Many of the laws (especially in Leviticus and Deuteronomy) address matters of impurity. The sacrificial system itself was designed (at least in part) to address the issue of impurity. Three “statuses” are significant in the construction of Israelite ritual life: impurity, purity, and holiness. Describe at least three causes of impurity. Then answer these questions: Why is impurity a problem when it comes to the people’s relationship with God? What objects/places are considered “holy”? What happens when people—pure and impure—come into contact with the divine? How is impurity cleansed? What does the sacrificial system accomplish for the relationship between God and the people?