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This week we have a double parasha with parashas Tazria and Metzora, which translate to “She bears seed” and “Infected one”. Parasha Tazria covers Leviticus 12:1-13:59 and parasha Metzora covers 14:1-15:33. These parashas talk about the importance of ritual cleanliness from a variety of different sources of uncleanliness.
We begin with Leviticus 12, which details the required rituals for a mother to become ceremonially clean after giving birth to a child. If the child was a boy, the mother was considered ceremonially unclean for 40 days and 80 days for a girl. After this time had passed they were required to offer a burnt offering and a “sin offering”. It is important to understand when reading this chapter that being ceremonially unclean does not always mean you are in a state of sin. Just because a “sin offering” was required does not mean that childbirth is somehow sinful. Sin offerings were required for ritual cleansing related to diseases and even as part of the Nazarite oath.
While these requirements may seem strange to us today, they were commands by the Lord and were part of the life of our people for our benefit. They may have existed to allow time for a mother to bond with her child, or as a reminder of the cycle of sin that is passed on to every human being. Regardless of the reason, it is enough that they were commands of the Lord, so we were to diligently follow them.
Leviticus 13 continues the discussion of cleanliness with comments about skin growths and infections. They are called “Leprosy”, in this chapter but represent more than Hansen’s Disease, medical Leprosy. I’ll spare you the specific details this morning, but this chapter emphasizes the importance of seeing a priest to be inspected. A person who was infected was also commanded to remove themselves from others, wait to see if their condition was healed and then be re-examined by the priest to confirm the healing. If the infection did not dissipate or had spread further they were to be publicly identified as unclean and had to live away from everyone else, with healthy individuals giving them space when encountered in public. This can seem incredibly harsh but was necessary to stop the spread of deadly diseases. Today we have a process of quarantine, to isolate high infectious individuals from others to protect our communities. Through the Lord’s commandments we can see this process in place thousands of years before Germ Theory was discovered.
Leviticus 14 continues the discussion of infections in chapter 13 with the requirements for becoming cleansed after a disease had passed. Once again, we read that a priest is the only one who can determine that a healing had taken place by the Lord. After the healing had been confirmed, sacrifices were required, along with all the hair on the previously infected person being shaved off. They were then required to wait an additional eight days before going into their tent after the final sacrifices were given for their healing.
The second half of Leviticus 14 discusses tents or houses that have become infected with mold or mildew. A priest is required to inspect the home to determine that there is “leprosy” present. The home is then stripped and repaired where the mold has been found. If the priest does not find any further mold at a later visit the home is declared cleansed. If the mold comes back the house will then be destroyed.
Our second parasha ends in Leviticus 15 which details the sacrifices and period of time necessary to be declared clean after sexual emissions have occurred.
While we are not required to follow the purification, commands outlined in parashas Tazria and Metzora, there are still important lessons found in them for us today. These chapters represent real aspects of human life and though they may talk about topics we find distasteful, they are important for our lives.
The discussion on leprosy is one of the most specific and lengthy rituals outlined in the Torah. Leprosy being identified and healed is very important, because leprosy is a recurring theme throughout the Old Covenant and New Covenant writings. The healing of Leprosy is used as one of the signs for Pharaoh to demonstrate the Lord’s power and authority. It is a constant prayer of God’s people that they will not be inflicted with leprosy. It also serves as the punishment in 2 Chronicles when King Uzziah attempts to sinfully offer incense to the Lord. So Leprosy is tied to sin and represents the consequences of personal sin as well as life in a fallen sinful world.
We can see in the parasha that the priest is able to identify when leprosy has manifested, but is unable to heal a person of it. Only God can heal a person of leprosy and the priest’s role is to observe this blessing has taken place and help offer sacrifices thanking the Lord for this blessing.
In the New Testament we see that Messiah Yeshua’s public ministry is tied to the healing of diseases like leprosy. When the disciples of John the Baptist ask Yeshua if he is truly the promised Messiah he tells them to report to John what they have seen, including people being healed of leprosy. There are several accounts in the Gospels of Yeshua healing people with leprosy, but one that stands out is found in Luke 17.
In this account, as Yeshua was traveling along the border between Samaria and Galilee, ten men with leprosy met him. As was required, they stood away from Yeshua but asked Him to show them mercy. Yeshua told them to go and see the priests, as was required, and as they walked by faith they were cleansed. But it was only one of the ten, a despised Samaritan, that returned to Yeshua and gave Him thanks. Yeshua asks where the other nine are rhetorically, and comments that only this foreigner, a Samaritan, has returned to praise God. Yeshua tells him to rise and leave because his faith has made him well.
Our parashas this week challenge us to walk by faith to experience the blessings of being washed clean and healed by Adonai. No human being can completely accomplish this, only the Lord. In our day this is done by having real faith through the Lord’s help in Messiah Yeshua. A question to ask is if we are praising the Lord for the cleansing and blessings he has provided or have we like the majority, forgotten Him after receiving His blessings and healing?
May the Lord enable each of us to be washed clean and be presentable before Him through the blood of Messiah Yeshua. May we all give Him the praise that He is due for all the ways He blesses and heals us throughout our lives in a sinful, fallen world.