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Tazria-Metzorah 5769-2009

"And He Shall be Brought to the Priest"

The expression, “And he shall be brought to the priest” is repeated in each of this week’s double parashiot, Tazria and Metzora. This recurring phrase is explained by various commentators as having important contemporary implications and bearing vital lessons for both Israel and American society.

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Tazria 5768-2008

“The Odd Ritual Practices of the Metzorah!”

In parashat Tazria we are taught that the metzorah, the person who is afflicted with the disease tzah’ra’aht for speaking lashon hara, must rend his clothes. He is also forbidden to cut his hair, must cover his mouth and head, and needs to call out publicly: “Contaminated, contaminated!” In addition, he is isolated from the rest of the community. What are the meanings of these rituals and behaviors, and what impact are they expected to have on gossipers and slanderers?

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Tazria - Metzora 5767-2007

"The Conundrum of Childbirth"

The Torah in parashat Tazria declares that after the birth of a male child, a woman is in a state of ritual impurity for seven days followed by a state of ritual purity for 33 days. After the birth of a female child, the birth mother is in a state of ritual impurity for 14 days, followed by a state of ritual purity for 66 days. Our rabbis are perplexed by the law that a woman should be in a state of ritual impurity at all after giving birth to a child, and why the numbers of days of impurity and purity are doubled for a female child as opposed to the birth of a male child.

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Tazria 5765-2005

"Some Important Lessons That We Learn from the Ancient Biblical Tzara'at"

The laws of the Biblical disease, Tzara'at, are complex, and seem rather irrelevant. By surveying the nuances of the text in parashat Tazria we learn many profound messages about judging others favorably, healing ourselves and coming closer to G-d.

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Tazria-Mezorah 5764-2004

"Circumcision and Shabbat:"

When the prescribed day for a circumcision falls out on the Shabbat, which commandment takes precedence? In the answer found in parashat Tazria, we discover the true essence of both these mitzvot, and how they each bind us to G-d and to eternity.

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Tazria 5763-2003

“Tzah’rah’aht--The Spiritual Dermatological Disease”

According to Jewish tradition, the primary cause of the affliction tzah’rah’aht is lashon hara, speaking evil or slanderously of others. In ancient times, when one would speak evil of another person, a rash or infection would appear on the belongings or on the body of the perpetrator. On the surface, the assertion that one can develop a hideous skin rash from speaking evil seems quite preposterous, yet, there are many precedents for such things in life, science, and medicine.

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Tazria-Metzora 5761-2001

“Challenging the Stereotypes: Purity and Impurity in Childbirth”

In parashat Tazria, we encounter one of the most perplexing laws found in the Torah--the law of purity and impurity of a mother following childbirth. A host of explanations are offered by our commentators and thinkers. Although none of the answers is entirely satisfying, they do reveal a great deal of wisdom and insight on the part of the Torah, reflecting a rather extraordinary understanding of the essence of human relationships.

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Tazria 5760-2000

“Death and Life are ‘In the Hands of the Tongue!’”

We tend to dismiss the power of the tongue, and yet it has the ability to give life and to take life.

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