Insights into Leviticus Tazria and Metzora

BS”D

Insights into Leviticus Tazria and Metzora

 

– When a women conceives (Tazria means CONCEIVES)

When a male child is born we are instructed about the Bris Milah or circumcision

Leviticus ch 12 v 3 states “On the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.” I would like to refer us to the work from Rabbi Zamir Cohen’s book the Coming revolution page 146 where he cites a number of leading experts the first is Dr James Quick who was the head of the department of Biochemistry at Marquette University in Wisconsin and the second Dr Ayala Abrahamov Senior Professor of Paediatrics at the faculty of medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem both point out Physiologically until the eighth day, the liver slowly develops, until on the eighth day itself, it is mature enough to fulfil its role to create clots to stop bleeding. Dr. Armand James was astounded at the uncanny correlation between the development of the body’s ability to stop bleeding and the timing of the Brit Milah”, to a versed and believing Torah person this would of come as no surprise that He who created the world with Wisdom, He who gave us the Torah and it is indeed a blue print of his creation.  On pg. 148 we are told about 13 years ago a June 2000 edition of the best seller {None of these diseases by Dr S I McMillen} was released in it he points out that on the eighth day, the level of clotting material (prothrombin) is 110% of the norm!  Well above the amount that will accompany a normal person the rest of his life.  “Here we can clearly see G-d’s hand at work for he linked the day of the Highest blood clotting levels to the day which circumcision is commanded.” Wow just contemplate this correlation for a moment.

The bris was given for every male and it was given as a perpetual command that would never cease, The Covenant of Abraham the Brit Milah of circumcision Genesis Ch 17 V 10 reads “This is my covenant which you must preserve between Me and you, and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised…” V13 then states “…This shall be my covenant in your flesh as an eternal covenant.”   V 19 then states “I will establish my covenant with him and an eternal covenant to his descendants after him.” Again in V21 “I will establish my covenant with Yitzchok”

The Marvels of Birth:

Rabbi Tanchuma on this sedra and the concept of conception reflects on the wonder of life and I want to quote some of his deep and inspiring words:

“A mortal king draws a picture on a wall, but can he draw on water? Yet the Holy one, blessed is he forms a foetus within the waters of its mother’s belly.”  “A mortal king forms a picture on a wall, but he cannot form within it a spirit and a soul, yet the Holy one blessed is he moulds a form within a form.”  “ A person forms a picture on a wall and though he can speak his picture cannot speak, and man stands back and praises it, but the Holy one blessed be He formed man and that man stands and speaks and praises the Holy one Blessed is He.”  When a mortal man wishes to draw a form how much paint must he add to complete the form, yet the Holy one Blessed is he, does not do so, he forms man from a single droplet. Come and observe a peacock which has 305 different colours, but from what is it formed a droplet of white seed!  There is no Artist like G-d Almighty blessed is he.” Contemplate on the wonders of creation and the awesomeness of the cause of all causes.

Leviticus 12 v 2 speaks about the conception of an embryo leading to a new life being born, when the new born leaves its mothers body we are taught that it leaves a vacuum of holiness (lack of life) within the mother, rendering the mother impure and in need of cleansing. Similarly when a woman is not impregnated and her eggs fertilised she undergoes the menstrual cycle (associated with a loss of a potential life) when this flow stops the women counts 7 clean days before entering a ritual bath of rain water called a Mikvah to cleanse herself. In the coming revolution pg. 130 we find more marvellous insights that inform us of the divine origin of the Torah, the laws of Niddah (Menstruation) the book reads “take into account minute hidden details of biological processes that medical research has only recently discovered.” The following are excerpts from the book which draws from an article by Dr. Eli Sussheim, a senior surgeon at Sha’arei Tzedek Medical centre in Jerusalem Israel. “There are incredibly close correlations between Jewish tradition and medical science regarding the Chronology of three physiological stages in a women’s’ monthly period. Stage 1 the lining of the outer uterus detaches and sheds causing bleeding. Thereafter stage 2 the uterus rebuilds the destroyed portion of the lining to prepare itself to receive and nourish another embryo it is designed to support. Science has recently discovered that the length of time required to re-establish the uterus’s outer lining is 7 days from the end of the process (marked by the cessation of bleeding). Read Leviticus ch 12 v 2 states after the bleeding stops “… she will be ritually unclean for seven days, as the days of her menstrual flow.”  Further the time of ovulation coincides exactly with the reformation of the outer lining of the uterus, scientists have determined the Legal prescribed day of immersion in the Mikvah – which is the first day of resumed marital relationships after the menstrual break and count of seven clean days is the absolute best day for conception!

THE SEDRA AND WATER

We see in many places, water used in the cleansing process it represents rebirth and renewed life, those who have sin and wish to repent use it as a means to return. this is why we go to a body of water at a time of renewal, we visit a pond or river on Rosh Ha Shona our new year, preferably containing fish during the holy days of repentance, Genesis Ch 1 V14 “Let the waters teem into groups of living sea creatures” and in Genesis Ch 2 V 5 “…vegetation had not yet sprouted, for Hashem had not brought rain upon the earth.” Water represents potential for new Life.

A Metzorah destroys through evil speech they have done things to cause rifts between people, this happens when a person is arrogant or selfish and sees himself as more important than others, this is often as a result of not knowing or fearing Hashem, as a result the Metzora once confirmed by a Kohen is secluded and not even allowed to be in a group with a fellow Metzora, he is sent outside the camp alone to contemplate and introspect what he has done.

At a time when Hashem was much more apparent in the Israelite camps, a person’s body was then more in tune and sensitive to impurity, a Metzorah was thus physically afflicted on his garments and then house and finally his body, once confirmed he needed to be separated from the group, his soul through a body affliction was warned to repent.

