Metzora means “the
one who has tzaraat”
Blessing of Torah.
Hebrew:
Baruch atah YHVH eloheinu melech
ha-olam, asher kideshanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu la'asok b'divrei Torah.
V'ha'arev na YHVH eloheinu et divrei toratecha befinu uvfi amecha beit Yisrael.
V'niyeh anachnu v'tze'etze'einu v'tze'etza'ei amecha beit Yisrael kullanu yodei
sh'mecha v'lomdei toratecha lishmah. Baruch atah YHVH hamelamed Torah le'amo
Yisrael. Baruch atah YHVH Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher bachar banu mikol
ha'amim venatan lanu et torato. Baruch atah YHVH, notein haTorah.
English
translation: Blessed art Thou, 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.
One
of the greatest challenges coming out of “Christianity” is forming a sound
redemptive framework that accommodates all of scripture. Sadly Christians see
the “Old Testament” as an “old” way of salvation and the “New Testament” as a
new way of salvation.
The truth is that Yahshua HAS ALWAYS
BEEN THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE and no man will or can ever come to YHVH
without Yahshua. This is the teaching of both the “Old Testament and New
Testament”
We only need to look in “Yisrael’s Song
Book” – the book of Psalms to see how well developed this Messianic
understanding was. Yahshua taught us this in the Apostolic scriptures (or
Second Writings/NT):
Luk 24:44 And He said to them, “These are the words
which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all have to be filled
that were written in the Torah of Mosheh and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”
Luk 24:45 Then He opened their minds to understand the
Scriptures,
David had a deep understanding of the Messiah and his redemptive work.
Psa 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest He be enraged, And you
perish in the way, For soon His wrath is to be kindled. Blessed are all those
taking refuge in Him.
Psa 8:4 What is man that You remember him? And the
son of man that You visit him?
Psa 16:10 For You do not leave my being in the grave,
Neither let Your Kind One see corruption.
Psa 18:21 For I have guarded the ways of יהוה, And have not
acted wrongly against my Elohim.
Psa 18:22 For all
His right-rulings are before me, And I did not turn from His laws.
Psa 18:23 And I am
perfect before Him,
Psa 22:1 My Ěl, My Ěl, why have You forsaken Me – Far
from saving Me, far from the words of My groaning?
Psa 22:9 For You are the One who took Me out of the
womb; Causing Me to trust while on My mother’s breasts.
Psa 22:10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My
mother’s belly You have been My Ěl.
Psa 22:11 Do not be far from Me, For distress is near;
For there is none to help.
Psa 22:16 For dogs have surrounded Me; A crowd of evil
ones have encircled Me, Piercing My hands and My feet;
Psa 22:17 I count all My bones. They look, they stare
at Me.
Psa 22:18 They divide My garments among them, And for
My raiment they cast lots.
Psa 40:7 Then I said, “See, I have come; In the scroll
of the Book it is prescribed for me.
Psa 40:8 I have delighted to do Your pleasure, O my
Elohim, And Your Torah is within my heart1.” Footnote: 1Ps.
37:31, Ps. 119:11, Isa. 51:7, Heb. 10:7-9.
Psa
45:7 You have loved righteousness and
hated wrongness1; Therefore Elohim, Your Elohim, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions. Footnote: 1Heb.
1:8-9.
Psa 110:1 יהוה said to my
Master, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your
feet.”
Psa 110:2 יהוה sends Your mighty sceptre out of Tsiyon.
Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
Psa 110:4 יהוה has sworn and
does not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Malkitseḏeq.”
The book of Hebrews
acknowledges an offering system and a service of the Temple, it does not say
that it has been done away with. It would serve us well to make a careful study
of the book of Hebrews from a Hebraic perspective.
Heb 10:1 For the Torah, having a shadow of the good matters
to come, and not the image itself of the matters, was never able to make
perfect those who draw near with the same slaughter offerings which they
offer continually year by year.
Heb 10:2 Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be
offered? Because those who served, once cleansed, would have had no more
consciousness of sins.
Heb 10:3 But in those offerings is a reminder
of sins year by year.
Heb 10:4 For it is impossible for blood of bulls and
goats to take away sins.
