The commandment to send the impure out of the camp of the Divine Presence: To send away the impure from the camp of the Divine Presence, as it is stated (Numbers 5:2), “Command the Children of Israel, and they shall send from the camp anyone with an eruption or a discharge and anyone impure of a soul.” And in the wilderness, it was known to them until where was the boundary of the camp of the Divine Presence. And so [too,] in the [future] generations, the Temple and the whole yard which is in front of it is called the camp of the Divine Presence (Zevachim 116b), and it is included in this commandment. And they said in Sifrei Bamidbar 1 that “and they shall send from the camp” is a warning (negative commandment) to the impure not to enter the Temple. And they said in Pesachim 68a, [that] “He shall exit to outside the camp” (Deuteronomy 23:11) is a positive commandment. And this commandment is [indeed] repeated in another place, “If there be among you a man who will not be pure of a nocturnal emission, he shall exit to outside the camp.” And its explanation (Pesachim 68a) is [that it means] outside the camp of the Divine Presence. And, likewise, this itself is repeated, as it went back and stated (Numbers 5:3), “and send them out of the camp.” And I have already written (Sefer HaChinukh 228) that the repetition of prohibitions within a [single] commandment indicates a little bit of the stringency of the commandment; as God wanted for the benefit of His creatures to warn them and go back and warn them about it. [It is like] the way of people that they warn each other many times about all things that have a great need. And if we have nonetheless found [important] bodies of the Torah stated by clues, everything is for a correct reason.
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] because it is known to the Sages that the matter of impurity weakens the power of the intellect and mixes it up and separates between it and the pure and perfect Elevated Understanding. And it will be separated until it is purified. And [it is] as it is written regarding the matter of impurity (Leviticus 11:43), “and do not become impure with them and be impurified (venitmetem) in them” — and they, may their memory be blessed, expounded (Yoma 39a), “and be stupefied (venitamtem) in them”; meaning to say that the sources of intellect are stupefied by impurity. Hence it is not fitting for a person who is sullied by impurity to be in the holy and pure place, wherein the spirit of God is [found]. And this matter can be compared metaphorically to the palace of a king from which we distance any man that is leprous or disgusting in his body, or even in his clothing. And it is similar to that which is written (Esther 4:2), “for one cannot enter the king’s gate wearing sackcloth.”
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sifrei Bamidbar 1:3-5 and Pesachim 67a), that the metsora who is more stringent in his impurity is also more stringent in his being sent out. And [so] he is sent out of three camps, which means out of Jerusalem; whereas those who have a genital flow whose impurity is not so stringent are [only] sent out of two camps, which are the camps of the priests and the camp of the Levites, and that is outside of the Temple Mount; and one impure from a dead body whose impurity is [in some regards even less] stringent is only sent out from one camp — hence it is permissible for him to enter the Temple Mount. And what is the stringency of those with abnormal genital flows over one impure from a dead body? That the [former] renders impure that which is resting or sitting upon him, even when [separated by] a stone, whereas the one impure from a dead body does not impart impurity this way. And one impure from a dead body, and those that have intercourse with a menstruant, and more generally, all gentiles, are sent out from the perimeter (chayil), whereas someone who has immersed in purifying waters but only becomes pure at the end of the day (tevul yom) enters there. A tevul yom is sent out of the courtyard of the Israelites and the women’s yard, whereas one lacking [only] the atonement sacrifice is not. But from the yard of the Israelites inwards, even one lacking the atonement sacrifice does not enter. [This] and the rest of its details are elucidated in the chapter [entitled] Avot HaTumah, which is the first chapter of the Order of Tahorot. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Admission into the Sanctuary 3.)
And this commandment is practiced by males and females at all times. As even at this time (according to the words of Rambam in Mishneh Torah, Laws of The Chosen Temple 6:15) when the Temple is desolate on account of our iniquities, it is forbidden for an impure person to enter there. And one who transgresses it and enters a place that he is not permitted while he is still impure, along the guidelines that we have explained, has violated a positive commandment; besides having violated a negative commandment, as we will explain in this Order (Sefer HaChinukh 363), with God’s help.
