PARASHAH TAZRIA
(Leviticus 12:1-13:59) Week 27
TAZRIA: She Conceives … “If a woman conceives and gives birth…”
NIDDAH: A woman’s menstrual cycle or period
B’RIT MILAH: The male circumcision on the 8th day of life when the blood begins to coagulate in the baby.
Circumcision is the SIGN of the Covenant between the Nation of Israel and the God of Israel!
Only AFTER B’rit Milah is the baby boy given his name.
Brit means “Covenant” and Milah means “Circumcise”.
MIDRASH or Jewish Opinions of God’s Word: B’rit Milah is the completion of the ‘body’…signifying there IS a part WE must play in our own personal completion. God does not accomplish EVERYTHING to make us whole!
We bear part of the beautiful burden of Sanctification by personal agreement to be “set apart for Adonai”
We are commanded to be IN the World, not OF the World!
SHABBAT: The Sabbath…Even if the 8th day for circumcision falls on the Sabbath, the male baby is still to be circumcised on the 8th day!
SHABBAT MILAH: A Sabbath Circumcision
RITUALLY IMPURE: The menstruating mother is considered ritually impure during her post-partum menstruation. She is therefore “excused from Temple worship” during the time of her recovery from childbirth.
Because of the tremendous GRACE of Adonai, she was excused from Temple Worship and from ‘relations’ with her husband. She was separated from the outside world; intimately alone to cultivate the new life with her baby.
SHE is not IMPURE… She is tending to the new life sent FROM heaven!
Adonai USES the ritual purity laws to UPHOLD the new MOTHER AND CHILD so they can bond. This is beautiful!
Note the 7 days of ritual impurity for the mother after the birth of a son. On the 8th day the mother brings her baby son into the temple, or to the priests for B’rit Milah, circumcision!
Note the 14 days of ritual impurity for the birth of a daughter is twice as long, so that both mother and daughter were considered “ritually clean”. Hebrew Midrash teaches this gave the mother twice the time to bond with her daughter who would one day become a mother.
Boy (33+ 7 = 40 days) Girl (66 + 14 = 80 days)
KORBONAT FOR BIRTH: Sacrifice for new birth: A lamb for the burnt offering; a turtledove or pigeon for Chatat, or sin offering.
Luke 2:22-24: “And when the time came for their purification, according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord”. (Mary and baby Jesus, escorted by Joseph)
MIKVEH: Ritual Cleansing Bath, in a naturally gathered pool of water.
In modern Judaism today, a woman giving birth undergoes a process of purification that includes immersion an the Mikveh (a naturally gathered pool of water) along with her special offerings made in the Temple.
TZARA’AT: Skin afflictions are collectively called by this name. This is not to be identified with leprosy as some translations say. The symptoms for Tzara’at include not just the person’s skin but also their clothing and even their home. Tzara’at at its core, was an outward manifestation of an inward affliction of the Spirit.
(Leprosy is Hansen’s Disease which today is curable with antibiotics)
LASHON HARA: The Evil Tongue. Saying OR repeating something negative about another person EVEN if it is true!
The Sin of Gossip: Spreading and sowing seeds of evil reports; expressing critical spirits about others individually or communally.
Gossip is explicitly forbidden in Mosaic Law.
But…when should one speak out?
When testifying under oath. When the telling of evil acts will protect the vulnerable from abuse or more harm, thus protecting the community at large! This is righteous speaking, and takes courage and grace.
LASHON AYEN: Evil Eye. Do we have the eyes of compassion and mercy toward others, or do we have negative, judgmental eyes toward others, showing how ignorant we are of our own sinful natures and the grace of Adonai for us and our transgressions? Do we find ourselves criticizing or speaking ill of others instead of speaking LIFE into each situation?
SPEAK LIFE! SPEAK LIGHT! SPEAK UNITY! SPEAK LOVE!
Lashon Hara is extremely important to examine in our own lives and to repent of!
Luke 6:45
The good person produces good things from the store of good in his heart, while the evil person produces evil things from the store of evil in his heart. For his mouth speaks what overflows from his heart. . . .
UNCLEAN … UNCLEAN!
Stay away…do not become “TAMEI” impure because of me!
Not within even 8 feet of the unclean person. During this time, the afflicted the person (Miriam & Moses) would have the opportunity to perform Teshuva / Repentance to find HEALING! When we express ‘Viduy’ or confession by ‘Teshuva’ or Self Examination…turning away from sin toward God and His instruction…Healing happens!
According to Midrash, the first person to get “Metzora” was Moses. Moses said to the Lord, “They won’t believe me”; in response to God’s appointment of Moses as Deliverer of the Nation of Israel.
Consider the “7 Days of Separation for Contamination”!
For the one suffering outwardly with Tzara’at, from an inward Spiritual disease, the 7 days of separation would give secluded time for reflection and grieving over sins of Lashon Hara and Lashon Ayen, and repentance would surely follow!
THIS WAS ALL MERCY from Adonai! He desires for us to turn from sin and turn to Him and His holy ways!
May our lips be sweet, salty, fruitful, and pleasing unto the Holy Spirit!
This takes constant monitoring and assessing to GUARD or SHAMAR like a soldier guards the King’s Territory!
HAFTARAH (Old Covenant) READING: 2 Kings, 4:42-5:19
“A man came from Ba’al Shalishah bringing the man of God (Elisha) twenty loaves of bread made from the barley first-fruits and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give this to the people to eat.” His Servant said, ‘How am I to serve this to a hundred men?”
But he said, “Give it to the people to eat; for Adonai says that they will eat and have some left over.” So, he served them, and they ate and had some left over, as Adonai had said.”
“When this letter reaches you, you will see that I have sent my servant Na’aman to you, so that you can heal his tzara’at.” When the king of Isra’el finished reading the letter, he tore his clothes.
“Am I God, able to kill and make alive, he asked, so that he sends me a man to heal of tzara’at? “Just have him come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel!”
“So, he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Yarden as the man of God had said to do and his skin was restored and become like the skin of a child, and he became clean.”
We know from Brit Chadashah that Yeshua multiplied the loaves of bread for the people (John 6:8-13)
We know from Brit Chadashah that Yeshua healed the leper! (Matt. 8:1-4)
We know from Brit Chadashah, from Yeshua, that God the Father heals all nations and all peoples!
BRIT CHADASHAH (New Covenant) READING: John 6:8-13, and Matt. 8:1-4
This reading includes the two miracles that Jesus the Messiah performed as Elisha the Prophet expounded on in the Haftarah Readings: The feeding of the multitudes from the 5 loaves of bread, and the healing of the one afflicted with Tzara’at!
Yeshua, who was PURE and SINLESS healed the afflicted, but did not become UNCLEAN from His interactions with the afflicted.
YHVH Rafpha, our Healer comes to the afflicted outside the camp, and HEALS!
Hallelujah and AMEN!