Weekly Torah Lesson
Parasha: Tazria she bears seed
Torah: vaYikra 12:1 – 13:59
** At eight verses, I think that this is the shortest chapter in the Torah. Surprisingly it isn’t dealing with ‘sin’ but with a spiritual condition called ‘tamei’ or ‘unclean’. What this means is that a person can become ‘unclean’ without sinning. There are certain events in our lives that make us ‘unclean’. This chapter defines this one event in detail.
*** “vaYikra (Leviticus) 12:1 And Avinu spoke to Moshe, saying, 2 Speak to the children of Israel, saying, If a woman has conceived seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. 3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no holy thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.
** Being ‘unclean’ is not a ‘sin’ but engaging in certain activities while being ‘unclean’ is a ‘sin’.
5 But if she bear a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying three score and six days.
** For a reason that we do not understand, having a female child brings a doubling of the time that a woman remains in an ‘unclean’ state.
6 And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for an olah offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to the priest: 7 Who shall offer it before Avinu, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that has born a male or a female. 8 And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtle doves, or two young pigeons; the one for the olah offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.
** Once the atonement (covering) is made, the ‘uncleanness’ is removed from the woman.
“Luke 2:21 And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Yeshua, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 22 Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moshe were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to Avinu 23 (as it is written in the law of Avinu, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to Avinu”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of Avinu, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”” (Lu 2:21-24)
“So when they had performed all things according to the law of Avinu, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.” (Lu 2:39)
Now we understand how Israelites dealt with ‘uncleanness’ before the sacrifice of Yeshua. This information demands more questions.
- Are we able to incur ‘uncleanness’ today? Here is what Shaul wrote to the Galatians:
“19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of Avinu.” (Ga 5:19-21)
- How are we supposed to have this ‘uncleanness’ taken away from us? Here is what Shaul wrote to the Hebrews:
“11 But Meshiach came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Meshiach, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to Avinu, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living Avinu?” (Heb 9:11-14)
** The perpetual ‘covering’ has been effected for you. Are you able to recognize the ‘uncleanness’ in your life? Are you then able to ask Avinu to remove it from you?
Remember: *** those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of Avinu
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