מִצְוַת שִׁלּוּחַ טְמֵאִים חוּץ לְמַחֲנֵה שְׁכִינָה – לְשַׁלֵּחַ הַטְּמֵאִים חוּץ לְמַחֲנֵה שְׁכִינָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר ה ב) צַו אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וִישַׁלְּחוּ מִן הַמַּחֲנֶה כָּל צָרוּעַ וְכָל זָב וְכֹל טָמֵא לָנָפֶשׁ. וְיָדוּעַ הָיָה לָהֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר עַד הֵיכָן גְּבוּל מַחֲנֵה שְׁכִינָה, וּכְמוֹ כֵן לְדוֹרוֹת תִּקָּרֵא מַחֲנֵה שְׁכִינָה וְהִיא בִּכְלַל מִצְוָה זוֹ: בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וְכָל הָעֲזָרָה שֶׁהִיא לְפָנֶיהָ (זבחים קטז, ב). וְאָמְרוּ בְּסִפְרֵי וִישַׁלְּחוּ מִן הַמַּחֲנֶה אַזְהָרָה לַטְּמֵאִים שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנְסוּ לַמִּקְדָּשׁ. וְאָמְרוּ בִּפְסָחִים (סח, א) וְיָצָא אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה (דברים כג יא) מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה. וְנִכְפְּלָה מִצְוָה זוֹ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי יִהְיֶה בְךָ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִהְיֶה טָהוֹר מִקְּרֵה לָיְלָה וְיָצָא אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה. וּפֵרוּשׁוֹ (פסחים שם) מִחוּץ לְמַחֲנֵה שְׁכִינָה. וּכְמוֹ כֵן נִכְפְּלָה בְּמָקוֹם זֶה בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁחָזַר וְאָמַר פַּעַם שֵׁנִית אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה תְּשַׁלְּחוּם. וּכְבָר כָּתַבְתִּי (מצוה רכח) כִּי בְּהִכָּפֵל הָאַזְהָרוֹת בַּמִּצְוָה, הוֹרָאָה קְצָת בְּחֹמֶר הַמִּצְוֹת, שֶׁהַשֵּׁם חָפֵץ בְּטוֹבַת בְּרִיּוֹתָיו וְהִזְהִירָם וְחָזַר וְהִזְהִירָם עָלֶיהָ, כְּדֶרֶךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם יַזְהִירוּ זֶה אֶת זֶה הַרְבֵּה פְּעָמִים בְּכָל דָּבָר הַצָּרִיךְ לָהֶם צֹרֶךְ רַב, וְאִם אָמְנָם שֶׁמָּצִינוּ גּוּפֵי תּוֹרָה נֶאֶמְרוּ בְּרֶמֶז, הַכֹּל בְּטַעַם נָכוֹן.
The commandment to send the impure out of the camp of the Divine Presence: To send away the impure from the camp of the Divine Presence, as it is stated (Numbers 5:2), “Command the Children of Israel, and they shall send from the camp anyone with an eruption or a discharge and anyone impure of a soul.” And in the wilderness, it was known to them until where was the boundary of the camp of the Divine Presence. And so [too,] in the [future] generations, the Temple and the whole yard which is in front of it is called the camp of the Divine Presence (Zevachim 116b), and it is included in this commandment. And they said in Sifrei Bamidbar 1 that “and they shall send from the camp” is a warning (negative commandment) to the impure not to enter the Temple. And they said in Pesachim 68a, [that] “He shall exit to outside the camp” (Deuteronomy 23:11) is a positive commandment. And this commandment is [indeed] repeated in another place, “If there be among you a man who will not be pure of a nocturnal emission, he shall exit to outside the camp.” And its explanation (Pesachim 68a) is [that it means] outside the camp of the Divine Presence. And, likewise, this itself is repeated, as it went back and stated (Numbers 5:3), “and send them out of the camp.” And I have already written (Sefer HaChinukh 228) that the repetition of prohibitions within a [single] commandment indicates a little bit of the stringency of the commandment; as God wanted for the benefit of His creatures to warn them and go back and warn them about it. [It is like] the way of people that they warn each other many times about all things that have a great need. And if we have nonetheless found [important] bodies of the Torah stated by clues, everything is for a correct reason.