It is apparent that we are no longer on a level to merit such warnings.

Rabbi Aurbach always talks of the strength of the community - the group represents strength and stability, unity and care, even when an individual goes through a hard time if he connects to others they will help him through it.  An individual may fall but a community should be forever, and this is something the Metzorah destroys, perhaps uttering words that caused hatred and resentment of another. The only contact a Metzorah has is with Kohen, see how powerful is speech, it was his speech that brought about destruction and hurt and potential death, through the speech of the Kohen he is declared impure and through repentance the Kohen finally through speech will declare him pure if he repents or if he is beyond repentance. (the warning is in vain so why bother.) The Kohen represents the person with the Good eye, the non-judgemental priest a giving person always perusing peace, and for this quality Aharon of blessed memory was endeared to the people. This was our beloved Aharon of Blessed memory and his children, one of whom wore the breastplate over his heart a symbol of love as he perfomed the service of Kohen Gadol. 

http://ohr.edu/1646Metzora

Boomerang

"...and he shall be brought to the Kohen." (14:3).

When a person speaks lashon hara it indicates that he has no concept of the power of speech; that he considers words to be insignificant in comparison to actions. As the nursery rhyme says "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me."

Nothing could be further from the truth. When a person speaks evil, he awakes a prosecutor in Heaven, not only against the target of his speech, but also against himself. An angel stands by the side of each of us recording our every word. In order to teach those who speak slander the power of just one word, the Torah instructs that the offender be brought to the Kohen. But, even as he is on his way to the Kohen, his body covered with tzara'at for all to see, and until the Kohen actually pronounces the word "Impure!" he is still considered totally pure. Similarly, he cannot regain his former status, although his disease has healed completely, until the Kohen again pronounces him to be spiritually pure. From this, the speaker of lashon hara is taught to reflect on the power of each and every word. For with one word he can be made an outcast, and with one word he can be redeemed.

• Based on Ohel Yaakov

Rashi ztl points out the purification process of a Metzora took place with two birds one is killed and the other freed – birds constantly chatter, this can be likened to a talebearer that causes and stirs trouble, the birds are taken with Cedar wood (From a palm tree that stands tall and arrogant, Rashi says eruptions occurred from having a haughty spirit) a Crimson thread and Hyssop ( the word for thread in Hebrew can also mean worm (Tolaat)  like a lowly worm and Hyssop is a lowly tree, Rashi explains for the Motzora to be cured he must move from the Arrogance to Lowliness.) All these items are placed over running water. All these items placed in blood of the dead bird to knock home the message that his ways have led towards death of spirit.

http://ohr.edu/3883

Incredibly Humble

"and cedar wood, crimson thread, and hyssop" (14:4)

"For leprous-looking lesions result from conceit and haughtiness. What is the cure? A person should lower himself like the worm and the hyssop." (Rashi)

The Baal Shem Tov once arrived in Polana for Shabbat in a beautiful carriage. In that town was a certain individual who loved to create trouble. He accused the Baal Shem Tov of lording it up and behaving in a conceited fashion.

The Baal Shem replied to him:

"Once there was a king who let it be known that he was searching for the elixir of eternal life. Hearing about the king’s quest, a wise man came to him and said, "I have the elixir of eternal life." "Where is it? Where is it?" said the king in great excitement. "I will pay you anything for it!" Replied the wise man, "You need pay me nothing for it. But it will certainly cost you."

The king’s brow furrowed. "Where is the potion?" he demanded.

Said the wise man: "If you humble yourself and distance yourself from all conceit, you will have imbibed the elixir of life."

The king took the wise man’s words and fulfilled them to the letter. He behaved like the epitome of humility, to the extent that he actually ceased riding in the royal carriage and followed behind it on foot along with his servants.

However, the more he did to humiliate himself, the more he heard this little voice in his head saying, "You are the MOST incredibly HUMBLE person in the whole world. Look at you! You are a great king and yet you walk on foot behind your carriage. You speak in whispers, carefully weighing your each and every word. Your shoulders are hunched unassumingly. Your glance is always downward and diffident. You are truly FANTASTIC!"

He sought out the wise man and told him of his problem. The wise man explained, "Walking behind the royal carriage was not what I had it mind. I meant you to go up and sit in your carriage, that everyone should continue bowing to you and treating you with royal deference, and, in spite of all that, in your heart of hearts, you should still feel humble and small. That’s a much more difficult thing to do."

But that is true humility.

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Respect for purity is no small matter as at the end of Metzora in Leviticus ch 15 v 31 states “You shall separate Bnei Yisroel from their impurities and they will not die because of their impurities through their defilement of My dwelling in their midst.  So the fact is if we want Hashem to dwell in our midst Purity is essential, generosity of spirit and love of ones fellow, and building and supporting one another with kind words that liven those around us.  Note the verse does not say remove the man but rather states remove the impurities or affliction, Hashem in his kindness allows repentance but the affliction needs to be removed.  In this spirit we should always pray for and see within the person and not the affliction alone, only Hashem knows why certain things happen in the world, we do not…so never judge those afflicted see past the affliction to the person the soul within and try and remove the person away from their distress, so we can all unite and have the Divine presence dwell amongst us as when we encamped at Sinai may it occur speedily in our time.

“I create fruit of the lips: ‘Peace, peace, for far and near,’ says HASHEM, ‘and I shall heal him’ ” (Yeshayahu. 57:19).

We should all work towards using our thoughts and resultant speech, being a gift given to man, the highest of the physical creations to bring Life!