Leviticus; The Law of Holiness and Grace

Holiness and Health

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Pentateuch

Genre: Lessons with Q & A

Lesson: 26

Track: 26

Dictation Name: RR172N26

Date: Early 70s

Let us worship God. Our help is in the name of the Lord who made Heaven and earth. Thus saith the High and Lofty One who inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy, I dwell in the High and Holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite. If Thou shalt seek the Lord Thy God, thou shalt find him if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all they soul. Let us pray.

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that Thou who art maker and preserver of all things visible and invisible art mindful of the least of Thy creatures. We thank Thee that in Thine infinite majesty, grace and mercy Thou hast made us Thy people and hast given us such glorious promises in Thy Word and through Jesus Christ. We thank Thee our Father that as we face a world that is dedicated to evil, to the triumph of injustice, to sickness and to disease, Thy hand is upon us for good and Thy Will shall be done in earth as it is in Heaven. Bless us by Thy Word and by Thy Spirit and make us strong for Thy service. In Christ’s name, amen.

Our subject today is “Holiness and Health.” Our scripture is from Leviticus 15 and we shall read verses 31 and 32. “31Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness; that they die not in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is among them. 32 This is the law of him that hath an issue and of him whose seed goeth from him, and is defiled therewith;”

This is one of the chapters which is most often cited by people who argue that the Law is impossible nonsense. The very precision and the subject matter condemn it for many people, as did Viscount Melbourne in 1848, who said of related matters, “Things have come to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade the sphere of private life.” Melbourne’s statement highlights a very curious fact. He objected to allowing Christianity any role in a man’s private life. For him it was a formal fact of public life. Twentieth century man has reversed the whole situation. He relegates Christianity to the strictly private sphere. But the true jurisdiction of the faith is public and private, cosmic and total.

This chapter is cited by George A.F. Knight, a scholar who is not Orthodox, as one of the sources of the near-immunity of Orthodox Jews from plagues and epidemics over the centuries. He declares, “The near-immunity of the Jews grew from infection, the near-immunity of Jews from infection in reality sprang from the fact that he kept strictly the laws on hygiene that we find in our book of Leviticus.”

There are several sections to Leviticus 15:

First, in verses 2-15 we have a reference to diseased sexual discharges in men. A number of scholars have identified this as gonorrhea, and most commentators probably would say the same. However, it cannot be limited to gonorrhea; it applies to all sexual diseases. The Law specifies various forms of sanitation and of sanitary requirements for the course of the disease. On being pronounced clean, sacrifices and a restoration to society followed. The treatment is not prescribed. That is left to practitioners, but the prevention of contagion is stressed as a religious requirement, a very important fact. The community must be protected. The family must be protected. Treatment is a medical fact. The priests formally readmit, that, the cured man to covenant life and pronounced him cured. He had nothing to do with the treatment.

Then second, in verses 16-18 we have the requirement of purification: simple bathing, after normal sex in marriage and before any part in the ceremonies of the sanctuary. People were unclean in relation to the sanctuary for a number of specified conditions of which this one is mentioned here. These requirements, ah, which barred a person—could be a diseased condition or it might not be diseased, it could be simple uncleanness. The requirement of purification was always mandatory for anyone taking part of—in anything in the sanctuary. It is still the law in Orthodox Judaism. And was for centuries the law in the Church. According to Hertz, “The uncleanness described in verses 16-18 did not apply to laymen. It involved merely absence from the camp, which in rabbinic exegesis was taken to mean ‘the sanctuary proper’ and the Levite encampment around the sanctuary. It also involved abstention from sacrificial food. If the prescribed priestly ablutions had been taken, the prohibition ceased with regard to the Levite encampment.”

The sections which refer to women and their discharges have a like reference to the sanctuary. They echo the commandments of Exodus 19:10-15 which barred fertility cult belief and practice from communion with God. There is no hint anywhere in Leviticus or elsewhere that sexuality is other than God-created and good. The bar is against association in any form with sexuality with worship. In order to comprehend the meaning of this, we must recognize that paganism in every form, including modern paganism, involves to a great extent, the worship of the generative power. And worship has often been furthered in many cults by the performance of various generative acts. Ritual prostitution was common in Canaan; so was ritual sodomy, ritual bestiality and a great deal more. God’s Law bars all such practices and separates sexuality from worship.

