Parshat Hashavua

Parshat Metzora calls attention to how we treat those who are excluded and alienated from our society.

We can learn numerous lessons from the statement of the owner of a house that appears to be afflicted with spiritual defilement.

When we welcome baby girls into the covenant we allow them to remind us of God's presence in the world.

Learning to control our speech will enable us to transform the world into a community that respects the shared humanity of all people.

Just as the priest went out from the community to welcome back those afflicted with leprosy, we too should reach out to those who feel excluded.

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.

Even if we view leprosy as a punishment, we must work to heal the afflicted, allowing our sense of compassion to override justice or logic.

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.

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.

Living together as a community means learning to communicate effectively and respectfully.