“Cleanliness is next to Godliness”: The Talmudic Source

Francis Bacon wrote: “Cleanness of body was ever deemed to proceed from a due reverence to God” (Advancement of Learning, Book II [1605]). John Wesley said in one of his sermons (“On Dress,” 1791), “Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness.” Unbeknownst to Wesley, the source of the aphorism is most probably the Talmud.

The aphorism appears to be a close paraphrase of a component of the famous “ladder” attributed to Rabbi Phinehas ben Yair, a sage of the second century ce.

Aharon Ronald Ellis Agus reconstructs the ladder as understood in Babylonian tradition as follows (based on textual witnesses of Talmud Bavli, Avoda Zara 20b):

ונשמרת מכל דבר רע
שלא יהרהר אדם ביום
ויבוא לידי טומאה בלילה

מכאן א"ר פנחס בן יאיר
תורה מביאה לידי זהירות
זהירות מביאה לידי זריזות
זריזות מביאה לידי נקיות
נקיות מביאה לידי פרישות
פרישות מביאה לידי טהרה
טהרה מביאה לידי קדושה
קדושה מביאה לידי יראת חטא
יראת חטא מביאה לידי ענוה
ענוה מביאה לידי חסידות

וחסידות גדולה מכולן

“And you will keep yourself from every evil thing”¹
in the sense that a man should not fantasize (erotically) during the day
and arrive at a state of impurity during the night.

On that basis Rabbi Phinehas ben Yair said:

(1) Torah-study leads to being forewarned
(2) being forewarned leads to diligence,
(3) diligence leads to guiltlessness,
(4) guiltlessness leads to abstemiousness,
(5) abstemiousness leads to purity,
(6) purity leads to holiness,
(7) holiness leads to dread of sin,
(8) dread of sin leads to humility,
(9) humility leads to (10) devotion,

and devotion is the greatest of them all.

¹ Deut 23:10, part of a discussion of impurity brought about by nocturnal emission of semen

חסידות ‘devotion’ means, to be precise, what pietas means in Latin: devotion to God, one’s heritage, and one’s family. The ladder is of great interest. It is typical of Jewish piety rightly understood that ‘torah-study,’ ‘diligence,’ and “guiltlessness’ fill the lower rungs; (ritual) ‘purity’ is next but is lower than (moral and ritual) ‘holiness’ and ‘dread of sin;’ and all of these are lower than ‘humility’ and ‘devotion.’

Agus’s reconstruction is interesting but, so far as I can see, does not correspond in all details to any of the available witnesses. I wish I had the text of MS Munich 95 on hand; if I did, I would reproduce it.

The “ladder” as found in Talmud Bavli according to one of two traditional alternatives presented here – modified and expanded section highlighted in yellow – goes like this:

תורה מביאה לידי זהירות
זהירות מביאה לידי זריזות
זריזות מביאה לידי נקיות
נקיות מביאה לידי פרישות
פרישות מביאה לידי טהרה
טהרה מביאה לידי חסידות
חסידות מביאה לידי ענוה
ענוה מביאה לידי יראת חטא
יראת חטא מביאה לידי קדושה
קדושה מביאה לידי רוח הקודש
רוח הקודש מביאה לידי תחיית המתים
וחסידות גדולה מכולן

(1) Torah-study leads to being forewarned,
(2) being forewarned leads to diligence,
(3) diligence leads to guiltlessness,
(4) guiltlessness leads to abstemiousness,
(5) abstemiousness leads to purity,
(6) purity leads to devotion,
(7) devotion leads to humility,
(8) humility leads to dread of sin,
(9) dread of sin leads to holiness,
(10) holiness leads to the Spirit of Holiness,
(11) the Spirit of Holiness to the (12) revivification of the dead,

and devotion is the greatest of them all.

טהרה מביאה לידי חסידות ‘purity leads to devotion’ is the component of immediate interest. It equals, based on standard translation equivalents for טהר and חסד words, respectively: “Cleanliness is next to godliness.”

