Tazria - תזריע
Leviticus: Leviticus 12:1 - 13:59
Reading #3 - Leviticus 13:18–23
My Thoughts:
More on skin diseases in today’s reading. It is all about protecting people from diseases and being unclean for Tabernacle worship. Hashem cares about every single facet of our life. And He wants us to be “clean” when entering His presence. The priests have the role of making sure all is safe. It would be comforting to have someone in that role in your community, don’t you think? Someone to make sure the people are being cared for and watched over.
Challenge:
Plagues affect people and communities, in disastrous ways. When Covid 19 went around the world it affected governments, economies, religious organizations, families and individuals. We did not have local trusted religious authorities telling us what to do (although hopefully you did!), instead we had the government telling us what to do. Wouldn’t it be so nice to be able to rely on people we know and trust to advise in situations like this? Maybe we need to seek out and look for people we can go to for advice. Maybe this is evidence of how important it is to be part of a synagogue. Take today to think of how you can join a community that has trusted G-dly authority.
Reading #3 - Leviticus 13:18–23
13:18 “When the body has a boil on its skin, and it has healed, 19 and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling, or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be shown to the priest. 20 The priest shall examine it. Behold, if its appearance is deeper than the skin, and its hair has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of leprosy. It has broken out in the boil. 21 But if the priest examines it, and behold, there are no white hairs in it, and it isn’t deeper than the skin, but is dim, then the priest shall isolate him seven days. 22 If it spreads in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a plague. 23 But if the bright spot stays in its place, and hasn’t spread, it is the scar from the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
