Opening questions:
This week’s Torah portion discusses different circumstances in which Israelites’ or Israelites’ property was set apart. They may have been set apart because they just gave birth, they appeared to have tzaraat – an affection creating white “scales” on a person’s body, because they came in contact with a dead body, or had bodily secretions rending them temporarily “impure.” Tzaraat could also appear on objects, or in one’s home. When this was the case, objects were set apart and monitored by the priest, who would determine what to do with them.
- Has there ever been a time you felt “set apart” from others? What made you feel that way? What was the experience like?
This week’s Torah portion discusses different circumstances in which Israelites’ or Israelites’ property was set apart. They may have been set apart because they just gave birth, they appeared to have tzaraat – an affection creating white “scales” on a person’s body, because they came in contact with a dead body, or had bodily secretions rending them temporarily “impure.” Tzaraat could also appear on objects, or in one’s home. When this was the case, objects were set apart and monitored by the priest, who would determine what to do with them.
(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ב) אָדָ֗ם כִּֽי־יִהְיֶ֤ה בְעוֹר־בְּשָׂרוֹ֙ שְׂאֵ֤ת אֽוֹ־סַפַּ֙חַת֙ א֣וֹ בַהֶ֔רֶת וְהָיָ֥ה בְעוֹר־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ לְנֶ֣גַע צָרָ֑עַת וְהוּבָא֙ אֶל־אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֔ן א֛וֹ אֶל־אַחַ֥ד מִבָּנָ֖יו הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃ (ג) וְרָאָ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֣ן אֶת־הַנֶּ֣גַע בְּעֽוֹר־הַ֠בָּשָׂר וְשֵׂעָ֨ר בַּנֶּ֜גַע הָפַ֣ךְ ׀ לָבָ֗ן וּמַרְאֵ֤ה הַנֶּ֙גַע֙ עָמֹק֙ מֵע֣וֹר בְּשָׂר֔וֹ נֶ֥גַע צָרַ֖עַת ה֑וּא וְרָאָ֥הוּ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן וְטִמֵּ֥א אֹתֽוֹ׃ (ד) וְאִם־בַּהֶרֶת֩ לְבָנָ֨ה הִ֜וא בְּע֣וֹר בְּשָׂר֗וֹ וְעָמֹק֙ אֵין־מַרְאֶ֣הָ מִן־הָע֔וֹר וּשְׂעָרָ֖ה לֹא־הָפַ֣ךְ לָבָ֑ן וְהִסְגִּ֧יר הַכֹּהֵ֛ן אֶת־הַנֶּ֖גַע שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃ (ה) וְרָאָ֣הוּ הַכֹּהֵן֮ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי֒ וְהִנֵּ֤ה הַנֶּ֙גַע֙ עָמַ֣ד בְּעֵינָ֔יו לֹֽא־פָשָׂ֥ה הַנֶּ֖גַע בָּע֑וֹר וְהִסְגִּיר֧וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֛ן שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים שֵׁנִֽית׃ (ו) וְרָאָה֩ הַכֹּהֵ֨ן אֹת֜וֹ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי֮ שֵׁנִית֒ וְהִנֵּה֙ כֵּהָ֣ה הַנֶּ֔גַע וְלֹא־פָשָׂ֥ה הַנֶּ֖גַע בָּע֑וֹר וְטִהֲר֤וֹ הַכֹּהֵן֙ מִסְפַּ֣חַת הִ֔יא וְכִבֶּ֥ס בְּגָדָ֖יו וְטָהֵֽר׃
(1) The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: (2) When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling, a rash, or a discoloration, and it develops into a scaly affection on the skin of his body, it shall be reported to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons, the priests. (3) The priest shall examine the affection on the skin of his body: if hair in the affected patch has turned white and the affection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous affection; when the priest sees it, he shall pronounce him unclean. (4) But if it is a white discoloration on the skin of his body which does not appear to be deeper than the skin and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall isolate the affected person for seven days. (5) On the seventh day the priest shall examine him, and if the affection has remained unchanged in color and the disease has not spread on the skin, the priest shall isolate him for another seven days. (6) On the seventh day the priest shall examine him again: if the affection has faded and has not spread on the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean. It is a rash; he shall wash his clothes, and he shall be clean.
Questions
- What are the connotations of declaring a person or object “pure” or “impure”?
- Why was the priest the person to determine whether people and objects were “pure” or “impure”?
So what exactly is tzaraat ?
Some of the Sages saw it as a symbol of spiritual or ethical failing:
“When a person is in pain, what does the Divine Presence say? ‘It is My own head that aches, it is my own arm that aches [because your errors pain me so]’” – Sanhedrin 6:5
According to Leviticus 16:1, leprosy was a punishment for the sins of slander and malicious gossip. This is why Miriam was stricken with it in Numbers 12:10.
Some of the Sages saw it as a symbol of spiritual or ethical failing:
“When a person is in pain, what does the Divine Presence say? ‘It is My own head that aches, it is my own arm that aches [because your errors pain me so]’” – Sanhedrin 6:5
According to Leviticus 16:1, leprosy was a punishment for the sins of slander and malicious gossip. This is why Miriam was stricken with it in Numbers 12:10.
