Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has made us set apart through His commandments and commanded us to actively study Torah. Please YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, YHVH, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, Who chose us from all the nations and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, YHVH, Giver of the Torah.
Lev 13:29 “And when a man, or a woman, has an infection on the head or in the beard,
Lev 13:30 then the priest shall look at the infection and see, if it appears deeper than the skin, and there is thin yellow hair in it, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean, it is an eruption, a leprosy of the head or beard.
Lev 13:31 “But when the priest looks at the infection of the eruption and sees that it does not appear deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall shut up the one with the infection of the eruption seven days.
Lev 13:32 “And on the seventh day the priest shall look at the infection and see, if the eruption has not spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the eruption does not appear deeper than the skin,
shut up the one with the eruption another seven days.
Lev 13:34
“And on the seventh day the priest shall look at the eruption and see,
if the eruption has not spread over the skin, and does not appear deeper than
the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. And he shall wash his
garments, and he shall be clean.
Lev 13:35
“But if the eruption spreads further over the skin after his cleansing,
Lev 13:36
then the priest shall look at him and see, if the eruption has spread
over the skin, the priest need not seek for yellow hair, he is unclean.
Lev 13:37
“But if the eruption appears to have stayed, and there is black hair
grown up in it, the eruption has healed. He is clean, and the priest shall
pronounce him clean.
Lev 13:38
“And when a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body,
white bright spots,
Lev 13:39
then the priest shall look and see, if the bright spots on the skin of
the body are dull white, it is a white spot that grows on the skin, he is
clean.
Lev 13:40
“And when a man loses the hair of his head, he is bald, he is clean.
Lev 13:41
“And if the hair has fallen from his forehead, he is bald on the
forehead, he is clean.
Lev 13:42
“And when there is on the bald head or bald forehead a reddish-white
infection, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or his bald forehead.
Lev 13:43
“And the priest shall look at it and see, if the swelling of the
infection is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, as the
appearance of leprosy on the skin of the body,
Lev 13:44
he is a leprous man, he is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him
unclean, without fail, his infection is on his head.
Lev 13:45
“As for the leper who has the infection, his garments are torn, and his
head is uncovered, and he has to cover his upper lip and cry, ‘Unclean!
Unclean!’ (tamei tamei)
Isa 6:5 And
I said, “Woe to me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean(tamei) lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips – for my eyes have seen the Sovereign, יהוה
of hosts.”
Isa 6:6 And
one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had
taken with the tongs from the slaughter-place.
Isa 6:7 And
he touched my mouth with it, and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your
crookedness is taken away, and your sin is covered.”
Lev 13:46
“He is unclean – all the days he has the infection he is unclean. He is
unclean, and he dwells alone, his dwelling place is outside the camp.
Lev 13:47
“And when a garment has an infection of leprosy in it, in a woollen
garment or in a linen garment,
Lev 13:48
or in the warp or in the weft of linen or wool, or in leather or in any
leather-work,
Lev 13:49
and the infection shall be greenish or reddish in the garment or in the
leather, or in the warp or in the weft, or in any leather object, it is an
infection of leprosy and shall be shown to the priest.
Lev 13:50
“And the priest shall look at the infection and shut up the infected one
seven days.
Lev 13:51
“And he shall look at the infection on the seventh day. And when the
infection has spread in the garment, or in the warp or in the weft, or in the
leather or any leather-work, the infection is an active leprosy, it is unclean.
Lev 13:52
“And he shall burn that garment, or the warp or the weft, in wool or in
linen, or any leather object in which the infection is, for it is an active
leprosy. It is burned with fire.
Lev 13:53
“But if the priest looks and sees that the infection has not spread in
the garment, or in the warp or in the weft, or in any leather object,
Lev 13:54
then the priest shall give command, and they shall wash that in which
the infection is. And he shall shut it up another seven days.
Lev 13:55
“And the priest shall look at the infection after it has been washed and
see, if the infection has not changed its appearance, though the infection has
not spread, it is unclean, and burn it in the fire – it is eaten away, in its
inside or outside.
Lev 13:56
“And if the priest shall look and see that the infection has faded after
washing it, then he shall tear it out of the garment, or out of the warp, or
out of the weft, or out of the leather.
Lev 13:57
“And if it is still seen in the garment, or in the warp or in the weft,
or in any leather object, it is a spreading infection. Burn it with fire, that
in which the infection is.
Lev 13:58
“And if you wash the garment, or the warp or the weft, or any leather
object, if the infection has disappeared from it, then it shall be washed a
second time, and shall be clean.
