Family Life: The Spiritual Dynamic
Perfection Lost
The laws of family purity prohibit intimate relations during the menstrual cycle and for several days following. To appreciate the spiritual dynamic of these restrictions we must first understand the spiritual dynamic of menstruation itself.
Any discussion on menstruation must begin at the beginning. We must return to the source of our existence, to the time of our creation.
G-d created man
in his image and set him in the Garden of Eden. In the beginning, Adam
and Eve lived perfectly holy lives. They lived in G-d’s image and were
G-d-like in their behavior, with no tolerance for sin. Then the Serpent
came along and shattered their tranquility.
Under his influence, they ate from the forbidden fruit, and were immediately banished from Eden.
Ever since,
mankind has lost its G-d-like quality. In the Garden of Eden we were
perfect. Banished from Eden we’ve lost our original perfection, we are
now blemished and incomplete.
Fortuntaely there is one area where a semblance of our earlier connection to G-d can be recaptured,
conception and birth. Parents partner with G-d in the creation of a new
child. The vitality channeled through the parents, into the child, is
G-dly and perfect. In this way the parents recapture a measure of their
previous perfection.
The Imperfect Balance
Unfortunately,
even the conception process is imperfect. Perfect beings, such as
angels and souls, project procreating life-forces at will. Imperfect
beings, such as ourselves, are subject to the vicissitudes of mortal
life.
Every month a
woman releases an egg, which, if fertilized, becomes an embryo, and
then, a fetus. The uterus develops an increased blood supply, to
nourish the potential embryo. In the event that the egg is not
fertilized, the uterus sheds the extra blood lining at the end of the
month, effectively creating a menstrual cycle.
The menstrual
flow is a result of the absence of life within the womb. Had the life
potential in the egg been actualized the blood would not release.
This monthly
uncertainty is indicative of our imperfect state. Perfect beings
constantly conceive. Imperfect beings are subject to the frail nuances
that determine whether the womb will be suffused with new life.
The Reason for Separation
When man and
woman are together, they introduce G-d into their life. They give him
the opportunity to manifest himself through creating a new life. This
is a sacred and even G-dly time; it is a time to celebrate the gift of
life.
It is unseemly
to invite a perfect G-d during a period that exposes our imperfection.
It would be inappropriate to celebrate the making of life while our
bodies cope with the absence of life.