Perhaps the ladder originally had eight rungs, more or less equivalent to rungs (3) – (10) in Agus’s reconstruction. (1) and (2) are absent from MS Munich 95. (1) and (2) are also absent from Talmud Yerushalmi’s Shekalim version:

וכן היה רבי פינחס בן יאיר אומר

זריזות מביאה לידי נקיות
נקיות מביאה לידי טהרה
טהרה מביאה לידי קדושה
קדושה מביאה לידי ענוה
ענוה מביאה לידי יראת חטא
יראת חטא מביאה לידי חסידות
חסידות מביאה לידי רוח הקודש
רוח הקודש מביאה לידי תחיית המתים
תה"מ מביאה לידי אליהו זכור לטוב

And so Rabbi Phinehas ben Yair would say:

(1) Diligence leads to guiltlessness,
(2) guiltlessness leads to purity,
(3) purity to holiness,
(4) holiness leads to humility,
(5) humility leads to dread of sin,
(6) dread of sin leads to devotion,
(7) devotion leads to the Spirit of Holiness,
(8) the Spirit of Holiness to the revivification of the dead,
(9) the revivification of the dead leads to (10) Elijah, may he be remembered for good.

Talmud Yerushalmi’s Shabbat version differs very little.

A word to the wise: it pays to count things. It isn’t an accident that there are 10 rungs in one version, and 12 in another.

In a highly influential work, Mesillat Yesharim “Path of the Upright,” Moses Hayyim Luzzatto (1707-1746) expounded the ladder of Phinehas ben Yair. Later Hasidic and non-Hasidic movements are heirs thereof, in particular, Musar.

Bibliography

Aharon Ronald Ellis Agus, “The ‘Ladder’ of R. Phinehas ben Yair,” in Hermeneutic Biography in Rabbinic Midrash: The Body of this Death and Life (Berlin: de Gruyter, 1996) 91-200, in particular, 91-151

Comments

[jim]

it's actually from the qur'an

[JohnFH]

Hi Jim.

Chapter and verse, please?

There are many similarities, superficial and profound, which unite Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. There are also many contrasts. All of the rungs of the ladder found in the Talmuds have a place not just in Judaism, but in Christianity and Islam as well.

Traditional forms of Christianity, of course, such as Eastern Orthodoxies and Roman Catholicism, have kept up an emphasis on the virtues of purity more than the churches of the Reformation, but then, an emphasis on holiness and purity reappears in that context time and again through pietist and revival movements. The Moravians, Wesley and the larger Holiness movement are good examples.

Are acts of devotion or lovingkindness at the top of the ladder in Islam, as they are in Judaism and Christianity? I imagine so, at least ideally, at least in some strands. But I do not know the sources well.

Is Talmud Torah the essential bottom rung in Christianity and Islam no less than in Judaism? Or something analogous? Not quite, but all three are religions of the Book such that worship always contains a "lesson," with scripture-based learning going on all the time.

[Jenelle]

I would like to add that Trader Joes then took the phrase and made it a hand-soap for the masses.

[JohnFH]

Hi Jenelle,

I want to buy some of that soap. I bet it's good.

[shawshank redemption 5]

I’ve heard the phrase “Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness” many times in my life. I take it as we should keep ourselves clean physically to show pride in the bodies that God gave us and also we should be clean in the sense of “without” sin. I also agree with Agus’s description of being clean sexually, as in physically and in our minds.
Being forewarned gives opportunity to plan, which can be translated into diligence. This attentiveness leads to guiltlessness because you’ll be aware of and be able to avoid opportunities to sin. Abstemiousness, or self discipline, comes from the continued awareness of sin and knowing how to avoid it. If you achieve self discipline, you will be pure and without sin. If you are pure of body and mind, you are as God made you, thus, you are holy. At this state, you will dread sin and therefore, be modest and at the stage of humility. All these things finally lead to devotion, which as stated, is the greatest of all.