(א) וַתְּדַבֵּ֨ר מִרְיָ֤ם וְאַהֲרֹן֙ בְּמֹשֶׁ֔ה עַל־אֹד֛וֹת הָאִשָּׁ֥ה הַכֻּשִׁ֖ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר לָקָ֑ח כִּֽי־אִשָּׁ֥ה כֻשִׁ֖ית לָקָֽח׃ (ב) וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ הֲרַ֤ק אַךְ־בְּמֹשֶׁה֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הֲלֹ֖א גַּם־בָּ֣נוּ דִבֵּ֑ר וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע יְהוָֽה׃ (ג) וְהָאִ֥ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֖ה ענו [עָנָ֣יו] מְאֹ֑ד מִכֹּל֙ הָֽאָדָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ (ס) (ד) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה פִּתְאֹ֗ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־מִרְיָ֔ם צְא֥וּ שְׁלָשְׁתְּכֶ֖ם אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וַיֵּצְא֖וּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּֽם׃ (ה) וַיֵּ֤רֶד יְהוָה֙ בְּעַמּ֣וּד עָנָ֔ן וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד פֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֑הֶל וַיִּקְרָא֙ אַהֲרֹ֣ן וּמִרְיָ֔ם וַיֵּצְא֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם׃ (ו) וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֣א דְבָרָ֑י אִם־יִֽהְיֶה֙ נְבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם יְהוָ֗ה בַּמַּרְאָה֙ אֵלָ֣יו אֶתְוַדָּ֔ע בַּחֲל֖וֹם אֲדַבֶּר־בּֽוֹ׃ (ז) לֹא־כֵ֖ן עַבְדִּ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה בְּכָל־בֵּיתִ֖י נֶאֱמָ֥ן הֽוּא׃ (ח) פֶּ֣ה אֶל־פֶּ֞ה אֲדַבֶּר־בּ֗וֹ וּמַרְאֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א בְחִידֹ֔ת וּתְמֻנַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה יַבִּ֑יט וּמַדּ֙וּעַ֙ לֹ֣א יְרֵאתֶ֔ם לְדַבֵּ֖ר בְּעַבְדִּ֥י בְמֹשֶֽׁה׃ (ט) וַיִּֽחַר אַ֧ף יְהוָ֛ה בָּ֖ם וַיֵּלַֽךְ׃ (י) וְהֶעָנָ֗ן סָ֚ר מֵעַ֣ל הָאֹ֔הֶל וְהִנֵּ֥ה מִרְיָ֖ם מְצֹרַ֣עַת כַּשָּׁ֑לֶג וַיִּ֧פֶן אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶל־מִרְיָ֖ם וְהִנֵּ֥ה מְצֹרָֽעַת׃ (יא) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אַהֲרֹ֖ן אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י אַל־נָ֨א תָשֵׁ֤ת עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ חַטָּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֥ר נוֹאַ֖לְנוּ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר חָטָֽאנוּ׃
(1) Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman he had married: “He married a Cushite woman!” (2) They said, “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” The LORD heard it. (3) Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any other man on earth. (4) Suddenly the LORD called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “Come out, you three, to the Tent of Meeting.” So the three of them went out. (5) The LORD came down in a pillar of cloud, stopped at the entrance of the Tent, and called out, “Aaron and Miriam!” The two of them came forward; (6) and He said, “Hear these My words: When a prophet of the LORD arises among you, I make Myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream. (7) Not so with My servant Moses; he is trusted throughout My household. (8) With him I speak mouth to mouth, plainly and not in riddles, and he beholds the likeness of the LORD. How then did you not shrink from speaking against My servant Moses!” (9) Still incensed with them, the LORD departed. (10) As the cloud withdrew from the Tent, there was Miriam stricken with snow-white scales! When Aaron turned toward Miriam, he saw that she was stricken with scales. (11) And Aaron said to Moses, “O my lord, account not to us the sin which we committed in our folly.
Meshekh Hokhmah by Rabbi Meir Simchah of Dvinsk 1843-1926
when the priest sees it - The word vera’ahu in verse 3 means that the kohen is to appreciate the wholeness of the person in front of him, seeing more than just the diseased part of the body – “he is to see what is whole and healthy about the person, not only what is afflicted”. Before seeing what is impure, the kohen must acknowledge what is holy in the individual before him.
when the priest sees it - The word vera’ahu in verse 3 means that the kohen is to appreciate the wholeness of the person in front of him, seeing more than just the diseased part of the body – “he is to see what is whole and healthy about the person, not only what is afflicted”. Before seeing what is impure, the kohen must acknowledge what is holy in the individual before him.
