8 And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

9 And what saddle soever he rideth upon that hath the issue shall be unclean.

10 And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the even: and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

11 And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even.

12 And the vessel of earth, that he toucheth which hath the issue, shall be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.

Today’s verses continue to talk about a man who is unclean from a bodily discharge, most likely as a symptom of a sexually transmitted disease. The verses we have read today emphasize how the man who is unclean also makes that which he touches unclean, and anyone that touches what he has touched is also unclean.

This may seem a harsh rule, one prone to ostracization, but it is also an accurate representation of real-world patterns. It is not only true for physical discharges, either. There is all manner of spiritual, social, and emotional toxicity that we humans spew out, making an unpleasant place for others to reside. Think of someone who is frequently angry, someone who stirs up drama, someone who is constantly immature, someone who repeatedly makes up lies about others, someone who is perpetually narcissistic. It is a natural consequence that people tend to avoid them. This has always been and always will be the pattern of humanity.

This isn’t to say that there should be none willing to take on the burden of associating with such people, but it is appropriate to acknowledge that it really is a burden. A man that has bodily discharges from his sexually transmitted diseases is not a bad metaphor for everyone who regularly spews out any manner of spiritual, social, and emotional “dirtiness.” All that they touch, and all those that get pulled into their web of influence, are made unclean from the association.