Weekly Torah Lesson
Parasha: Tazria she bears seed
Torah: vaYikra 12:1 – 13:59
** During the fourteen hundred year period beginning with the Exodus of Israel from Egypt until the destruction of Yerushalem and the second Temple, there was a phenomenon among the people of Israel called “tzaraat. Tzaraat produced a skin condition that resembled a blister and evolved into a scab on various parts of the head and body. The phenomenon was that these blisters appeared as a result of Loshan Hara – Hebrew – lit. the evil tongue or evil gossip. It was very contagious. Transmitted by touch or airborne. Tzaraat was a way of letting the people know that their words were causing damage to the fabric of Israeli society. It was a warning that would get steadily worse and spread from the body to their clothes and finally onto the walls of their homes which would result in the physical destruction of their homes and all of it’s contents. Here is how it looks in the Scriptures.
“1 And Avinu spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 “When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a tzaraat sore, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. 3 “The priest shall examine the sore on the skin of the body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a tzaraat sore. Then the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him unclean. 4 “But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the sore seven days. 5 “And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore appears to be as it was, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him another seven days. 6 “Then the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day; and indeed if the sore has faded, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scab, and he shall wash his clothes and be clean. 7 “But if the scab should at all spread over the skin, after he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again. 8 “And if the priest sees that the scab has indeed spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is tzaraat. 9 “When the tzaraat sore is on a person, then he shall be brought to the priest. 10 “And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the swelling on the skin is white, and it has turned the hair white, and there is a spot of raw flesh in the swelling, 11 “it is an old tzaraat on the skin of his body. The priest shall pronounce him unclean, and shall not isolate him, for he is unclean. 12 “And if tzaraat breaks out all over the skin, and the tzaraat covers all the skin of the one who has the sore, from his head to his foot, wherever the priest looks, 13 “then the priest shall consider; and indeed if the tzaraat has covered all his body, he shall pronounce him clean who has the sore. It has all turned white. He is clean. 14 “But when raw flesh appears on him, he shall be unclean. 15 “And the priest shall examine the raw flesh and pronounce him to be unclean; for the raw flesh is unclean. It is tzaraat. 16 “Or if the raw flesh changes and turns white again, he shall come to the priest. 17 “And the priest shall examine him; and indeed if the sore has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him clean who has the sore. He is clean. 18 “If the body develops a boil in the skin, and it is healed, 19 “and in the place of the boil there comes a white swelling or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be shown to the priest; 20 “and if, when the priest sees it, it indeed appears deeper than the skin, and its hair has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a tzaraat sore which has broken out of the boil. 21 “But if the priest examines it, and indeed there are no white hairs in it, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall isolate him seven days; 22 “and if it should at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a tzaraat sore. 23 “But if the bright spot stays in one place, and has not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.” (Le 13:1-23 )
** This condition was nothing like the “leprosy” that we know today. It seems that the translaters of the King James version were having a hard time understanding this condition and decided to use “leprosy” as the best way to identify this phenominon.
“6 Furthermore Avinu said to him, “Now put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. 7 And He said, “Put your hand in your bosom again.” So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh.” (Ex 4:6-7 )
** Could it be that Avinu was showing Moshe what he was doing to his body with all of his negative commentary?
“1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 So they said, “Has Avinu indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And Avinu heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.) 4 Suddenly Avinu said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the tabernacle of meeting!” So the three came out. 5 Then Avinu came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. 6 Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, Avinu, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. 7 Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. 8 I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of Avinu. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?” 9 So the anger of Avinu was aroused against them, and He departed. 10 And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. 11 So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. 12 “Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!” 13 So Moses cried out to Avinu, saying, “Please heal her, O God, I pray!” 14 Then Avinu said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again.” 15 So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again.” (Nu 12:1-15 )
“1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him Avinu had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” 4 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.” 5 Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. 7 And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.” 8 So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of Avinu his Elohim, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ 12 “Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of Avinu; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 And he returned to the man of Avinu, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no Avinu in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.” 16 But he said, “As Avinu lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17 So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other idols, but to Avinu. 18 “Yet in this thing may Avinu pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon — when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may Avinu please pardon your servant in this thing.” 19 Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance. 20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of Avinu, said, “Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as Avinu lives, I will run after him and take something from him.” 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?” 22 And he said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’ ” 23 So Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him. 24 When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed. 25 Now he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you go, Gehazi?” And he said, “Your servant did not go anywhere.” 26 Then he said to him, “Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? 27 “Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever.” And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.” (2Ki 5:1-27 )
“40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 41 Then Yeshua, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Yeshua could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.” (Mr 1:40-45 )
** This leper obviously didn’t learn the lesson. I hope that he didn’t ruin his healing.
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