Are You Your Body - or Your Soul? | 10@9 | 2026.03.04

One of the most puzzling subjects in the Bible is "tumah" and "taharah" — often translated (inadequately) as ritual impurity and purity. At its core is a profound spiritual claim: our true identity is the soul, the divine spark connected to God. The body is its garment, the vessel through which the soul acts during life. After death, the soul separates from the body. What remains is the garment the soul once wore. This helps explain the traditional Jewish reluctance to view the body before burial. Judaism insists on a radical distinction: the body matters deeply — but it is not who we are. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman ([email protected]) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.