[Breaker Morant 5]

Like Shawshank Redemption 5, I have been hearing “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” all throughout my life. I never gave it much thought. I just took it as being clean physically. Now that I look more into it, I realize that it also addresses being clean emotionally. I read Deuteronomy 23:10-11 and found that to be very interesting. I understand it to be a sin to masturbate, but I do not really understand why a “wet dream” would be grounds for punishment, seeing as they are not voluntary. Being clean is a way to take pride in the body and life that you have been given.

[Breaker Morant 2]

Like those that have posted before me I have also heard “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” ever since I was little. When I was younger I never really understood the true meaning behind it which would be to be clean physically and mentally to be able to fully devote oneself to God. I always thought well I should be fine because I keep my room clean and I help my mom and dad do the dishes at night. As I grew older and took a deeper interest in the Bible I grew to understand that sinning is what makes you “dirty” and that you have to stay “clean” to be able to reach the other steps of the “ladder” that is presented very clearly in this post. I enjoyed reading this and the differing ladder that were presented but they both had one clear goal in mind, be clean! I was also confused about the nocturnal emission as sin because like Breaker Morant 5 noted, it is not a voluntary action like sex or masturbation are. It is stated “that a man should not fantasize (erotically) during the day and arrive at a state of impurity during the night.” Is the impurity during the night referring more to masturbation which would be voluntary? I could see that during the time that Deuteronomy was probably written they did not really understand the reason for “wet dreams” so it was assumed that they were thinking impure thoughts voluntarily and that is what caused it.

[Chariots of Fire 2]

I’m not sure if I agree that we have to go through all the rungs of the ladder in the exact order as stated to reach devotion, which is greatest of them all. I do believe that we should remain clean physically, emotionally, mentally to be fully devoted, but I don't think that each person goes through these specific steps in the specific order to reach devotion. I think that diligence, guiltlessness, purity, holiness, humility, and dread of sin do lead to devotion, but I don't believe that they have to be achieved in that certain order.

[True Grit 2]

I agree with everyone that has posted so far. I have also heard that "cleanliness is next to Godliness." I also understand cleanliness as purity of mind, body, and soul.

[Nell 3]

As everyone else has stated, “cleanliness is next to godliness” is a phrase that I have heard at various times during my life. When hearing this I never really understood what it meant. After reading this post and seeing that cleanliness refers to mind body and soul the phrase makes more sense to me. Although I agree that keeping ones self, pure and free from impurities in life can translate into a better religious conviction I think it is easier said then done.

[shawshank1]

Nell 3 is correct; I think following god on this one is a lot easier said than done. I just read Deuteronomy 23:10-17 and it talks a lot about cleanliness and keeping a holy atmosphere for you and for god. These readings in the bible do not surprise me much. The messages in Deuteronomy are examples of god directing people to stay away from evil thoughts both during the day and the night. Many people in our culture, especially the new generations coming up, have very low morals when it comes to sex and sexual thoughts. We are in a transition of generations that do not seem to care as much about sexual desires as in the past. Popular trends include: sex before marriage, living together, and just plain sexual encounters have been found to be so beneficial to people and relationships that it’s hard to follow the lord. I feel as though many people have thrown these passages out the window because there are very difficult to abide by. God is telling us what to think, to control what goes on in our minds which I’m sure is probably one of the most difficult tasks one will ever acquire. But if we can truly clean our souls both physically and mentally I think that will make for a truly happy lifestyle.

[chariots of fire 3]

It was a good post and very interesting to see what the Rabbi lists in certain situations. I like the set of nine sentences that the rabbi gives when the time is appropriate, and I feel like every religion has a predetermined list of quotes for different situations as well. I see that everyone is commenting on the “Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness.” I don’t know if I am the only one but I have never heard that saying before reading this. I do find it interesting, and I think it makes perfect sense. If you are clean meaning you are guilt free, do the right thing, and admit, fix and ask forgiveness for your mistakes that is a Godly way to live.