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. לְפִי שֶׁעִנְיַן הַטֻּמְאָה יָדוּעַ לַחֲכָמִים שֶׁיַּחְלִישׁ כֹּחַ הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַשִּׂכְלִית וִיעַרְבֵּב אוֹתָהּ וְיַפְרִיד בֵּינָהּ וּבֵין הַשֵּׂכֶל עֶלְיוֹנִי הַשָּׁלֵם, וּתְהִי נִפְרֶדֶת עַד אֲשֶׁר תִּטְהַר, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּעִנְיַן הַטֻּמְאָה (ויקרא יא מג), וְלֹא תִטַּמְּאוּ בָּהֶם וְנִטְמֵאתֶם בָּם. וְדָרְשׁוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (יומא לט, א) וְנִטַּמְתֶּם בָּם. כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁמַּעְיְנֹת הַשֵּׂכֶל מִטַּמְטְמִים בַּטֻּמְאָה. עַל כֵּן בַּמָּקוֹם הַקָּדוֹשׁ וְהַטָּהוֹר, אֲשֶׁר רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים שָׁם אֵין רָאוּי לִהְיוֹת בּוֹ הָאִישׁ הַמְלֻכְלָךְ בְּטֻמְאָה. וְהָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה יֵשׁ לְדַמּוֹתוֹ עַל דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, לְפַלְטֵרִין שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ שֶׁמַּרְחִיקִין מִמֶּנּוּ כָּל אִישׁ צָרוּעַ וְנִמְאָס בְּגוּפוֹ אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ בְּמַלְבּוּשָׁיו, וּכְעֵין מָה שֶׁכָּתוּב (אסתר ד ב), כִּי אֵין לָבוֹא אֶל שַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּלְבוּשׁ שָׂק.
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] because it is known to the Sages that the matter of impurity weakens the power of the intellect and mixes it up and separates between it and the pure and perfect Elevated Understanding. And it will be separated until it is purified. And [it is] as it is written regarding the matter of impurity (Leviticus 11:43), “and do not become impure with them and be impurified (venitmetem) in them” — and they, may their memory be blessed, expounded (Yoma 39a), “and be stupefied (venitamtem) in them”; meaning to say that the sources of intellect are stupefied by impurity. Hence it is not fitting for a person who is sullied by impurity to be in the holy and pure place, wherein the spirit of God is [found]. And this matter can be compared metaphorically to the palace of a king from which we distance any man that is leprous or disgusting in his body, or even in his clothing. And it is similar to that which is written (Esther 4:2), “for one cannot enter the king’s gate wearing sackcloth.”
