בס''ד

THE DAILY DAF MESSAGE OF THE BET ZVI DAFactory

Defiling Idols

Rochel stole her father's idols and hid them under the camel seat upon which she was resting.  Lavan accused Yaakov of stealing his prized possessions, and began searching amongst Yaakov's belongings; all the while Rochel was sitting atop the camel.  In order not to arouse suspicion Rochel excused herself from not assisting Lavan in his search and claimed that she physically didn't feel capable of strenuous activity for "I am experiencing the way of women", i.e. She was niddah.  (See Bereishis: 31, 32 - 35).

The Shlah explains that she wasn't lying, chas veshalom, but she in fact was like a niddah inasmuch as her level of tumah.  She herself was not niddah and was therefore tahor, but her contact with the hidden idols gave her the same level of tumah as if she was a niddah.