One of the best ways of teaching life lessons is through stories. That is why the Torah is filled with stories.
The Torah must also teach us laws, and it does so by stating the facts clearly. Yet, sometimes those laws can seem not only dry but also irrelevant, especially when it comes to the laws regarding purity and impurity. These were more relevant in the times when one was prohibited from entering the Temple in a state of impurity, or e.g., a Kohen, priest, who was unable to partake in special foods if they were impure.
In order for us to appreciate these laws, it helps if we look into their nuances. One example is the difference between the consequences of becoming impure by mistake or on purpose. Now, if we become impure purposely, we can understand why we would have to take a purposeful action to purify ourselves, but if something happened unintentionally, then why not let it pass? After all, there was no ill intent.
From here we learn that G-d has expectations of us. G-d sees in us something that we, ourselves, may tend to ignore—what we may consider subconscious is actually not on a deeper level, but rather consciousness that is just being ignored. What the Torah is teaching us is that we have the power to tap into that part of us and to harness our subconscious.
When it comes to our essences, there are no “mistakes”—everything we do has a reason, the good and the bad. If we made a mistake, we have to take responsibility for it, and own up and apologize. If we did something good, even if it was inadvertent, we still deserve credit for it. Because, deep down, everything that we do is ours, whether we are willing to acknowledge it or not.
Shabbat Shalom