Then third, in verses 19-24 we have laws regarding menstrual discharges. Again, the reference is to the sanctuary. Leviticus 18:19 bars sexual relationship during menstruation, and Leviticus 20:18 refer to this as a violation of the separateness and the integrity of a woman. Thus, a Levite’s wife could not partake of the sanctuary meals during menstruation, but she had in relationship to her husband an independence. She is not his creature, but God’s, and both man and wife are under his law.

Then fourth, we have a section, verses 25-30, which is a general reference to normal discharges by a woman which may or may not be diseased or contagious, and precautions were required.

Then fifth, we have in verses 31-33 a summary statement of which verse 31 is the key. The purpose of these laws is given, namely the preservation of the holiness of the kingdom of priests and of the sanctuary. This makes clear an important fact—a very important fact—which modern man must recognize, namely, health concerns for modern man are essentially personal, and then social. And today, no social implication is permitted. The attitude is that society had better leave he man alone and impose new restrictions on him, that he is handicapped and therefore he has privileges.

For the Bible, however, health is a religious matter. Holiness requires our total dedication to God; our total health—moral, physical, and theological, so that we may render the best possible service to God. By making health concerns purely personal, modern man has limited the scope of the social implications of health. This is our problem today. And so man’s concern is with his own well-being and with his rights in relationship to others. Whereas the Bible says, our health has social implications. It does not say that sickness is sin. It does say that the goal for the individual and society is health—spiritual and physical. That the goal is the kingdom of God, the New Creation in Heaven with the resurrection of the body, and fullness of health in the total sense of the word: eternally.

We still retain something of the Levitical sense, when a wife will tell her husband (and sometimes nag him) to take better care of himself for the family’s sake. What she is then saying is that there are social implications to your health. She is aware in her remarks that health is more than a personal concern. The Bible tells us it is social, it is religious; it is a matter of holiness and of service to God.

The interesting thing is that not only in Judaism, but in various portions of the Church, wherever these Levitical Laws were taken seriously, those areas forged ahead of the rest of the world. Europe began as a barbarian area where human sacrifice prevailed. It was with difficulty, stamped out. Charlemagne in the 800s had no end of trouble with the Saxon with their predilections for human sacrifice. In Northern Europe and extending over into Iceland, there was not even any introduction of Christianity until after the year 1000. We sometimes forget that Christianity is not all that old in a great deal of Europe, but where people took seriously or little by little began to appreciate the significance of the Levitical Laws, what had been a backward area in terms of the world and its various advanced cultures, began to forge ahead; began to manifest a greater health, a greater resistance to diseases. The preeminence and the extension of European civilization to the whole world was not accidental. They had an advantage, an advantage that was given to them by Christianity, by the whole Word of God, and by the application of very simple requirements with regard to health. We sometimes forget that even the dietary laws were observed in various parts of Europe at different times, that there was a respect for these laws, and that it did have very beneficial results.

Today we face a world crisis—a very significant crisis—because the whole world today is involved in a very critical fact. It used to be that when transportation was by ship, when the ship docked, it was quarantined. A doctor came on board and made a quick inspection to make sure there was no communicable disease that could be brought ashore. But now, a person can be contaminated and still apparently healthy, in one part of the world and transmit a disease clear around the globe. So we’ve had all kinds of names for the simple flue alone; variations thereof: the Asiatic Flu, the Chinese Flu, the Russian Flu, and so on and on. Every year we get a different name. These diseases travel with a dramatic rapidity.

Moreover, we have never in all of history had a greater concentration of populations. We tend to think of New York and London as major metropolitan centers, but they are small compared with cities like Mexico City and Bombay and Calcutta and many, many more cities in the so-called third world. These places now have enormous concentrations, so that ten million, eleven- twelve million is not unusual. Never before have we had a greater concentration, never before a greater ability for a disease to spread and to move from one part of the globe clear around to the other part overnight.

I recall in the 50s reading the statement of one medical expert who said that the age of flight was with us, and as the jets were looming in the horizon, that while we had major advantages in the years ahead, we would have disadvantages from the health perspective undreamed of heretofore. We are facing such a time.

What the Levitical Laws give us are principles of health, means whereby we can build up immunity. We live in a world where contaminating ideas, contaminating diseases are all around us with a rapidity and ease as never before—travel, the media, and so on. And so the key to the future is immunity, an inner immunity. And this is what the whole of scripture is about, the laws of immunity, of health; the laws of victory. God is sending judgment on the whole world. We live in a time when judgment has begun, and God gives us the way of immunity. Let us pray.

