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Torah Portion -
tazria
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Written by Rafi Jager
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Let us take a closer look at this disease. An individual has just been inflicted with a terrible illness. He has been forced to leave his family and live outside the camp in a state of embarrassment and shame. What is the purpose of this punishment? Wouldn't a public apology in the local Jewish paper have been more appropriate? We must realize that Divine punishment comes not out of revenge, but is rather a form of therapy. The metzorah is banished from the camp because he spoke evil about other people. In his current state, outside the confines of the campground and away from human contact, the inflicted individual cries out for companionship. He is in a type of solitary confinement. He will come to appreciate the sound of a human voice and how fortunate we are to share this world with other people.
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Torah Portion -
tazria
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Written by d fine
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In parshas Tazria we first have the laws of a woman who has given birth, then a brief mention of bris milah, with the rest of the sedra dealing with tzara’as. What’s the connection between tzara’as and the previous bits of the sedra? The Sforno (13:2) writes that tzara’as often comes as a result of a woman’s ritual impurity. The Kli Yakar (13:1) goes down a different route in explaining that the bris milah mentioned at the start of Tazria is connected to milas ha’peh (I.e. keeping shtum at the correct times), which is an obvious reference to refraining from lashon hara - the prime cause of tzara’as. Furthermore, the bris milah is the removal of bodily sexual urges (Rambam), which are essentially the illegal desire to connect to people in a negative way. This is similar to lashon hara which is also a desire to come closer to others by telling them the latest gossip, but ultimately it is a negative drive that will break relationships down.
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Torah Portion -
tazria
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Written by d fine
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The Torah writes (12:8) that after a woman has give birth she must bring a chatas offering ‘to atone.’ What exactly does this poor lady need atonement for - has she not been through enough pain in the birth? The Kli Yakar (12:8) suggests that this is a part-atonement for the original sin of Chavah - a sin which brought about the existence of labour pains in the first place. Alternatively, this lady might have shouted obscenities against HaShem during labour (I have heard interesting things whilst standing outside labour wards), or she might have vowed never to have relations with her husband again. Any of these reasons would warrant some atonement. However, the Da’as Zekeinim (12:8) disagrees, and maintains that the word ‘lechaper’ here does not mean ‘to atone’ - for this lady has not sinned - but rather to spiritually cleanse. Perhaps this adds a new dimension to Yom HaKippurim - apart from it being a day of forgiveness, it is a day on which we become spiritually cleansed.
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Torah Portion -
tazria
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Written by Daniel Sandground
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Parashas Tazria/Metzora – Exposing the Misconception of Tzaraas
This week we have a double header with Parashas Tazria and Metzora being read. Parashas Tazria deals with the laws regarding human contamination with majority of the sedra focusing on the laws of tzaraas, a disease which we will discuss in more detail later on. Parashas Metzora gives over the stages and procedures with which the sufferer of tzaraas must purify themselves and concludes with a chapter which deals with the kinds of discharges from the human body that are contaminated to various degrees, and which may require offerings as part of the person's purification process.
The theme of human contamination flows on from Parashas Shemini in which we concluded with the laws regarding tumah (spiritual contamination) that results from dead animals. The Torah now turns to tumah that emanates from human beings. Before the Torah discusses the main tumah which is that of tzaraas, it begins with childbirth stating that... “when a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall be contaminated for a seven-day period...” [12:2]
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Torah Portion -
tazria
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Written by Administrator
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