in the courtyard and

1120-523: The removal of the "prophets and spirit of impurity ( רוּחַ הַטֻּמְאָה ‎) from the land", the adjective tamei ( טָמֵא ‎, "impure") is much more common. The verb form of ṭaharah ( טָהֳרָה ‎), the verb ṭaher ( טָהֵר ‎) "be pure", is used first in the Hebrew Bible is in Genesis 35:2 , where Jacob tells his family to "put away strange gods, and be pure". In general,

1160-646: The second son of Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter, the seventh Gerrer Rebbe. The yeshiva was closed in 2016 following years of acrimony between the current Gerrer Rebbe Yaakov Aryeh Alter and his first cousin Shaul over leadership of the Ger dynasty. Yaakov Aryeh made a change in the Gerrer education system to exclusively study the Talmud in a concise fashion, and not the in-depth style which had been customary until then. This harmed

1200-409: The side of the ohel , and the wall of the building in the adjoining lot was redesigned to resemble the façade of the original Ger yeshiva in Poland. The addition of a partially open roof to the ohel after the burial of the Pnei Menachem solves the problem of tumas meis (impurity from the dead) for students who are kohanim , and who therefore cannot be in proximity to a gravesite. However, during

1240-730: The state of ṭum'ah , nor any mechanically measurable level of cleanliness, clarity, or physical purity for the state of ṭaharah . The noun form of ṭum'ah is used around 40 times in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible is generally translated as "uncleanness" in English language Bibles such as the KJV, and JPS Tanakh. The majority of uses are in Leviticus. Though uses for national impurity occur in Ezra and Ezekiel, and Zechariah prophesies

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1280-496: The stature and prominence of Shaul, the then-dean of the prestigious, flagship Gerrer institution, and eventually led to its closing. In 1940, after his escape from Nazi Europe, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai established his residence in the Sfas Emes Yeshiva. He prayed with the yeshiva students, but did not conduct a public tish there. Within a short time of his arrival, hundreds of his Hasidim who had come to Israel before

1320-568: The term tum'ah is used in two distinct ways in the Hebrew Bible: In general, tum'ah in the sense of "ritual impurity" is prefixed by the letter lamed or lacks any prefix at all, while tum'ah in the sense of "moral impurity" is prefixed by the letter bet . The Torah, particularly the book of Leviticus , lists various activities which create an "impure" ( tamei ) status: Some of these activities are forbidden (i.e. eating non-kosher meat), others are permitted (i.e. sex between

1360-586: The war came to live in the neighborhood surrounding the yeshiva. Following the United Nations declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel on November 29, 1947, the Arab Legion lay siege to the city of Jerusalem, blocking the mountain road connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and began shelling the capital city. The Rebbe, who had been ailing for several years and was unable to walk unaided,

1400-660: Was a more than six week visit. During World War II, Rebbe Alter was targeted by the Nazi authorities in occupied Poland. In 1940, he managed to escape Nazi Poland. Rebbe Alter made it to Palestine with several of his sons. He rebuilt the Ger Hasidic dynasty in Palestine. This became the Sfas Emes Yeshiva , and he remained from 1940 until his death in 1948. With the outbreak of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War , Alter

1440-653: Was also known as the Imrei Emes after the works he authored. He was fourth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger . The Ger Rebbe, from 1905 until his death in 1948. A participant in the foundation of the Agudas Israel in Poland. Rebbe Alter was influential in establishing a network of Jewish schools. He led over two-hundred-thousand Hasidim (followers). Rebbe Alter married his first wife, Chaya Ruda Czarna. Rebbe Alter and his first wife had eight children. She

1480-603: Was daughter of Noah Czarny, a prominent Gerrer Hasid in Biala . Rabbi Meir Alter, was a Torah scholar and businessman, the eldest son. The second son was Rabbi Yitzchak Alter. The second son, died in 1934 in Poland. Rabbi Meir, the eldest, was murdered in Treblinka , along with all of his offspring and their children, all perished. This was during the Holocaust . In 1922, Rebbe Alter's wife Chaya Ruda died. Feyge Mintshe Biderman

1520-694: Was his next wife, who also was his niece. By 1926 the youngest child, Pinchas Menachem Alter , was born. In 1924, Rebbe Alter accompanied the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah delegation which visited Palestine . It included Rabbi Hirsh Heynekh Lewin, who was his brother in-law, Yitzhak-Meir Levin who also was his son-in-law, along with the Sokolover Rebbe Yitzchak Zelig Morgenstern , and several other distinguished rabbis and rebbes . They visited Jerusalem , Safed , Hebron , Tiberias and Tel Aviv . This

1560-473: Was moved for his safety from his residence in the upper stories of the yeshiva to living quarters in the basement. Some of the rooms of the yeshiva were also turned into a shelter for the students. The Rebbe's condition worsened during the siege, and he was moved back to his upstairs room. A few days after a cease-fire went into effect, on the first day of Shavuot , 3 June 1948, he died. At first, some of his followers thought that they could bring him to burial on

1600-556: Was trapped in Jerusalem. He died during the holiday of Shavuot of natural causes during the siege of the city by the Jordanian Arab Legion . As bodies could not be removed to the Mount of Olives during wartime, he was buried in the yeshiva courtyard on the condition that he would be reburied elsewhere after the war. However, his sons and successors, the Beis Yisrael and Lev Simcha , declined to go through with

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