Heb 9:11 But Messiah, having become a High Priest of
the coming good matters, through the greater and more perfect Tent not
made with hands, that is, not of this creation,
Heb 9:12 entered into the Most Set-apart Place once
for all, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood, having
obtained everlasting redemption.
Heb 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the
ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the defiled, sets apart for the cleansing of the
flesh,
Heb 9:14 how much more shall the blood of the Messiah,
who through the everlasting Spirit offered Himself unblemished to Elohim,
cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living Elohim?
Heb 9:15 And because of this He is the Mediator of a
renewed covenant, so that, death having taken place for redemption of the
transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called might receive the
promise of the everlasting inheritance.
We live in a world that is paying a very heavy price for ignoring the
Torah of YHVH. Within the Torah is the framework of our redemption. There can
be no more important pursuit in this life that embracing and growing into a
deeper understanding and appreciation of our redemption in Messiah.
What do we learn from
this? Atonement functions on two levels: one related to the earthly tabernacle
or Temple (we may designate as “temporal atonement”) and one related to one’s
eternal standing of righteousness before YHVH (we may designate this as
“eternal atonement”)
We are also reminded
that Yahshua is priest of a heavenly tabernacle and his priesthood is a
superior priesthood to the Aaronic priesthood. Our redemption includes both an
Aaronic priesthood as well as a Melchizidek or Messianic priesthood. This is
the method that YHVH has chosen and may not be altered by men. We have been
given instructions and appointments in the Torah to remind of us of how YHVH will
bring us into perfection. Nowhere ever in the book of Hebrews does it say these
offerings are to be ignored. We know from Yahshua’s own words that while heaven
and earth are still here every word in the Torah is to be embraced and obeyed
if we desire to enter into the New Yerushalayim for all eternity.
Heb 8:1 Now the summary of what we are saying is: We
have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the
Greatness in the heavens,
Heb 8:2 and who serves in the set-apart place and of
the true Tent, which יהוה set up, and
not man.
Heb 8:3 For every
high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and slaughters. So it was also
necessary for this One to have somewhat to offer.
Heb 8:4 For if
indeed He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who
offer the gifts according to the Torah,
Heb 8:5 who serve
a copy and shadow of the heavenly, as Mosheh was warned when he was about to
make the Tent. For He said, “See that you make all according to the pattern
shown you on the mountain.”
Torah
Readings:
- 14:1-12
- 14:13-20
- 14:21-32
- 14:33-53
- 14:54 – 15:15
- 15:16-28
- 15:29-30
- Maftir: 15:31-33
Lev 14:1 And יהוה spoke to
Mosheh, saying,
Lev 14:2 “This
shall be the Torah of the leper for the day of his cleansing: He shall be
brought to the priest,
Note
once again the use of the future tense verb in vs two (zot tiyiye torat
hametzorah) As far as we know, there is not a single case of tzaraat in the
history of Israel before Yahshua came, that could fulfill this command of
showing oneself to the priest and presenting the offering required after having
been healed. The only exception is Miryam, Moshe’s sister. She was struck with
this affliction and most likely fulfilled this command, see Numbers 12. The
Syrian servant, Na’aman, was cleansed from tzaraat when he dipped in the Yarden
at the command of the prophet Elisha, but since he was not an Israelite, this
command about going to the priest to bring an offering does not apply. Why
then, has the Torah given these instructions, if they were not needed in the
long history of Israel? As an answer to that question, the thought has been
presented that it meant that when the Messiah would come, he would, among other
things, cleanse those who have tzaraat. This is one of the signs that identify
the true Messiah. That is why it is written in Luke 7:18-23,
“The talmidim of Yochanan told him
about all these things. Yochanan, calling to himself two of his talmidim, sent
them to Yahshua saying, ‘Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for
another?’ When the men had come to him, they said, ‘Yochanan the immerser has
sent us to you, saying, “Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?”’