Lev 13:59 “This is the Torah of the infection of leprosy in a garment of wool or linen, or in the warp or in the weft, or in any leather object, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.”
Laws for Cleansing Lepers
Lev 14:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Lev 14:2
“This shall be the Torah of the leper (metzora Parashat 85) for the day of his cleansing: He shall be
brought to the priest,
|
ב זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת
הַמְּצֹרָע, בְּיוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ: וְהוּבָא, אֶל-הַכֹּהֵן. |
2 This shall be
the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: he shall be brought unto
the priest. |
Note the future
tense of the Hebrew verb – “ti heyeh.” Does this also imply some future
application?
This cant be a law
just until Messiah comes. Mat 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the
Prophets[e] I did not come to destroy but to complete. Footnote: eThe Law and the
Prophets is a term used for the pre-Messianic Scriptures.
Mat 5:18
“For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one yod or
one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.f Footnote: f
Luk_16:17.
Mat 5:19
“Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so,
shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches
them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.
Lev 14:3 and
the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall look and see, if the
leprosy is healed in the leper,
Lev 14:4
then the priest shall command, and he shall take for him who is to be cleansed
two live and clean birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop.
Lev 14:5
“And the priest shall command, and he shall slay one of the birds in an earthen
vessel over running water.
Lev 14:6
“Let him take the live bird and the cedar wood and the scarlet and the hyssop,
and dip them and the live bird in the blood of the bird that was slain over the
running water.
Lev 14:7
“And he shall sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed from the
leprosy, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the live bird loose in
the open field.
Lev 14:8
“And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his garments, and shall shave off all
his hair and wash himself in water, and shall be clean. Then after that he
comes into the camp, but shall stay outside his tent seven days.
Lev 14:9
“And on the seventh day it shall be that he shaves all the hair off his head
and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shaves off. And he shall
wash his garments and wash his body in water, and shall be clean.
Lev 14:10
“And on the eighth day he takes two male lambs, perfect ones, and one ewe lamb
a year old, a perfect one, and three-tenths of an ěphah of fine flour
mixed with oil as a grain offering, and one log of oil.
Lev 14:11
“And the priest who is cleansing shall present the man who is to be cleansed,
with these offerings, before יהוה,
at the door of the Tent of Appointment.
Lev 14:12
“And the priest shall take one male lamb and bring it as a guilt offering, and
the log of oil, and wave them as a wave offering before יהוה.
Lev 14:13
“And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he slays the sin offering and
the ascending offering, in a set-apart place. For the guilt offering, like the
sin offering, belongs to the priest. It is most set-apart.
Lev 14:14
“And the priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the
priest shall put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed,
and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
Lev 14:15
“And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of
his own left hand.
Lev 14:16
“And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand,
and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before יהוה.
Lev 14:17
“And of the rest of the oil in his hand, the priest puts some on the tip of the
right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and
on the big toe of his right foot, on the blood of the guilt offering.
Lev 14:18
“And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he puts on the head of
him who is to be cleansed. And the priest shall make atonement for him before יהוה.
Lev 14:19
“And the priest shall make the sin offering, and make atonement for him who is
to be cleansed from his uncleanness. Then afterwards he slays the ascending
offering.
Lev 14:20
“And the priest shall offer the ascending offering and the grain offering on
the slaughter-place. And the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall
be clean.
Lev 14:21
“But if he is poor and is unable to afford it, then he shall take one male lamb
as a guilt offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and one-tenth of
an ěphah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering, and a log of
oil,
Lev 14:22
and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford, and one
shall be a sin offering and the other an ascending offering.
Lev 14:23
“And he shall bring them to the priest on the eighth day for his cleansing, to
the door of the Tent of Appointment, before יהוה.
Lev 14:24
“And the priest shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil,
and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before יהוה.
Lev 14:25
“And he shall slay the lamb of the guilt offering, and the priest shall take
some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the tip of the right ear
of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the
big toe of his right foot.
Lev 14:26
“Then the priest pours some of the oil into the palm of his own left
hand.
Lev 14:27
“And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in
his left hand seven times before יהוה.
Lev 14:28
“And the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the
right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of the right hand, and
on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt
offering.
Lev 14:29
“And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he puts on the head of
him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before יהוה.
Lev 14:30
“And he shall prepare one of the turtledoves or young pigeons, such as he is
able to afford,
Lev 14:31
that which he is able to afford, the one as a sin offering and the other as an
ascending offering, with the grain offering. And the priest shall make
atonement for him who is to be cleansed before יהוה.
