Parashat Tazria-Metzora Part Three

Tazria-Metzora |  תצריע - מצורע 

“She conceives” - “Diseased One”

Part 3

A daily Torah study by Loren Abraham
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Torah: Leviticus 12:1 - 15:33

Haftarah: II Kings 4:42 - 5:19; II Kings 7:3 - 7:20 

Suggested: Matt 11:2-6; Luke 7:18-19; Luke 17:11-19

In each day of this study we will focus on a theme or themes from the corresponding reading or aliyah. Here is the full list of aliyot for this portion:

Daily Readings

     1: Lev. 12:1-13:23 Childbirth and Tzara'at 
2: Lev. 13:24-39 Tzara'at on scalp or beard
3: Lev. 13:40-54 Tzara'at in fabric
4: Lev. 13:55-14:20 Purification of the metzora
5: Lev. 14:21-32 The needy metzora 
6: Lev. 14:33-15:15 Buildings with tzara'at
7: Lev. 15:16-33 Normal discharges

Introduction

In parts one and two we learned that leprosy - Tzara'at – in some sense, collectively, represents all human disease and deterioration because it visually displays the process of corruption and decay in our mortal flesh. Every illness and disease can in that sense therefore be understood as biblical leprosy - Tzara'at. Disease spreads through our bodies. It grows within us, weakens us, and sometimes kills us. In part three we will learn that Tzara'at is akin to a state of living death and that it can not only infect humans but also material things such as clothing and houses. 

Summary of the third aliyah  

Day 3: Lev 13:40-54   Tzara'at in a bald spot and Tzara'at in fabric
In the third reading, we learn about tzara'at which appears on a bald spot, as well a white discoloration streaked with red, which can appear anywhere on the body. Also discussed is the procedure followed by an individual who is afflicted with tzara'at. Unclean persons were to rend their clothes, leave their head bare, cover over their upper lips, call out, "Unclean! Unclean!" and dwell outside the camp. The Torah then discusses tzara'at affecting a garment, where a green or red discoloration appears. The garment is shown to a priest who quarantines it for up to two weeks.

Lev 13:45-46   Mourning one's own death

Anyone diagnosed with biblical leprosy - tzara'at - was required to leave the community because the person afflicted (metzora) with it was highly contagious and threatened contaminating ritual uncleanness to anyone with whom he came in contact. The only thing more contaminating than a metzora was a human corpse. When approached, he was to warn others of his condition by shouting, "Unclean! Unclean!" He was to tear his garments, cover his face and uncover his head, leaving his hair unkempt. All of these are identified elsewhere as rites of mourning. In effect, one afflicted with tzara'at was treated as though he were already dead and compelled to mourn his own death. It is therefore clear from the Torah that being diagnosed with tzara'at is a sort of living death and one's only hope is to be healed if they are ever to rejoin their family and the community. So it is not surprising that Yeshua was sought out by anyone who was thus afflicted as their only hope of reclaiming the life they had lost. We will discuss this in greater detail tomorrow in our commentary "The Metzorah and Messiah" as we begin our study of Leviticus Chapter 14.

(See Matt 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke: 5:12-16, 17:11-19)

Lev 13:47-59   Tzara'at in fabric and leather

We discussed above that biblical leprosy - Tzara'at – in some sense, collectively, represents all human disease and deterioration because it visually displays the process of corruption and decay in our mortal flesh. Every illness and disease can therefore in that sense be understood, in a figurative sense, as leprosy. Disease spreads through our bodies. It grows within us, weakens us, and sometimes kills us. If it does not, some other process of decay will. Biblical leprosy - Tzara'at - is a way of regarding our inevitable mortal end.

But as we continue our study we find that Tzara'at is not limited to the human condition only, it can also manifest in material things as well.  So it seems that this process of corruption and decay in our flesh can also be extended to the world of things that we use – in articles of clothing or other items made of fabric or leather (Lev 13:47-59) and later in Parashat Metzora we will discover that it can also appear in our houses and other buildings. (See comments for Lev 14:33-53) 

Nevertheless the process with these articles is similar to that with a human subject. The priest examines the article to determine if it meets the criteria to be declared Tzara'at and if so it is quarantined for seven days and examined to see if the condition has spread. If so, it is burned, but if not then the garment is to be washed and quarantined for another seven days and then reexamined. If the signs of the Tzara'at have not changed then it is to be burned. But if they have faded then the portion with the Tzara'at is to be cut out, and if it has disappeared then it is washed again and declared clean. 

There are several interesting things to note in the Hebrew text in this section: 

1.     The Hebrew word used to describe the stain in the garment which can be either a red or a green color, is פְּחֶתֶת  - pchetheth - which literally means "a boring or eating out" regarding leprous decay in a garment and often translated in English as a "fungus eating away" at the fabric.

2.   A phrase used repeatedly is  בַשְּׁתִ֤י אֽוֹ־בָעֵ֙רֶב֙  - b'sheti o b'erev - which literally means "in the warp or in the woof." These are weaving terms used to describe the direction of the thread, whether running the length (warp) of the cloth or across the width (woof)  and by extension, this phrase can refer to the fundamental structure of any process or system. When the Torah repeats a word or phrase it is an indication of importance. Since this phrase is used three times in close succession we should understand it to be of utmost importance. 

3.     The period of quarantining is always שִׁבְעַת־יָמִ֖ים  - shiv'at  yammim – seven days between examinations by the priest. This is consistent throughout this portion whenever someone or something is suspected of being contaminated and always carries the potential of being declared clean – figurative of redemption – on the eighth day. (see our commentary on Lev 9:1: The eighth Day – day of new beginnings in the study for Parashat Shemini.

Tomorrow we will learn about what comes after Tzara'at has been "healed." Namely we will learn about the purification process after Tzara'at and we will learn about the mystery of "The Messiah and the Metzora."

Go to Parashat Tazria-Metzora Part Four
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