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ספרי כאן ובפסחים סז א), שֶׁהַמְּצֹרָע שֶׁהוּא חָמוּר בְּטֻמְאָתוֹ שֶׁמְּטַמֵּא בְּאֹהֶל, חָמוּר גַּם כֵּן בְּשִׁלּוּחוֹ, וְהוּא מִשְׁתַּלֵּחַ חוּץ לְשָׁלֹשׁ מַחֲנוֹת דְּהַיְנוּ, חוּץ לִירוּשָׁלַיִם. וְזָבִים וְזָבוֹת וְנִדּוֹת וְיוֹלְדוֹת, שֶׁאֵין טֻמְאָתָם חֲמוּרָה כָּל כָּךְ שִׁלּוּחָם חוּץ לִשְׁתֵּי מַחֲנוֹת, שֶׁהֵן מַחֲנוֹת כֹּהֲנִים וּלְוִיִּם, וְזֶהוּ חוּץ לְהַר הַבַּיִת, וּטְמֵא מֵת שֶׁאֵין טֻמְאָתוֹ חֲמוּרָה כָּל כָּךְ אֵינוֹ מִשְׁתַּלֵּחַ אֶלָּא חוּץ לְמַחֲנֶה אַחַת, לְפִיכָךְ מֻתָּר לִכָּנֵס בְּהַר הַבַּיִת. וּמָה הִיא הַחֻמְרָא בְּזָבִין יוֹתֵר מִטְּמֵא מֵת? שֶׁהַזָּב מְטַמֵּא מִשְׁכָּב וּמוֹשָׁב אֲפִלּוּ מִתַּחַת הָאֶבֶן, מַה שֶּׁאֵין הַמֵּת מְטַמֵּא כֵּן. וּטְמֵא מֵת וּבוֹעֲלֵי נִדּוֹת וְכָל הַגּוֹיִם דֶּרֶךְ כְּלָל מְשַׁלְּחִין אוֹתָם מִן הַחֵיל, אֲבָל טְבוּל יוֹם נִכְנָס לְשָׁם, עֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעֶזְרַת נָשִׁים מְשַׁלְּחִין מִמֶּנָּה טְבוּל יוֹם, אֲבָל לֹא מְחֻסָּר כִּפּוּרִים, וּמֵעֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלִפְנִים, אֲפִלּוּ מְחֻסָּר כִּפּוּרִים אֵינוֹ נִכְנָס שָׁם. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ מְבֹאָרִים בְּפֶרֶק אֲבוֹת הַטֻּמְאָה, שֶׁהוּא פֶּרֶק רִאשׁוֹן מִסֵּדֶר טְהָרוֹת [הלכות ביאת מקדש פ"ג ה"ט].
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sifrei Bamidbar 1:3-5 and Pesachim 67a), that the metsora who is more stringent in his impurity is also more stringent in his being sent out. And [so] he is sent out of three camps, which means out of Jerusalem; whereas those who have a genital flow whose impurity is not so stringent are [only] sent out of two camps, which are the camps of the priests and the camp of the Levites, and that is outside of the Temple Mount; and one impure from a dead body whose impurity is [in some regards even less] stringent is only sent out from one camp — hence it is permissible for him to enter the Temple Mount. And what is the stringency of those with abnormal genital flows over one impure from a dead body? That the [former] renders impure that which is resting or sitting upon him, even when [separated by] a stone, whereas the one impure from a dead body does not impart impurity this way. And one impure from a dead body, and those that have intercourse with a menstruant, and more generally, all gentiles, are sent out from the perimeter (chayil), whereas someone who has immersed in purifying waters but only becomes pure at the end of the day (tevul yom) enters there. A tevul yom is sent out of the courtyard of the Israelites and the women’s yard, whereas one lacking [only] the atonement sacrifice is not. But from the yard of the Israelites inwards, even one lacking the atonement sacrifice does not enter. [This] and the rest of its details are elucidated in the chapter [entitled] Avot HaTumah, which is the first chapter of the Order of Tahorot. (See Mishneh Torah, Laws of Admission into the Sanctuary 3.)
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת בְּכָל זְמַן, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה (כדברי הרמב"ם בהל' בית הבחירה פ"ו הט"ו), שֶׁהַמִּקְדָּשׁ שָׁמֵם בַּעֲוֹנֹתֵינוּ אָסוּר לְהִכָּנֵס בּוֹ טָמֵא. וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְנִכְנָס בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי בְּעוֹדוֹ טָמֵא בַּצְּדָדִים שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁנוּ, בִּטֵּל עֲשֵׂה, מִלְּבַד שֶׁעָבַר עַל לָאו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנְּפָרֵשׁ בְּסֵדֶר זֶה (מצוה שסג) בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם.
And this commandment is practiced by males and females at all times. As even at this time (according to the words of Rambam in Mishneh Torah, Laws of The Chosen Temple 6:15) when the Temple is desolate on account of our iniquities, it is forbidden for an impure person to enter there. And one who transgresses it and enters a place that he is not permitted while he is still impure, along the guidelines that we have explained, has violated a positive commandment; besides having violated a negative commandment, as we will explain in this Order (Sefer HaChinukh 363), with God’s help.