tocho

The Talmud in Yoma 72b, explains that it was done to teach an important lesson – that our own inside should be just as pure as the outside – in Hebrew, the term is “tocho k’varo.”

Flinging open the doors to our beit midrash: the potential for integrity and new beginnings in the Conservative movement | Jewschool 2006

Before I conclude, I want to show you how accepting gays and lesbians as rabbis and Jewish leaders is an issue of “tocho k’varo” may seem like a relatively new issue but that actually the tensions at work are ancient.

Flinging open the doors to our beit midrash: the potential for integrity and new beginnings in the Conservative movement | Jewschool 2006

Now, that’s the standard understanding of tocho k’varo.

Flinging open the doors to our beit midrash: the potential for integrity and new beginnings in the Conservative movement | Jewschool 2006

We read that they immediately removed the guard who stood at the door and gave permission to all the students to enter the Bet Midrash; for Rabban Gamliel had proclaimed that any student who was not “tocho k’varo” could not enter the school.

Flinging open the doors to our beit midrash: the potential for integrity and new beginnings in the Conservative movement | Jewschool 2006

But it will have a great effect on gays and lesbians being able to have tocho k’varo – to be themselves – inside and out.

Flinging open the doors to our beit midrash: the potential for integrity and new beginnings in the Conservative movement | Jewschool 2006

You see, when Rabban Gamliel was in charge, there was a very strict admissions policy: any student wanting to come and learn in the beit midrash needed to have his inside be just like his outside — “Col talmid sh’ein tocho c’varo lo yicanes l’beit ha’midrash.”

Flinging open the doors to our beit midrash: the potential for integrity and new beginnings in the Conservative movement | Jewschool 2006