Parashat 28 Portion 85 Vayikra 14:1-57 2 Kings 7:1-20 Luke 17:11-19

Why would YHVH allow such a contamination to appear on His chosen people?

Perhaps one of the reasons is that even His chosen have great difficulty to recognize and confess their sins.

     Pro 16:2  All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, But יהוה weighs the spirits.

     Pro 18:17  The first to state his own case, seems right, Until another comes and examines him.

     1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we are misleading ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

     1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, He is trustworthy and righteous to forgive us the sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

     1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.

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,

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 imply some future application?

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 kill 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 killed over the running water.

According to Rashi the Hebrew words “ yikach otah” – “he shall take it”  says the bird is singled out to indicate that it is treated separately from the three other items used in this ritual. The cedar wood and the hyssop are tied together with the red thread. Then the bundle is held together in the right hand together with the bird and they dipped into the blood water mixture.

For Messianic believers the above ritual naturally draws our attention to the death and resurrection of the Messiah.

The Torah is implying that the only cure for man’s contamination is Messiah – Yahshua. Man’s condition is so serious that YHVH would send His only son to be the cure.

This hidden Messianic message is also found in the mysterious “chok” of the Parah Adumah -  the statute of the ashes of the Red Heifer. We find this in Numbers 19:2 - Parashat 39 – “Chukat” vs 10 of the same chapter says this is a statute forever – “le chukat olam.” (see also Numbers 19:6)

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 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.

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.

Parashat 28 Portion 84 Vayira/Lev 13:29-59 2 Kings 5:1-19 Luke 5:12-15

    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,

Lev 13:33  then he shall shave himself, but the eruption he does not shave. And the priest shall 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!’

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.”

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 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 someones 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	leprosy
tzadik, ayin, reish	tza'ar	hardship, pain sadness regret remorse
reish, ayin, tzadik	ra'atz	to smash
reish, tzadik, ayin	ratza	To pierce - inflict stripes (by whipping with a strap)
ayin, tzadik, reish	atzar	to halt or rule to prevent anarchic expansion
ayin, reish, tzadik	aratz	to respect (a tyrant) because of his power

We learn from the haftarah portion that it requires great humility to be healed from this contagion. We also learn from the apostolic portion that only a touch from Messiah can heal us of this contagion.

Only the true Messiah as revealed in all of scripture will be able to heal us from this archetypical disease.

Parashat 27 Portion 83 - Tazria - Vayikra 12:1-13:28 Yesh 66:7-13 Jude 1:17-23

.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 this Torah portion and the next (metzora) 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 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.

Why are so many messianic’s denying Yahshua?

Because the nature of Yahshua was never nurtured as it was meant to be.

Lev 12:1  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,

Lev 12:2  “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘When a woman has conceived, and has given birth to a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days, as in the days of her monthly separation she is unclean. 

Conceived – Heb - zâra - A primitive root; to sow; figuratively to disseminate, plant, fructify: - bear, conceive seed, set with, sow (-er), yield. “Hifil” feminine verb – when a woman comes to term and delivers – lit when a woman is caused to seed her seed.

      Perhaps this Torah portion is reminding us to pause and deeply contemplate the birth of  Messiah and of every new born that YHVH brings to life from a seed. There is both the joy of new birth but also the contemplation of what will become of this new life. Will this life bring joy or sadness? What will become of this life? Hopefully we pray that this person will soon to know, hear and follow the ways of YHVH - Isa 9:6  For a Child shall be born unto us, a Son shall be given unto us, and the rule is on His shoulder. And His Name is called Wonder, Counsellor, Strong Ěl, Father of Continuity, Prince of Peace.

Isa 9:7  Of the increase of His rule and peace there is no end, upon the throne of Dawid and over His reign1, to establish it and sustain it with right-ruling and with righteousness from now on, even forever. The ardour of יהוה of hosts does this. Footnote: 1See 16:5, Ps. 2, Ps. 45:6, Mic. 5:2, Lk. 1:32-33.

If we consider the instruction of this Torah portion we will contemplate the implication of nurturing a new born life into the life of Messiah. The kind of imprint that is left deep within the being of a new born will play a major role in their future development.

The life of Messiah can be compared to an infant receiving breast milk called colostrum.

Colostrum

Many people know what breast milk is and where it comes from; but, have you ever heard of colostrum (the ladies who breastfed should know, but especially the men might not)? Did you know there is a difference between breast milk and colostrum? Colostrum is a milky substance that is produced by the breasts of mammals before birth and during the first few days following birth. Colostrum precedes the production of true milk, or breast milk. It's usually clear in appearance, but may look slightly yellow. While breast milk is highly nutritious and immensely beneficial to new-borns, colostrum is thicker, more concentrated in protein, and lower in fat than true breast milk.

Colostrum contains many nutritional benefits for the baby, including proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and antibodies, which are important disease-fighting proteins produced by the immune system that attack and kill microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. The antibody level in colostrum can be as high as 100 times the level found in regular milk!

Colostrum has an especially important role to play in the baby's gastrointestinal tract. ... Colostrum also contains high concentrations of leukocytes, protective white cells which can destroy disease-causing bacteria and viruses (that is why it is so important for the new born before he or she gets the mummy’s mature milk). The colostrum gradually changes to mature milk during the first two weeks after birth.