[Truman Show 2]

I would always heard “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” when I was little, but never really understood what the meaning of it was. When I was in my confirmation classes I realized that those who were sinful and had not asked for forgiveness were seen as unclean, and I then realized what the meaning behind “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” was. I like the “ladder” of steps from Rabbi Phinehas ben Yair and then the “ladder’ of steps from the Talmund Bavli on how to be clean. I agree that we should keep ourselves clean and free from impurities, but I know that it is easier said than done.

[The Mission 3]

I have also heard this phrase before and did not know exactly what its content was. As a Catholic, I know that the confession of sins is very important and that holding back from confession is not a good thing. We need to be clean, or more rather our souls. It really is easier said than done, as Truman Show 2 says. Why are we, including me, so afraid to confess our sins? Is it because we are afraid the priest or even God will judge us? It will all add up when it comes to the true judgment day and that is the only judging that will matter.

[breaker morant4]

I never new that the saying “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” was so deep i never thought to look deeper in to the saying before but now that i have had time to think about it it really does go with every thing in your life. i also like what truman show 2 says why are we so afraid to confess our sins? i have never liked confessing my sins even tho i know that when i do i walk away feeling so much better about my self.

[Dead man walking 4]

The quote ‘purity leads to devotion’ I believe could also work being view backwards. Your devotion to God will lead to the purity of your sins and the cleansing would keep you coming back to the Lord. This relationship would create a cycle, which would lead purity and devotion continually into each other because the words could work in both directions.

[Pulp Fiction 6]

Cleanliness is next to Godliness was something that I always just thought my mom would tell me to clean up my room or do the dishes, but I never knew that it had such a deep and legitimate meaning. Now knowing that they are speaking of the cleanliness of body, spirit, and mind, I feel now that these things are hard to come by in life, because like most things it is easier said than done.

[The Truman Show 3]

I am one that embraces the simple life. I have difficulty coming up with a list of things I want or need for Christmas. I don't look forward to getting a bunch of stocking stuffers, or useless gifts that will sit in my closet for a few years before they make their way to Goodwill. I have a few nice things, and that is all I need. I like to keep things orderly and embrace cleanliness. I feel that living in a clean space, with minimal material possessions and little excess will lead to a clean mind and soul in the end. With this thought, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season.

[Dead Man Walking 2]

Cleanliness is next to Godliness is something that I always heard when i was a child growing up. It was a common term that my grandparents would say. I never really understood what it meant as i was growing up. I assumed it meant taking a shower and cleaning your room. Now as I get older I realize that it means something more and has a lot deeper meaning than that. It also means spiritually as well. If you clean your sins and try to complete the list as with what the Rabbi said, only then will you be next to Godliness.

[The Truman Show 5]

The title of this essay “Cleanliness is Next to Godliness” poses some interesting thoughts. i was not sure were this essay was going to take me, and what sort of ideas were to be uncovered. What I got out of this essay the idea of cleanliness as purity. God is the most purest form of being that we know of. So if we were to be the purest we could be we would be in this case perhaps a little more holy. I also liked the ideas Truman Show 2 was posing. The concept of cleanliness as washing away our sins and transgressions. When this is done we all feel just a little bit closer to God.

[Dead Man Walking 6]

“Cleanliness is next to godliness” is an interesting sentence to me. It is also very meaningful which refer to mind and body soul. I know now things have been changed. People seem to make their life easier and comfortable as they want. Many people in our society, especially the new generations have very simple thought about sex. They have sex before marriage, living together when they do not really know about their partner. God give us a mind to think and to control what in our mind. So, if we truly clean our souls in both physically and mentally, we will have a better lifestyle.

[Praying with Lior 2]

I have heard the saying “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” a few times in my life. The statement makes a lot of sense to me. A person with a clean conscience will be closer to God then someone with many sins. A clean household and all around life makes life easier and better.

[Freda Johnson]

The word for the wise goes to me. I should learn from it. There are times when I just accept and do not count or check what or how many is given to me.

[Mat Andrews]

It really is. The cleaner the better right? I wonder if someone would disagree.

[Peter Johnson]

Australian Indigenous children are exposed to much more unsanitized surroundings that nonIndigenous children. By exposure many Aboriginal children develop more robust immunity systems.