Ilustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman
The Torah describes a period of isolation for a person with צָרַעַת (tzara’at).
וְהַצָּר֜וּעַ אֲשֶׁר־בּ֣וֹ הַנֶּ֗גַע
בְּגָדָ֞יו יִהְי֤וּ פְרֻמִים֙ וְרֹאשׁוֹ֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה פָר֔וּעַ וְעַל־שָׂפָ֖ם יַעְטֶ֑ה
וְטָמֵ֥א ׀ טָמֵ֖א יִקְרָֽא׃
כׇּל־יְמֵ֞י אֲשֶׁ֨ר הַנֶּ֥גַע בּ֛וֹ יִטְמָ֖א
טָמֵ֣א ה֑וּא בָּדָ֣ד יֵשֵׁ֔ב מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה מוֹשָׁבֽוֹ׃
A person with tzara’at, who has a nega (wound)-
their clothes shall be ripped, their head shall be left bare, and their upper lip shall be covered over.
They shall call out, “Tamei! Tamei! (Impure! Impure!)”
The person shall be tamei for as long as they have the nega.
They are tamei, they shall sit alone outside the camp.
- What do you notice here? What are the big ideas?
- The ripped clothing, bare head, and covered up lip are things people would do when they were in mourning. Why might a person with tzara’at be in mourning?
- How do you think it might have felt for a person with tzara’at to announce publicly that they were tamei? How might other people have reacted to the announcement?
- Why do you think isolation was important for a person with tzara’at? (See פַּרְשָׁנוּת / Commentary for a few possibilities!)
- Have you ever felt isolated from the people around you? Can you think of ways to help other people who might be isolated, either physically or emotionally? Are there times when you prefer to be alone?
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