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Rabbi Renee Torah Study April 13 @ 10Am, Parashiot Tazria/ Metzora

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Rabbi Renee Torah Study April 13 @ 10Am, Parashiot Tazria/ Metzora 1 Rabbi Renee Torah Study April 13 @ 10am, Parashiot Tazria/ Metzora This is the time of year when we come across what is arguably the most challenging section of the Torah. The double portion of Tazria-Metzora bring us to the heart of the Book of Leviticus, a segment of our biblical canon already mired in seemingly antiquated language and theology. Some view Leviticus as an outright burden. Some view it as inconvenient. I try to view its complex ideas as a portal to thinking about Jewish values in new ways. So let’s get to it. Tazria-Metzora ostensibly tells the tale of how our Israelite ancestors dealt with illness. Those who had been afflicted by tzaraat (skin disease) were examined by the priest and, if found to be afflicted, were isolated for a period of time, generally seven days. If the ailment spread after that, “the clothes shall be rent, the head shall be left bare, and the upper lip shall be covered over; and that person shall call out, ‘impure, impure.’ The person shall be impure as long as the disease as present. Being impure, that person shall dwell apart, in a dwelling outside the camp.” (Lev 13:45-26) It is worth noting that our tradition will also refer to such ailments as “plagues,” seeing this and other sicknesses as a kind of Divine punishment. Remember that more than one of the Ten Plagues amid the Passover story were related to disease. There are two primary ways of approaching these challenging texts. One, we can say that our biblical ancestors were scared of difference. To look different, to think differently, to pray differently represented a threat to the would-be status quo of the Jewish community. Someone with a presumed medical abnormality was cast quickly as “other” and sent away to heal. They were deemed threatening and dangerous. Do we not know of those in our own world who also see difference as scary? How many parents of children with special needs have been made to feel like aliens? How many of our children, whether due to a learning disability or a physical challenge, have stories of also being cast out of the camp and deemed “impure?” 2 This is one of the times when the Torah is there not so we follow it, but rather learn from it. Indeed, the second, superior approach to Tazria-Metzora is to recognize how we must do things differently today. Rather than cast out, how can we as synagogues and Jewish institutions embrace those who society deems different? How can we make sure that our sanctuaries are just that? The Midrash, Sifra, will note that the priest had the power to “speak the words, ‘you are pure’ or ‘you are impure.’ If the priest was ignorant, he might be guided in his diagnosis by an informed lay person.” We might ask: How are we bringing informed educators into our community to advise our teachers and clergy on areas surrounding special needs? How are we giving our kids the best chance to succeed? Are we using language that is inclusive and welcoming? In the simplest of terms, are we sensitive to the fact that not everyone is the same? Rabbi Benjamin David is the Senior Rabbi of Adath Emanu-El in Mt Laurel, New Jersey. Parts of the Torah Text: ֠ז ֹאת תּוֹ ַ֨רת ֶנֽגַ ָע־צ ַ֜ר ַעת ֶ֥בּגֶד ַה ֶ֣צּ ֶמר ׀ ֣אוֹ ַה ִפּ ְשׁ ֗ ִתּים ֤אוֹ ַה ִשּּׁת ֙י ֣אוֹ ָה ֔ ֵע ֶרב ֖אוֹ ָכּל־ ְכּ ִלי־ ֑עוֹר ְל ַט ֲה֖רוֹ ֥אוֹ ְל ַט ְמּ ֽאוֹ׃ (פ) ַויְ ַד ֵ֥בּר .1 יְהָ֖וה ֶאל־מ ֹ ֶ֥שׁה ֵלּא ֽמ ֹר׃ ֤ז ֹאת ִתּֽ ְהיֶ ֙ה תּוַֹ֣רת ַה ְמּצ ָֹ֔רע ְבּ ֖יוֹם ָט ֳה ָר ֑תוֹ ְוהוּ ָ֖בא ֶאל־ ַהכּ ֵֹהֽן׃ ְויָ ָצ ֙א ַהכּ ֹ֔ ֵהן ֶאל־ ִמ ֖חוּץ ַלֽ ַמּ ֲח ֶ֑נה ְו ָראָ ֙ה ַהכּ ֹ֔ ֵהן ְו ִה ֵנּ֛ה נִ ְר ָ֥פּא ֶנֽגַע־ ַה ָצַּ֖ר ַעת ִמן־ ַה ָצּ ֽרוּ ַע׃ ְו ִצ ָוּ ֙ה ַהכּ ֹ֔ ֵהן ְו ָל ַ֧קח ַל ִמּ ַטּ ֵ֛הר ְשׁ ֵתּֽ ִי־צ ֳפּ ִ֥רים ַח ֖יּוֹת ְטהֹ֑רוֹת ְו ֵ֣עץ ֶ֔א ֶרז ,Such is the procedure for eruptive affections of cloth, woolen or linen…וּ ְשׁ ִנ֥י תוֹ ַ֖ל ַעת ְו ֵאזֹֽב׃ in warp or in woof, or of any article of skin, for pronouncing it clean or unclean. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: This shall be the ritual for a leper at the time that he is to be cleansed. When it has been reported to the priest, the priest shall go outside the camp. If the priest sees that the leper has been healed of his scaly affection, the priest shall order two live clean birds, cedar wood, crimson stuff, and hyssop to be brought for him who is to be cleansed… Arakhin 16a:5 א"ר שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יוחנן על שבעה דברים נגעים באין על לשון הרע ועל שפיכות דמים ועל שבועת .2 Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says §שוא ועל גילוי עריות ועל גסות הרוח ועל הגזל ועל צרות העין that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Leprous marks come and afflict a person for seven sinful matters: For malicious speech, for bloodshed, for an oath taken in vain, for forbidden sexual relations, for arrogance, for theft, and for stinginess. 3 Leviticus 13:47-51 ְו ַה ֕ ֶבּגֶד ִכּֽי־יִ ְה ֶי֥ה ֖בוֹ ֶ֣נגַע ָצָ֑ר ַעת ְבּ ֶ֣בגֶד ֔ ֶצ ֶמר ֖אוֹ ְבּ ֶ֥בגֶד ִפּ ְשׁ ִתּֽים׃ ֤אוֹ ִבֽ ְשׁ ִת ֙י ֣אוֹ ְב ֔ ֵע ֶרב ַל ִפּ ְשׁ ִ֖תּים ְו ַל ָ֑צּ ֶמר ֣אוֹ ְב ֔עוֹר ֖אוֹ .3 ְבּ ָכל־ ְמ ֶ֥לא ֶכת ֽעוֹר׃ ְו ָה ֨יָה ַה ֜נֶּגַע יְ ַר ְקַ֣רק ׀ ֣אוֹ ֲא ַד ְמ ָ֗דּם ַבּ ֶבּגֶ ֩ד ֨אוֹ ָב ֜עוֹר ֽאוֹ־ ַב ִ֤שּּׁתי אוֹ־ ָב ֵ֙ע ֶר ֙ב ֣אוֹ ְב ָכל־ ְכּ ִלי־ ֔עוֹר ֶנ֥גַע ָצַ֖ר ַעת ֑הוּא ְו ָה ְר ָ֖אה ֶאת־ ַהכּ ֵֹהֽן׃ ְו ָר ָ֥אה ַהכּ ֵֹ֖הן ֶאת־ ַה ָ֑נּגַע ְו ִה ְס ִ֥גּיר ֶאת־ ַה ֶ֖נּגַע ִשׁ ְב ַ֥עת יָ ִמֽים׃ ְו ָר ָ֨אה ֶאת־ ַה ֜נֶּגַע ַבּ ֣יּוֹם ַהשּּׁ ִבי ֗ ִעי When an eruptive affection occurs… ִכּֽי־ ָפ ָ֤שׂה ַה ֙נֶּגַ ֙ע ֠ ַבּ ֶבּגֶד ֽאוֹ־ ַב ִ֤שּּׁתי ֽאוֹ־ ָב ֵ֙ע ֶר ֙ב ֣אוֹ ָב ֔עוֹר ְל ֛כ ֹל ֲא ֶשׁר־יֵ ָע ֶ֥שׂה in a cloth of wool or linen fabric, in the warp or in the woof of the linen or the wool, or in a skin or in anything made of skin; if the affection in the cloth or the skin, in