Oh Lord our God, Thy Word is truth and Thy Word tells us that Thou art our refuge, our shield and our defender, and that Thy Word declares the way wherein we can find safety in Thee. Make us strong in Thy Word and Spirit. Make us resolute in the days ahead, knowing that while they may be grim indeed, Thy judgment is true and righteous altogether and Thy purpose in judgment is to cleanse the earth of its iniquity so that people may know that Thou art the Lord. Make us mindful, oh Lord that Thou art on the throne in all these things. In Christ’s name we pray, amen.

Are there any questions about our lesson?

Yes.

[Audience] It’s interesting to reflect that in the 20s and earlier, Ellis Island, people who went to Ellis Island were not automatically waved into the United States. They had to undergo a health examination and if they were crippled or diseased or sick, they were turned back.

[Rushdoony] Yes!

[Audience] And, I gather that that’s no longer done, and there’s no thought of having a health—of having a physician look at international airplane passengers.

 

[Rushdoony] None, whatsoever.

[Audience] {?} …come and go without any restrictions whatever, despite whatever condition they may have.

[Rushdoony] It’s interesting, Otto, that there is one thing where you do have a very strict inspection. Are you bringing anything into the country that they can tax?

[Otto] Oh, tax us before you leave!

[Laughter]

[Otto] Before you leave you have to have a tax clearance {?} … and there’s a restriction on the money you can carry in and out of the various countries, but not on health.

[Rushdoony] Yes, as far as I know, almost the only place where there is any kind of, ah, what might be called a health requirement is Australia, and to a lesser degree, New Zealand. When the plane lands and before anyone gets off, uh, some inspectors with masks board the plane and start spraying everyone and everything! [Laughter] And you stay in there in the spray until they’re ready to release you. And supposedly this is harmless for you, but it kills all the germs that might be on you, or your clothing, or in the atmosphere. That’s the only semblance of any kind of health care for international travel, and it’s not the care of the individuals, just ostensibly to keep out any airborne ailments.

So, if you go to Australia, you will be sprayed!

[Audience] What about England now, Rush, I understand with this AIDS situation, all tourists are, uh, you know, are interviewed and so forth before they can enter the country now.

[Rushdoony] I’ll let you know next April when I return. [Laughter]

[Audience] {?} …to Australia?

[Rushdoony] No, England.

[Audience] Oh, England. They’re interviewing people now?

[Rushdoony] With regards to AIDS apparently.

[Audience] …a plane or a boat or anything without going through some kind of a interview

[Laughter]

[Rushdoony] Well, let us hope they are as careful about exiting people, because they might be exporting it.

[Laughter]

Any other questions or comments?

[Audience] I don’t hear very much about Orthodox Jews in the United States. Ah, most people have them confused with the Hassidic, the Hassidic Sect. And Hassidic Jews are not Orthodox.

[Rushdoony] No, they are not. They are a cult that arose quite late. The Orthodox Jews have been relatively small-grouped in this country. There are some in Los Angeles. They have, ah, much better education than others, they are very thoroughly educated. They are beginning to increase of late, in that they maintain their birthrate, whereas other Jewish groups have not. Uh, the Orthodox Jews take all these regulations very, very seriously. They do have a great deal of immunity. They’re hard-working and by and large, prosperous. They’ve been very important in the diamond trade.

[Audience] I wondered if their immunity compared to modern antiseptic practices and so forth, because there has been considerable social improvement in terms of cleansing. If you remember that book on Influenza, one of the discoveries was the fact that so many people were living in filthy environments and that led to a considerable uplift in terms of general hygiene. But I have a feeling that the inner cities today are cesspools.

[Rushdoony] Well, the two groups in the United States that have the highest immunity, the greatest longevity with the best health are the Orthodox Jews and the Seventh-Day Adventists. The Adventists take very strictly these laws, so they have a very clear-cut superiority with respect to health. And the significant fact is that again and again when epidemics, for example in the last century, struck Europe, the Orthodox Jews were then living under the worst conditions in the cities as far as being overcrowded and sanitary conditions were concerned, and yet they rarely came down with Cholera or any of the other epidemics that were commonplace in Europe at that time. So they did have an immunity.

Well, if there are no further questions or comments, let us bow our heads in prayer.

Oh Lord our God, we thank Thee that Thou hast called us to be the people of the future. Thou hast assured us that in time and eternity we are the people of Thy covenant called to serve Thee, to glorify Thee and to rejoice in Thee. Make us strong in Thy Word and by Thy Spirit that we may be more than conquerors. And now, go in peace; God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost bless you and keep you, guide and protect you this day and always. Amen.