The Portion of Tazria (Leviticus 12:1-13:59)
This week’s portion opens with the ritual laws of a woman who gives birth, but the bulk of the content discusses the identification, quarantine and purification of the metzorah, or leper. Unlike the medical affliction, Biblical tzaraat, or leprosy, can also affect...
Understanding the Healing Process for a “Leper”
The healing process for tzaraat (a spiritual malady frequently mistranslated as leprosy) requires a series of sacrifices in the Temple. Two live birds are brought to the priest. Springwater is placed in an earthenware vessel, over which one of the birds (traditionally...
Eager for life? Guard Your Tongue
Leviticus goes into great detail describing the disease of tzaraat and the ensuing process of purification. Though usually mistranslated as leprosy, tzaraat is, in fact, a physical affliction resulting from a spiritual malady. According to Jewish commentaries, tzaraat...
Tzaraat of the Home: A Punishment and a Blessing
After dealing with tzaraat, a spiritual affliction similar in presentation to leprosy, that appears on the body and clothing, the Torah goes on to describe the tzaraat that afflicts houses. If the walls became discolored with streaks of red or green and tzaraat was...Related Content
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![The Scapegoat, by William Holman Hunt. In Temple times, the scapegoat was a central part of the Yom Kippur service. [Image: Wiki Commons]](https://theisraelbible.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/William_Holman_Hunt_-_The_Scapegoat.jpg)
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The Portion of Metzorah (Leviticus 14:1-15:33)
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Forget Your Past - For Now
Sexual Purity and the Land of Israel
Understanding the Healing Process for a "Leper"