In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and to
many who were blind he gave sight. Yahshua answered them, ‘Go and tell Yochanan
the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight,
the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to
them. Blessed is he who is not offended by me.’”(HNV)
The expression, “one who is coming”
or “the one who comes”, is a Messianic expression. The Messiah is “the one who
comes”, in Hebrew “ha-bah”. The answer that Yahshua gave to Yochanan’s
disciples teaches us that “lepers” being cleansed is one of the signs that the
people were waiting for in order to identify the true Messiah.
In Matthew
8:3-4, it is written,
“Yahshua
stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, ‘I want to. Be made clean.’
Immediately his leprosy was
cleansed. Yahshua said to him, ‘See that you tell nobody, but go, show yourself
to the priest, and offer the gift that Moshe commanded, as a testimony to
them.’”(HNV revised)
What was the
testimony that the priests needed? The testimony that the Messiah had come.
Because of this miracle, all the priests in the temple knew that the Messiah
was already present. This was probably one of the reasons why so many of the
priests later came to faith in Yeshua, as it is written in Acts 6:7,
“The word of
Eloha increased and the number of the talmidim multiplied in Yerushalayim
exceedingly. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”(HNV
revised)
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,
Here we see
the evidence of “temporal atonement.”
The condition appeared because there was a need for coming into harmony
with Torah and those around us. Once the situation was properly addresses and
dealt with healing and cleansing would once again be restored.
Lev 14:4
Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two
birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
Lev 14:5
And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an
earthen vessel over running water:
Lev 14:6
As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the
scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of
the bird that was killed over the running water:
Lev 14:7
And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy
seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose
into the open field.
Lev 14:8
And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all
his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he
shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.
The
rabbis admit that they do not know the depth of the reason why these things
were used to cleanse a metzora (the one who has tzaraat).
One of the birds comes
to die, and the other to be released. This can symbolize two things. The first
thing that they symbolize is the person who has tzaraat and was as good as
dead, without fellowship with anyone, and expelled from the camp of Israel. The
bird that must die represents the death of the leper. The
living bird that is released, symbolizes the leper who now is released from the
terminal plague that bound him.
On
the other hand, and foremost of all, the two birds symbolize the Messiah;
especially his death and resurrection. The bird that dies, speaks prophetically
about the death of the Messiah, and the bird that is released speaks
prophetically about the resurrection of the Messiah. The whole process of
cleansing from tzaraat is connected with the Messiah. That is why we can also
find, in this context, a piece of wood,
which speaks of the death of the Messiah that had to be on a tree. It is very
interesting to note that hyssop also
comes into the Scriptural arena once again in connection with the death of
Yahshua as we read in Yochanan/John 19:29 “A bowl of sour wine stood there, and
they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and held it to His mouth. Verse 30 So when יהושע took the
sour wine He said, “It has been accomplished!” And bowing His head, He gave up
His spirit”. This also teaches us that the death of the Messiah has to do with
the cleansing ceremony for tzaraat. The scarlet
wool yarn symbolizes the blood and the priestly ministry. The wool yarn came
from sheep. It was dyed red. It also speaks of the death of the Messiah. The
Messiah is symbolized by the “red thread” that runs throughout all of
Scripture, see Joshua 2:18, 21.
The living bird (that is put
together with the cedar tree) symbolizes the Messiah, who was hung on a tree in
order to thus cleanse man from the leprosy of sin. The living bird was dipped
in the blood of the dead bird. That symbolizes the Messiah’s moment of death. The living bird is not left in the blood
in the water, until it dies, but is taken up from it. That symbolizes the resurrection of the Messiah.
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 ĕphah 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 Meeting.
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 slaughter the lamb in the place where he slaughters the sin offering and
the burnt 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.
–
It is possible that these verses says that the one who is being cleansed needed
blood to be applied to the three places that represent the sin that brought
tzaraat. If he allowed his ears to listen to lashon ha-rah, allowed his hand to
do what it should not have, or if he let his foot go where it should not, then
he would be struck with tzaraat. Therefore he had to be cleansed in these three
places of his body.
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 slaughters the burnt
offering.
Lev 14:20 “And the
priest shall offer the burnt offering and the grain offering on the altar. 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
ĕphah 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 a burnt 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 Meeting, 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 slaughter 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 a burnt
offering, with the grain offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him
who is to be cleansed before יהוה.