(Lev 12:2 b again). ………….and has given birth to a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days, as in the days of her monthly separation she is unclean Lev 12:3  ‘And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin is circumcised.

Lev 12:4  ‘And she remains in the blood of her cleansing thirty-three days (40 days all together for a male child). She does not touch whatever is set-apart, and she does not come into the set-apart place until the days of her cleansing are completed.

Lev 12:5  ‘But if she gives birth to a female child, then she shall be unclean for two weeks, as in her monthly separation, and she remains in the blood of her cleansing for sixty-six days (80 days all together).

Lev 12:6  ‘And when the days of her cleansing are completed, for a son or for a daughter, she brings to the priest a lamb a year old, as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the Tent of Meeting.

Lev 12:7  ‘And he shall bring it before יהוה, and make atonement for her, and she shall be cleansed from the flow of her blood. This is the Torah for her who has given birth to a male or a female.

Lev 12:8  ‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean.’ ”

As one rabbi eloquently stated the reason why a mother is separated is as if YHVH Himself is saying: “I exempt you from coming before Me in the place of set apartness because you are fully engaged in one of the set apart acts of all, nurturing and caring for your child. Unlike others you do not need to visit the Temple to be attached to life in all its set apart splendor. You are experiencing it yourself, directly and with every fiber of your being. Days, weeks, from now you will come and give thanks before Me (together with offerings for having come through a moment of danger). But for now, look upon your child with wonder. For you have been given a glimpse of the great secret, otherwise known only to YHVH. Childbirth exempts the new mother from attendance at the Temple because her bedside replicates the experience of the Temple. She now knows what it is for love to beget life and in the midst of mortality to be touched by an intimation of immortality.”

Lev 13:1  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying,

Tzra at.

Lev 13:2  “When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it shall become on the skin of his body like a leprous infection, then he shall be brought to Aharon the priest or to one of his sons the priests.

Lev 13:3  “And the priest shall look at the infection on the skin of the body. And if the hair on the infection has turned white, and the infection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous infection. And the priest shall look at him, and pronounce him unclean.

Lev 13:4  “But if the bright spot is white on the skin of his body, and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest shall shut up the infected one seven days.

Lev 13:5  “And the priest shall look at him on the seventh day and see, if the infection appears to be as it was, and the infection has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall shut him up another seven days.

Lev 13:6  “And the priest shall look at him again on the seventh day and see, if the infection has darkened, and the infection has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. It is a scab, and he shall wash his garments and be clean.

Lev 13:7  “But if the scab spreads further over the skin, after he has been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again.

Lev 13:8  “And the priest shall look and see, if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean, it is leprosy.

Lev 13:9  “When the infection of leprosy is on a man, then he shall be brought to the priest.

Lev 13:10  “And the priest shall look and see, if the swelling on the skin is white, and it has turned the hair white, and there is a spot of raw flesh in the swelling,

Lev 13:11  it is an old leprosy on the skin of his body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He does not shut him up, for he is unclean.

Lev 13:12  “And if leprosy breaks out all over the skin, and the leprosy shall cover all the skin of the infected one, from his head to his foot, wherever the priest looks,

Lev 13:13  then the priest shall look and see, if the leprosy has covered all his body, he shall pronounce the infected one clean. It has all turned white, he is clean.

Lev 13:14  “But the day raw flesh appears on him, he is unclean.

Lev 13:15  “And the priest shall look at the raw flesh and pronounce him to be unclean – the raw flesh is unclean, it is leprosy.

Lev 13:16  “Or when the raw flesh changes and turns white again, he shall come to the priest.

Lev 13:17  “And the priest shall look at him and see, if the infection has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce the infected one clean, he is clean.

Lev 13:18  “And when the body has a boil in the skin, and it is healed,

Lev 13:19  and in the place of the boil there comes a white swelling or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be seen by the priest.

Lev 13:20  “And the priest shall look and see, if it appears deeper than the skin, and its hair has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean, it is a leprous infection which has broken out of the boil.

Lev 13:21  “But if the priest looks at it and sees no white hairs in it, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall shut him up seven days;

Lev 13:22  and if it has spread further over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean, it is a leprous infection.

Lev 13:23  “But if the bright spot stays in its place, it has not spread, it is the scar of the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

Lev 13:24  “Or when the body receives a burn on its skin by fire, and the raw flesh of the burn shall become a bright spot, reddish-white or white,

Lev 13:25  then the priest shall look at it and see, if the hair of the bright spot has turned white, and it appears deeper than the skin, it is leprosy broken out in the burn. And the priest shall pronounce him unclean, it is a leprous infection.

Lev 13:26  “But if the priest looks at it and sees there are no white hairs in the bright spot, and it is not deeper than the skin, but has faded, then the priest shall shut him up seven days.

Lev 13:27  “And the priest shall look at him on the seventh day. If it spreads further over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean, it is a leprous infection.

Lev 13:28  “But if the bright spot stays in its place, and has not spread on the skin, but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn. And the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is the scar from the burn.

Caroline Myss’s work “The Anatomy of Spirit” argues that “biography becomes biology”. Who we are, our thoughts, feelings and the way we live our life, impact on our physiology.
We participate in the creation of our diseases; we have the responsibility to take part of the process of healing. This approach gives insight on the Torah’s approach to Metzora, on the interplay between body and soul.
From the spirit the physical problems emerge, from the spirit the physical problem will be overcome.”

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.