Lev 14:32
“This is the Torah for one who had an infection of leprosy, who is unable to
afford for his cleansing.”
Laws for Cleansing Houses
Lev 14:33
And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to
Aharon, saying,
Lev 14:34
“When you come into the land of Kena‛an, which I am giving you as a possession,
and I put a plague of leprosy in a house in the land of your possession,
Lev 14:35
then shall the one who owns the house come and inform the priest, saying, ‘It
seems to me that there is some plague in the house.’
Lev 14:36
“And the priest shall command, and they shall empty the house, before the
priest goes in to look at the plague, so that all that is in the house is not
made unclean. And after that the priest goes in to look at the house.
Lev 14:37
“And he shall look at the plague and see, if the plague is on the walls of the
house with sunken places, greenish or reddish, which appear to be deep in the
wall,
Lev 14:38
then the priest shall go out of the house, to the door of the house, and shut
up the house seven days.
Lev 14:39
“And the priest shall come again on the seventh day and look and see, if the
plague has spread on the walls of the house,
Lev 14:40
then the priest shall command, and they shall remove the stones with the plague
in them, and they shall throw them outside the city, into an unclean
place,
Lev 14:41
while he lets the house be scraped inside, all around, and the dust that they
scrape off they shall pour out in an unclean place outside the city.
Lev 14:42
“And they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those stones,
and take other mortar and plaster the house.
Lev 14:43
“And if the plague comes back and breaks out in the house, after he has removed
the stones, after he has scraped the house, and after it is plastered,
Lev 14:44
then the priest shall come and look and see, if the plague has spread in the
house, it is an active leprosy in the house, it is unclean.
Lev 14:45
“And he shall break down the house, its stones, and its timber, and all the
plaster of the house, and he shall bring them outside the city to an unclean
place.
Lev 14:46
“And he who goes into the house, all the days while it is shut up, becomes
unclean until evening.
Lev 14:47
“And he who lies down in the house has to wash his garments, and he who eats in
the house has to wash his garments.
Lev 14:48
“However, if the priest indeed comes in and looks at it and sees that the
plague has not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the
priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.
Lev 14:49
“And to cleanse the house, he shall take two birds, and cedar wood, and
scarlet, and hyssop.
Lev 14:50
“And he shall slay one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running
water,
Lev 14:51
and he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the live
bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird and in the running water, and
shall sprinkle the house seven times.
Lev 14:52
“He shall thus cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and the running
water and the live bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with
the scarlet,
Lev 14:53
and he shall let the live bird loose outside the city in the open field, and
shall make atonement for the house, and it shall be clean.
Lev 14:54
“This is the Torah for any infection of leprosy, and eruption,
Lev 14:55
and for leprosy of a garment, and of a house,
Lev 14:56
and for a swelling, and for a scab, and for a bright spot,
Lev 14:57 to
teach when it is unclean and when it is clean. This is the Torah of leprosy.”
According to the sages, these two Torah portions “tazria and metzorah” reveal great mysteries of the Messiah.
The ancient sages had no doubt in their minds that these two Torah portions had more to say about the Messiah than any other Torah portions in the Torah.
The Sages believe that the one true evidence that
the Messiah had come is that he would be the one to heal “leprosy” or “tzarat”.
Thus
the Talmud (Sanhedrin 98b) describes Moshiach as a metzora, signifying
that the messianic age is a time in which evils that have infested the world
and mankind rise to the surface, so that they can be decisively overcome and
cured.
This
week’s Torah portion is about the “torah” when one is touched or marked by the
appearance of “tzra at” – “zot torat nega tzra at” – vs 59. The torah explains
the instructions concerning the appearance of “tzra at” on someone’s head or
beard – “be naga o berosh o bezakan” “Zakan” or beard is similar in meaning to
“zaken” or elder in Hebrew.Here
we become aware that this contagion could manifest in older and wiser members
(male or female) of the Hebrew community.
Vs 48
introduces us to when certain objects are infected with this contagion – “the infection of leprosy in a garment of wool or
linen, or in the warp or in the weft, or in any leather object…”
These are all objects that cover our skin.
In the beginning of creation we believe Adam was covered in the light of YHVH’s
esteem – Hebrew for light is “or” (aleph resh). When Adam sinned YHVH made an
atoning cover for his skin – Hebrew “or” (ayin resh). Is there a connection?
Let us once again look at the different
permutations of the Hebrew word for “tzra at” with the view of looking for
possible reasons for the appearance of this contagion.
