{{Short description|Form of ritual impurity in Judaism}} {{Tumah and taharah}} [[File:מדרס לטומאה ב.JPG|thumb|200px|Woman in niddah state standing on elevator rug using her full body weight, thereby rendering the rug a "midras tmeiah" (unpure midras)]]
'''''Midras'' uncleanness''' ({{langx|he|טומאת מדרס}}) is one of the forms of ritual impurity in Judaism which can be transmitted by either an object or person. The term may be translated as ''pressure uncleanness''.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Is Scripture the origin of the Halakhah? |page=141 |author=Jacob Neusner |year=2005 |quote=The pertinent classification of uncleanness called Midras- or pressure-uncleanness pertains only to objects that ordinarily are used to bear weight or pressure, that is, beds and chairs and things analogous to them}}</ref>
A ''midras'' (lit. "trampled on" object) is an object that can be a carrier of ritual impurity. Common objects that could potentially become unclean, and become a such ''midras'' object, include a chair, sofa, mattress, and rug. A person who becomes unclean is categorized as a "father of uncleanliness".
[[File:בקתת נידה בכפר אמבובר 1976.jpg|thumbnail|A niddah hut (Mergem Gogo) at the Jewish village of Ambober in northern Ethiopia, 1976. Beta Israeli women left their homes and stayed at the hut during menstruation, until they could immerse at the river and return home.]]
== Hebrew Bible == The general concept of a ''midras'', an object becoming a carrier for uncleanliness, is brought in the book of Leviticus, though the following verse does not employ the Hebrew term ''midras''; {{Quote|Anyone who touches his bed must wash their clothes and bathe with water, and they will be unclean till evening.|Leviticus 15:5, NIV}}
== Becoming unclean == According to Maimonides on Zavim 4:4, the ''midras'' object becomes unclean by a person who is a "father of uncleanliness" (such as a man with a seminal emission or a woman in the middle of menstruation) putting most of their body weight in one (or more) of five ways on the ''midras''; #''sitting'' on the ''midras'' like a chair #''lying'' on the ''midras'' like a rug #''leaning'' on the ''midras'' #''standing'' on the ''midras'' like a mat #''hanging'' from the ''midras''
== Transmitting uncleanliness == Once the ''midras'' becomes unclean, it transmits uncleanliness to clean persons or objects by one of seven ways; #by ''touching'' the ''midras'' #by ''carrying'' the ''midras'' #by ''sitting'' on the ''midras'' #by ''lying'' on the ''midras'' #by ''leaning'' on the ''midras'' #by ''standing'' on the ''midras'' #by ''hanging'' from the ''midras''
The person or object who becomes unclean via the ''midras'' is categorized as a ''Rishon L'Tumah.''
== Purification == The purification of the ''midras'' object is accomplished by immersing the object in a mikveh bath (before sunset), and the subsequent elapse of sunset.
== Disqualified objects == Objects that are not subject to becoming unclean as ''midras'' include; #Unformed plates of terracotta, #Any object or vessel of stone, #Fabric or vessels made from fish (or any sea-life) #Objects or vessels affixed to the ground
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:Jewish ritual purity law Category:Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish law
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