Parashat Tazria-Metzora

The Torah's discussion of the obscure condition called tzara'at tells us something profound about the human condition.

Making it relevant today.

Ritual purity laws highlight the power of confronting mortality and the subsequent need to ritualize the reaffirmation of life.

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.

Like toothpaste, derogatory speech cannot be returned to the tube.

Why is birth nestled between dietary restrictions and skin diseases?

Bringing new meaning to the status of a menstruating woman.

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.

The biblical practice of tzaarat offers insights into the grieving process.

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.

Metzora: A resource for families.

Birthing woman.

Tazria: A resource for parents.

The prescription for holy psoriasis.

Learn more about the weekly Torah portion.

Four lepers save the Israelite camp.

How to create a society that recognizes and meets the needs of ill and marginalized people.

When we embrace with one hand but push away with the other, it's the push that remains in lasting memory.

Leviticus 14:1-15:33

Leviticus 12:1-13:59

Rabbinic interpreters regarded leprosy as punishment for the sin of careless speech.

The burnt offering and the sin offering that a woman brings after childbirth symbolize the dual nature of parenting.

An internal process of repentance must accompany the external, physical cleansing for leprosy.

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.

The image of a house afflicted with a plague encourages us to examine what real and metaphorical plagues afflict our own homes and societies.

God describes the purification ritual for people and homes afflicted with leprosy; God also instructs Moses and Aaron regarding the laws of the emission of bodily fluids.

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.

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.

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.

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