This Week’s Torah Portion: Tazria – M’tzora – תַזְרִיעַ – מְצֹרָע (Leviticus 12:1-15:33)
כׇּל־יְמֵ֞י אֲשֶׁ֨ר הַנֶּ֥גַע בּ֛וֹ יִטְמָ֖א טָמֵ֣א ה֑וּא בָּדָ֣ד יֵשֵׁ֔ב מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה מוֹשָׁבֽוֹ׃
All the days on which the disease is present, they shall surely be impure. Being impure, they shall dwell apart; in a dwelling outside the camp. (Leviticus 13:46).
Tazria-Metzora is the dreaded Torah Portion for any B’nei Mitzvah student, given the graphic descriptions of diseases our ancestors faced in the ancient world. Despite how disgusting it may be, we learn from this Torah that each one of us is responsible for the health of not just ourselves, but our entire community. This Shabbat it is my prayer that we can slow down and really take care of ourselves.
Parsha Tazria – M’tzora – תַזְרִיעַ – מְצֹרָע Torah Summary:
God describes the rituals of purification for a woman after childbirth. (12:1-8)
God sets forth the methods for diagnosing and treating a variety of skin diseases, including tzara-at (a leprous affection), as well as those for purifying clothing. (13:1-59)
Priestly rituals to cure tzara-at when it afflicts humans are described. (14:1-32)
Rituals to rid dwelling places of tzara-at are presented. (14:33-57)
The parashah denotes male impurities resulting from a penile discharge or seminal emission. (15:1-18)
The parashah concludes with accounts of female impurities caused by a discharge of blood. (15:19-33)
Tazria – M’tzora – תַזְרִיעַ – מְצֹרָע
כׇּל־יְמֵ֞י אֲשֶׁ֨ר הַנֶּ֥גַע בּ֛וֹ יִטְמָ֖א טָמֵ֣א ה֑וּא בָּדָ֣ד יֵשֵׁ֔ב מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה מוֹשָׁבֽוֹ׃
All the days on which the disease is present, they shall surely be impure. Being impure, they shall dwell apart; in a dwelling outside the camp. (Leviticus 13:46).
Tazria-Metzora is the dreaded Torah Portion for any B’nei Mitzvah student, given the graphic descriptions of diseases our ancestors faced in the ancient world. Despite how disgusting it may be, we learn from this Torah that each one of us is responsible for the health of not just ourselves, but our entire community. This Shabbat it is my prayer that we can slow down and really take care of ourselves.