Musar for Yoma 77:2
תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל עבירה מטמטמת לבו של אדם שנאמר (ויקרא יא, מג) ולא תטמאו בהם ונטמתם בם אל תקרי ונטמאתם אלא ונטמטם
Read not we-nitmethem [that you should be defiled], but u-netamothem [that you should become dullhearted].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' for MS.M. cur. ed. .');"><sup>2</sup></span> Our Rabbis taught: 'Neither shall you make yourselves unclean that you should be defiled thereby.'
Mesilat Yesharim
This is because the forbidden foods bring in Tuma (spiritual contamination) in a person's heart and soul so that the holiness of G-d, blessed be He, departs and withdraws from him. This is also what they stated (Yoma 39a): "'becoming defiled with them' (Vayikra 11:43) - read not ve-nitmetem [that you will be defiled], but ve-nitamtem [that you will become dull-hearted]".
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