Tazria-Metzora, Conception - Disease
Leviticus 12:1 to 15:33
Haftarah: 2 Kings 7:3 to 20 Psalm 33
Apostolic Writings/Newer Testament/B’rit HaChadashah: John 21:1 to 14
Today (Wednesday 16th April) is 14 days, which is 2 weeks of the Omer. So we pray:
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.
These Parashot / Parshot are the cause of a lot of misunderstanding in some Christian circles. In the first section we start with the Mitzvot concerning Bris / Brit Milah (the Covenant of Cutting). Every Jewish boy is to be circumcised on the 8th day after his birth. Of course things change if he is not well enough for the (very minor) operation; if he is truly not well enough then the Bris can wait; however even if the 8th day after his birth is a Sabbath, then the Bris takes precedence over the Sabbath. His joining the Covenant People takes priority over anything else.
There is a disparity in the days of uncleanness after the birth of children. For a boy the Mother is considered unclean for 33 days; for a girl the Mother is in a state of uncleanness for twice as long. This has given rise to the idea that females are in some way less valuable or important than males, and / or that girls were / are less “clean”. This is the misunderstanding arising from the prayer in the Siddur (Jewish Prayer Book) saying “. . and I thank You for not making me a woman”. The reasoning behind this part of the Morning Prayer is that, as women have less in terms of obligation, they are less able to fulfil Torah commands, and so in this life may receive less blessing. It is not about men in some way being “better”.
On the subject of circumcision, it is sometimes taught that this is a key element of the “Mosaic Covenant”, and therefore is now obsolete. However, as Avraham / Abraham was told to be circumcised and to circumcise his sons, it appears not to be the case. Like the differentiation between “clean” and “unclean” animals, circumcision is pre-Sinai.
Metzora is an interesting word. It derives from the same root as tzaraat (leprosy) and the Yiddish word “tsuris” (trouble). Tzaraat is a supra-natural plague, which can afflict people as well as garments or homes. If white or pink patches appear on a person's skin (dark pink or green in garments or homes), a Kohen is summoned. Judging by various signs, such as an increase in size of the afflicted area after a seven-day quarantine, the Kohen (Priest) pronounces it tameh (impure) or tahor (pure).
While there are some accounts of Gentiles being cured or healed of tzaraat in the Bible, there is only 1 account of a Jewish person being healed of the condition, at Mark chapter 1 verses 40ff. The healing of a Jewish leper is considered to be a miracle that only the Messiah can “perform”. The others are the healing a Jewish person born blind, and the casting out of a dumb demon. These 3, ONLY Yeshua did.
The passage in John is fascinating for those, like me, who like numbers. The number of fish caught was 153. It is sometimes taught that some taught that there were 153 species of fish. It has been pointed out that 153 is the sum of the first 17 integers (1+2+3 & c). The “tetragrammaton” (Yod-Hei-Vav-Hei ה - ו - ה - י ) appears 153 times in the 1st book of the Bible, Genesis or Beraishis. The number is also 10 (signifying perfection) plus 7 (spiritual perfection) multiplied by 3 times 3 (Divine completeness). The phrase “sons of God” in Hebrew has a Gematria of 153. This may all be coincidence, along with the fact that the Greek Gematria of “Magdalene” is also 153!
Whether the number is coincidental or deliberate, the fact remains that, after His death and resurrection Yeshua was and is still active in supplying the needs of His followers, as we read in Philippians chapter 4 verse 19.
So as we continue to count the Omer, we realise that “all good things around us are sent from heaven above” so we do indeed give thanks to The Almighty for His provision. Counting the Omer is important as the Rabbonim (plural of Rabbi) tell us that Pesach isn’t finished until Shavuos / Shavuot. This ties in wonderfully with what we know of the events of the 1st Shavuos after the death and resurrection of Yeshua.
Shabbat Shalom