The only disease
discussed in the Torah that includes laws pertaining to its manifestation and
cure is tzara'at. This renders tzara'at the archetypical,
all-inclusive disease.
The sages go on to say that Tzaraat, is derived from a lack of humility, from the failure to yield one's own will to the will of one's Creator.
Each 3-letter root in the
Hebrew language has six possible permutations. In all the Hebrew language there
are only seven 3-letter roots whose six permutations all have meaning.
The Six
Permutations of Tzara
Let us
now explore the cycle of images created by the root of tzara'at--tzara
(tzadik, reish, ayin):
|
Root |
Word |
Meaning |
|
tzadik, reish, ayin |
tzara |
To strike with tzra at. |
|
tzadik, ayin, reish |
tza'ar |
To become insignificant – to cause pain – to annoy –
Jer 30:19 – Zech 13:7 YHVH restores the inferior ones (not little ones) |
|
reish, ayin, tzadik |
ra'atz |
to crush or shatter or dash – Ex 15:6 |
|
reish, tzadik, ayin |
ratza |
To pierce - inflict stripes (by whipping) Heb 12:6-
Is 53:5 |
|
ayin, tzadik, reish |
atzar |
To restrain or keep back and prevent the rule of anarchic expansion |
|
ayin, reish, tzadik |
aratz |
To cause to tremble to fear or dread - a good or
evil force because of its power |
Rom 11:33 Oh, the depth of riches, and wisdom and knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways!
1Co 2:1 And,
when I came to you, brothers, I did not come with excellence of speech or
wisdom, proclaiming to you the witness of Elohim.
1Co 2:2 For I resolved not to know any matter
among you except יהושע
Messiah and Him impaled.
1Co 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and
in fear, and in much trembling.
1Co 2:4 And my word and my preaching were not
with persuasive words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and
of power,
1Co 2:5 in order that your belief should not
be in the wisdom of men but in the power of Elohim.
Wisdom from the Spirit
1Co 2:6 Yet we speak wisdom among those who
are perfect, and not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age that
are being brought to naught.
1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of Elohim,
which was hidden in a secret, and which Elohim ordained before the ages for our
esteem,
1Co 2:8 which no one of the rulers of this
age knew, for if they had known, they would not have impaled the Master of
esteem.
1Co 2:9 But as it has been written, “Eye
has not seen, and ear has not heard, nor have entered into the heart of man
what Elohim has prepared for those who love Him.” Isa_64:4.
1Co 2:10 But Elohim has revealed them to us
through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all matters, even the depths
of Elohim.
1Co 2:11 For who among men knows the thoughts
of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? So also, the thoughts
of Elohim no one has known, except the Spirit of Elohim.
1Co 2:12 And we have received, not the spirit
of the world, but the Spirit that is from Elohim, in order to know what Elohim
has favourably given us,
1Co 2:13 which we also speak, not in words
which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Set-apart Spirit teaches, comparing
spiritual matters with spiritual matters.
1Co 2:14 But the natural man does not receive
the matters of the Spirit of Elohim, for they are foolishness to him,
and he is unable to know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Co 2:15 But he who is spiritual discerns
indeed all matters, but he himself is discerned by no one.
1Co 2:16 For “Who has known the mind of יהוה? Who shall instruct Him?” Isa_40:13 But we have the mind of Messiah.
Php 4:7 And the peace of Elohim, which surpasses all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Messiah יהושע.
Lit Gk – The peace of Elohim is superior to every frame of mind shall be garrisoning(to watch in advance) your hearts and apprehensions (and perceptions) in the anointed Messiah.
Php 4:11 Not
that I speak concerning need, for I have learned to be content
(Gk G 842 – to raise a barrier of protection around yourself – from yourself
and from others) in whatever state
I am.
Php 4:12 I
know what it is to be humbled, and I know what it is to have in excess. In any
and every situation I have learned both to be filled, and to be hungry,
both to have in excess, and to be in need.
Php 4:13 I have strength to do all, through Messiah[a] who empowers me. Footnote: a Joh_15:5,
2Co_3:5-6, 2Co_12:9, Eph_3:20, Php_2:13, Heb_13:20-21, 1Jn_4:4.Only
the true Messiah as revealed by the Ruach of YHVH in all of scripture will be
able to show and bring us into the path of healing and heal us from this archetypical disease – tzra at. In the
last days sign before Messiah returns we may well see people being healed from
tzra at.
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu
Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn
ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have
given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting life within our
midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Ameyn.)