Leviticus 12:1-13:59
(In a regular year, read with Parashah 28; in a leap year read separately.)
“Adonai said to Moshe, ‘Tell the people of Isra’el: If a woman conceives …” (Leviticus 12:1-2).
This parashah begins with Adonai’s instructions for women after they have babies, thus the title, ‘she conceives.’ The regulations covered miscarriage and stillbirths as many conceived babies that did not make it to term or were born lifeless. These instructions protected a woman’s body after childbirth so that her womb would heal and she could conceive again.
Excerpt:
Tzara’at
“The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean’. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man unclean” (Matthew 15:18-20).
The Hebrew word tzara’at is translated as ‘leprosy,’ but it is not what would be considered leprosy today. Tzara’at describes a skin condition that includes swelling and whitish red spots on the torso. Tzara’at and metzorah, the word for ‘leper,’ have the same Hebrew root. The rabbis believed tzara’at which literally means ‘one who spreads slander’ was a physical manifestation of a person’s spiritual condition or a supernatural discipline. In other words, tzara’at is brought on by sins like lying, false vows, pride, and slander.
Hebrew Word Pictures
Tzara’at (Skin Infection) – צרעת – tsade, resh, ayin, tav
– pull toward to the highest authority, understand the sign
Metzorah (One Diseased) – מצרע – mem, tsade, resh, ayin
– pull toward the chaos, the highest authority see
Lashon harah (Evil Tongue) – לשון הרה – lamed, shin, vav, nun – hey, resh hey
– urge forward and consume the binding of life
– behold the highest authority revealed
Aaron and Miryam, Moshe’s brother and sister, were afflicted with tzara’at because they slandered their Ethiopian sister-in-law and became arrogant over Moshe as leader of Isra’el. They felt they were just as important as their brother because they also heard Elohim speak. In Hebrew, this is called lashon hara or an ‘evil tongue’ and includes gossip and backbiting as well as slander. Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh burned with anger against them, came down in a column of cloud, and stood at the entrance to the Mishkan.
“Listen to what I say: when there is a prophet among you, I, Adonai, make myself known to him in a vision, I speak with him in a dream. But it isn’t that way with my servant Moshe. He is the only one who is faithful in my entire household. With him I speak face to face and clearly, not in riddles; he sees the image of Adonai. So why weren’t you afraid to criticize my servant Moshe?” (Leviticus 12:6-8)
When the cloud lifted from above the Mishkan, Miryam had tzara’at as white as snow. Aaron looked at his sister and immediately understood that they had acted with lashon hara. Moshe cried to Adonai and Miryam was healed. However, she was sent out of the camp for seven days, not because she was contagious, but because she needed to be alone and meditate on her sin and the Rapha-El – the Healer.
Adonai does not take lashon hara lightly because our words edify or tear down an individual or a leader. In the case of Moshe, the chosen leader of Elohim’s people, lashon hara could not be tolerated because gossip and slander spread like a disease.
“An ungodly man digs up evil, and his lips is a scorching fire. A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends” (Proverbs 16:27-28).
For a complete copy of this Torah portion, the readings from the Prophets, gospels, letters, and study questions, please purchase Open My Eyes: Wonders of Torah.
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