Anyone Know the Reason for Leviticus 12:1-5?

Anyone know the reason for Leviticus 12:1-5?

Purification After Childbirth:

12 The Lord said to Moses, 2 "Say to the Israelites: 'A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. 3 On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. 4 Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over. 5 If she gives birth to a daughter, for two weeks the woman will be unclean, as during her period. Then she must wait sixty-six days to be purified from her bleeding.

Comments for Anyone Know the Reason for Leviticus 12:1-5:

If Have a Boy or Girl Baby - by Mo

Ok, but why the difference in how long ceremonially unclean -- the difference between if have a boy or girl baby?

Disrespect Women - by Joe

Many purification rituals centered around bodily fluids, especially blood, which they equated with life itself. (Ergo, the injunction against eating meat with blood in it.)

To spill blood (or semen), no matter how involuntarily, was seen as an affront to the Author of Life. These seemingly stringent rules were not to disrespect women but to offer proper reverence to life.

MEN Were 'Afraid' - by Lisa

Fox Sexism is even biblical.

I think the MEN were 'afraid' of the bleeding...

The Churching - by Joe

BTW, pre-Vatican II we also had "the churching" of women after childbirth!