the warp or the woof, or in any article of skin, is streaky green or red, it is an eruptive affection. It shall be shown to the priest; and the priest, after examining the affection, shall isolate the affected article for seven days. On the seventh day he shall examine the affection: if the affection has spread in the cloth—whether in the warp or the woof, or in the skin… Leviticus 14:33-36 ַויְ ַד ֵ֣בּר יְה ָ֔וה ֶאל־מ ֹ ֶ֥שׁה ְו ֶאֽל־אַ ֲה֖ר ֹן ֵלא ֽמ ֹר׃ ִ֤כּי ָת ֙ב ֹא ֙וּ ֶאל־ ֶ֣א ֶרץ ְכּ ֔נַ ַען ֲא ֶ֥שׁר ֲא ִנ֛י נ ֹ ֵ֥תן ָל ֶ֖כם ַל ֲא ֻח ָ֑זּה ְונָ ַת ִתּ ֙י ֶ֣נגַע ָצ ַ֔ר ַעת .4 ְבּ ֵ֖בית ֶ֥א ֶרץ ֲא ֻחזַּ ְת ֶכֽם׃ וּ ָב ֙א ֲא ֶשׁר־ ֣לוֹ ַה ֔ ַבּיִת ְו ִה ִ֥גּיד ַלכּ ֵֹ֖הן ֵלא ֑מ ֹר ְכּ ֕נֶגַע נִ ְר ָ֥אה ִ֖לי ַבּ ָבּֽיִת׃ ְו ִצ ָ֨וּה ַהכּ ֹ֜ ֵהן וּ ִפ ֣נּוּ ֶאת־ ַה ֗ ַבּיִת The LORD ְבּ ֨ ֶט ֶרם יָ ֤ב ֹא ַהכּ ֹ ֵה ֙ן ִל ְר ֣אוֹת ֶאת־ ַה ֔נֶּגַע ְו ֥לא יִ ְט ָ֖מא ָכּל־ ֲא ֶ֣שׁר ַבּ ָ֑בּיִת ְו ַ֥א ַחר ֵ֛כּן יָ ֥ב ֹא ַהכּ ֵֹ֖הן ִל ְר ֥אוֹת ֶאת־ ַה ָבּֽיִת׃ spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: When you enter the land of Canaan that I give you as a possession, and I inflict an eruptive plague upon a house in the land you possess, the owner of the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, “Something like a plague has appeared upon my house.” The priest shall order the house cleared before the priest enters to examine the plague, so that nothing in the house may become unclean; after that the priest shall enter to examine the house. Rashi on Leviticus 14:4:2 טהרות. פְּרָ ט לְעוֹף טָמֵא, לְפִי שֶׁהַנְּגָעִים בָּאִין עַל לָשׁוֹן הָרַ ע שֶׁהוּא מַעֲשֵׂה פִטְפּוּטֵי דְבָרִ ים, לְפִיכָך הֻזְקְקוּ לְטָהֳרָ תוֹ .5 CLEAN — This term excludes an unclean טצִפֳּרִ ים שֶׁמְּפַטְפְּטִין תָּמִיד בְּצִפְצוּף קוֹל (ערכין ט"ז):הרות bird (of a species that may not be eaten) (cf. Chullin 140a). Because the plagues of leprosy come as a punishment for slander, which is done by chattering, therefore birds are compulsory for his (the leper’s) purification, because these chatter, as it were, continuously with a twittering sound (Arakhin 16b). Rashi on Leviticus 14:4:5-6 means a stick of cedar wood (not a עץ ארז. מַקֵּל שֶׁל אֶרֶ ז: שני תולעת. לָשׁוֹן שֶׁל צֶמֶר צָבוּעַ זְהוֹרִ ית:עץ ארז .a strip of wool dyed crimson — שני תולעת .(cedar tree 6. Ramban on Leviticus 13:47:1 4 והבגד כי יהיה בו נגע צרעת זה איננו בטבע כלל ולא הווה בעולם וכן נגעי הבתים אבל בהיות ישראל שלמים לה' יהיה רוח השם עליהם תמיד להעמיד גופם ובגדיהם ובתיהם במראה טוב וכאשר יקרה באחד מהם חטא ועון יתהוה כיעור בבשרו או בבגדו או בביתו להראות כי השם סר מעליו ולכך אמר הכתוב (ויקרא י״ד:ל״ד) ונתתי נגע צרעת בבית ארץ אחוזתכם כי היא מכת השם בבית ההוא והנה איננו נוהג אלא בארץ שהיא נחלת ה' כמו שאמר (שם) כי תבאו אל ארץ כנען אשר אני נותן לכם לאחוזה ואין הדבר מפני היותו חובת קרקע אבל מפני שלא יבא הענין ההוא אלא בארץ AND…הנבחרת אשר השם הנכבד שוכן בתוכה ובתורת כהנים (מצורע פרשה ה ג) דרשו עוד שאין הבית מטמא אלא WHEN THE PLAGUE OF LEPROSY IS IN A GARMENT.
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