Next Reading
Torah Reading
Leviticus 12:1 - 13:59
Haftarah
II Kings 4:42 - 5:19
In this Torah portion, God instructs Moses about the purification rituals for mothers following childbirth. God then describes to Moses and Aaron the procedures for identifying and responding to those infected with leprosy.
Featured Commentary
Why is birth nestled between dietary restrictions and skin diseases?
The Torah's discussion of the obscure condition called tzara'at tells us something profound about the human condition.
Ritual purity laws highlight the power of confronting mortality and the subsequent need to ritualize the reaffirmation of life.
Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson
Learning to control our speech will enable us to transform the world into a community that respects the shared humanity of all people.
The priest's role in declaring and treating leprosy, a physical manifestation of spiritual impurity, teaches us not to judge our own or others' spiritual lives.
Understanding God's presence in disease means viewing illness not as a punishment, but as an opportunity to treat others as created in the image of God.
We are defined by how we use our tongues and by the words that leave our lips each day.
While we might not break into boils when we gossip or spread rumors, it certainly can make us ugly on the inside.
The burnt offering and the sin offering that a woman brings after childbirth symbolize the dual nature of parenting.
The ritual of circumcision allows us to partner with God in the covenant and also in perfecting creation.
The cycle of life and death represented by leprosy encourages us to bring acts of purity into our lives even when we have become impure.
God instructs Moses about the purification rituals for mothers following childbirth; God then describes to Moses and Aaron the procedures for identifying and responding to those infected with leprosy.
Living together as a community means learning to communicate effectively and respectfully.