(מה) וְהַצָּר֜וּעַ אֲשֶׁר־בּ֣וֹ הַנֶּ֗גַע בְּגָדָ֞יו יִהְי֤וּ פְרֻמִים֙ וְרֹאשׁוֹ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה פָר֔וּעַ וְעַל־שָׂפָ֖ם יַעְטֶ֑ה וְטָמֵ֥א ׀ טָמֵ֖א יִקְרָֽא׃ (מו) כָּל־יְמֵ֞י אֲשֶׁ֨ר הַנֶּ֥גַע בּ֛וֹ יִטְמָ֖א טָמֵ֣א ה֑וּא בָּדָ֣ד יֵשֵׁ֔ב מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה מוֹשָׁבֽוֹ׃ (ס)
(45) As for the person with a leprous affection, his clothes shall be rent, his head shall be left bare, and he shall cover over his upper lip; and he shall call out, “Unclean! Unclean!” (46) He shall be unclean as long as the disease is on him. Being unclean, he shall dwell apart; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.
Talmud Bavli , Kiddushin 70a
The impure shall call out “Impure!” That is, people tend to project their own failings onto others. A corrupt person sees corruption all around.
The impure shall call out “Impure!” That is, people tend to project their own failings onto others. A corrupt person sees corruption all around.
Talmud Bavli, Moed Katan 5a
One calls out “Impure! Impure!” not only to warn people about the contagion, but to elicit compassion and prayers.
One calls out “Impure! Impure!” not only to warn people about the contagion, but to elicit compassion and prayers.
Anne Pettit
Being close to the Presence of God through sacrificing (and for the Kohanim, officiating) in the Mishkan and Temple might have seemed like the ultimate ideal of devotion to God….But God has a much broader view of what that House is, and perhaps ritual impurity was God’s way of reminding people to go out and live in the rest of the world, and do God’s work there…. Ritual impurity… was perhaps a tool to introduce moderation and restraint into the Israelites’ lives. In the wide application that it had in ancient times, it forced everyone to consider how they were interacting with each other and with the environment around them, clearly a matter of concern to God in giving the commandments of the Torah… Perhaps the cycles of ritual purity and impurity were intended sanctify our private time as Shabbat and the festivals sanctified our public time. Impurity was never a punishment; it was simply a recognition of entry into a different state of being.
Being close to the Presence of God through sacrificing (and for the Kohanim, officiating) in the Mishkan and Temple might have seemed like the ultimate ideal of devotion to God….But God has a much broader view of what that House is, and perhaps ritual impurity was God’s way of reminding people to go out and live in the rest of the world, and do God’s work there…. Ritual impurity… was perhaps a tool to introduce moderation and restraint into the Israelites’ lives. In the wide application that it had in ancient times, it forced everyone to consider how they were interacting with each other and with the environment around them, clearly a matter of concern to God in giving the commandments of the Torah… Perhaps the cycles of ritual purity and impurity were intended sanctify our private time as Shabbat and the festivals sanctified our public time. Impurity was never a punishment; it was simply a recognition of entry into a different state of being.
Rabbi Paysach Krohn tells a story about the woman who left Rusk Institute with her child who was in a wheelchair. It was a wintry day. Waiting at the bus stop on the corner of 34th and 2nd Avenue, three large city busses whizzed by, unable to accommodate the mother and the child and his special chair. It was only after a half-hour wait that the mother flagged down a bus and insisted to the driver that he allow them to board. As the poor woman struggled to lift the wheelchair into the narrowly impatient doors that waited to slam like the jaws of a tiger, the driver shouted at her, "Lady you'll have to wait for a bus with a lift! I gotta go!" Immediately a few passengers jumped to her defense! "It's freezing out there. We will wait!" Embarrassed into submission, the driver acquiesced. As the mother and child settled in their place on the bus, one said to her, "Your child is not handicapped. It only seems that way. In truth it is the driver that has a handicapped mind!"
Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky
If one goes to the Cohen and learns to utilize the impairing experience to grow, to become more patient, more understanding, and perhaps more sensitive to others, then the hindrances that he or she experience may be troublesome, they may even be disheartening, they may even be like a handicap -- but they are truly not. Because the handicap is only in the mind; and what is on the body is only like a blemish that can fade away.
If one goes to the Cohen and learns to utilize the impairing experience to grow, to become more patient, more understanding, and perhaps more sensitive to others, then the hindrances that he or she experience may be troublesome, they may even be disheartening, they may even be like a handicap -- but they are truly not. Because the handicap is only in the mind; and what is on the body is only like a blemish that can fade away.
After the disease healed, the formerly afflicted person is instructed to bring a sacrifice that includes two very diametrical items:
Leviticus 14:4
And he shall take two birds, cedar wood, crimson thread and hyssop
Rashi explains that, "the hyssop symbolizes the humility that the person should have," and the cedar," he explains, "is a symbolic reminder that he who holds himself as high as the cedar tree should learn to lower himself like the hyssop."
Leviticus 14:4
And he shall take two birds, cedar wood, crimson thread and hyssop
Rashi explains that, "the hyssop symbolizes the humility that the person should have," and the cedar," he explains, "is a symbolic reminder that he who holds himself as high as the cedar tree should learn to lower himself like the hyssop."