Author threatens to stone me: As I just posted in another topic, I once took a girlfriend to a religious service that included a talk by A. J. Jacobs, who discussed his book Living Biblically, in which he experimented with biblical-rule-following, which was well publicized in liberal-Jewish circles, and which I recommend highly. Eventually I lost the gf, but at least I got an autograph.
Living Biblically review: [nytimes.com]
About Leviticus 15:19-30
Obviously, such a warning made sense in those times when they did not have the opportunity to wash and bathe frequently, and there were no condoms, medicine, or medication as it is today. The point was to avoid infections. (It is similar to boy's circumcision.)
And also, a week is a reasonable period for the complete menses stoppage (residual blood after menstruation).
Compliance with these rules has a direct connection with the physical health and survival of the Jewish nation.
Non-sitting on the bed makes sense only to the extent that it is hard to resist to have intimacy with your wife if you sit / lie down next to her.
All other stories with the unclean bed, chair, touch, etc. come from the developments, perceptions, and interpretations of then people who could not know or understand the real reason for that ban.
As a result, some simple and understandable commandments are being elaborated and shifted to ritualism, fanaticism, and literalism.
And for the turtledoves offering to the priest, it is crystal clear who invented it. The priests have taken care of their own food — imagine each woman from the settlement gives them two doves every month (even the one be burned)!
(This applies to all OT sacrifices.)
We are not related.
That said, I kind of wish we were. He's my kind of weird. A new book I'm working on (like for the past 8 years with 3 chapters finished) goes by the working title The Rabbi Says Human Sacrifice Works Better.
By the way, Josh, AJ misspelled 'Shyster'. He must have still been recovering from a year as an Old ( read 'original' ) Testament Mensch. Cool beans on the signed copy.
A collectors item !
Was that humor, or was he serious ?
He does full immersion experiments, then writes about them. It's mainly a humorous look at all his experiences during the experiment. He's made quite a name for himself -- and sold a lot more books than I have.
I liked the book as well. Comical. Shows just how ridiculous all those old testament laws were/are. Good book though!