איסור תפילה לטמאים בקומראן?

In light of the divergent opinions that existed among Second Temple Jewish groups, this article examines the halakhic view of the Qumran sectarians regarding the question of whether or not impure persons are permitted to pray. Although Joseph Baumgarten had previously attributed a characteristically stringent approach to the sectarians on this issue, further analysis of the relevant documents seems to reveal a surprisingly permissive position. For instance, Baumgarten based his argument largely on the testimony of a fragment from 4Q512 (Ritual of Purification B), which states that an impure person must recite a benediction after ablution on the seventh day, i.e., toward the end of his purification process. However, another fragment from the same scroll instructs a corpse-contaminated person to recite a blessing on the third day of the seven-day purification process, which implies that one is permitted to recite a blessing even in a state of moderate impurity. In addition, this article examines another scroll, 4Q274 (Tohorot A), which urges a severe impurity bearer to entreat God before he begins the purification process. After recognizing a complexity not frequently acknowledged in the Qumran sect's religious worldview, this article explores some biblical precedents that could have influenced the Qumran position as well as similar tannaitic views.