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13
1 Adonai spoke to Moses [Drawn out] and to Aaron [Light-bringer], saying, 2 “When a man shall have a rising in his body’s skin, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes in the skin of his body the plague of tzara'at, then he shall be brought to Aaron [Light-bringer] the priest, or to one of his sons, the priests: 3 and the priest shall examine the plague in the skin of the body: and if the hair in the plague has turned white, and the appearance of the plague is deeper than the body’s skin, it is the plague of tzara'at; and the priest shall examine him, and pronounce him unclean. 4 If the bright spot is white in the skin of his body, and its appearance is not deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate the infected person for seven days. 5 The priest shall examine him on the seventh day, and, behold, if in his eyes the plague is arrested, and the plague has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall isolate him for seven more days. (LY:2) 6 The priest shall examine him again on the seventh day; and behold, if the plague has faded, and the plague has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. It is a scab. He shall wash his clothes, and be clean. 7 But if the scab spreads on the skin, after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall show himself to the priest again. 8 The priest shall examine him; and behold, if the scab has spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is tzara'at.
9 “When the plague of tzara'at is in a man, then he shall be brought to the priest; 10 and the priest shall examine him. Behold, if there is a white rising in the skin, and it has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the rising, 11 it is a chronic tzara'at in the skin of his body, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He shall not isolate him, for he is already unclean.
12 * Lev 13:12-13 (Lev 13:9-17, 13:1-17, 13:1-46) (#3.213): A leper who has the infection spread over his entire body, the Cohen ·Priest· is to examine him and thus declare the person clean
Consider: The origin of tzara'at ·leprosy· in Judaism is said to be caused not from natural sources, rather from God Himself to call attention to a particular unrepentant sin in a person’s life. The most significant of which is lashon harah ·evil tongue·, that is speaking evil, gossip, slander, and backbiting (Talmud, Erachin 15B) / Note: Science: In the modern age, tzara'at on a person is called Leprosy or Hansen’s Disease and tzara'at in a house or on clothing is called Mold or Mildew. Neither of these modern diseases named are not identical to the Biblical description. The Modern age does not know exactly what disease tzara'at is, it is possible the disease mutated or was only of divine-origin. Therefore, in Judaism, it was understood that only God can heal tzara'at ·leprosy·
Consider: Because there was no known cure for tzara'at ·leprosy· it was like unto a death sentence in society for the person would be forced to leave everything behind, including possessions and family. The person would not feel human touch again and live in isolation or in a leper colony.
Consider: The passage (Isaiah 35:5-7) is interpreted by the Rabbis that Messiah would be able to heal the blind (v5) and deaf (v5) and in addition, Messiah can cleanse tzara'at ·leprosy· because “the lame will leap like a deer” (v6). Only God is recorded to cure tzara'at ·leprosy· (Ex 4:6-7; Num 12:9-15; 2 Sam 3:28-30; 2 King 5:1-10, 5:25-27; Luke 4:27; 2 King 15:5; 2 Chr 26:16-21). There is no record of a Jewish man cleansing a leper except in (Matt 8:2-3, 10:8, 11:5; Mark 1:40-42; Luke 5:12-13, 7:22, 17:11-19) “If the tzara'at breaks out all over the skin, and the tzara'at covers all the skin of the infected person from his head even to his feet, as far as it appears to the priest; 13 then the priest shall examine him; and, behold, if the tzara'at has covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean of the plague. It has all turned white: he is clean. 14 But whenever raw flesh appears in him, he shall be unclean. 15 The priest shall examine the raw flesh, and pronounce him unclean: the raw flesh is unclean. It is tzara'at. 16 Or if the raw flesh turns again, and is changed to white, then he shall come to the priest; 17 and the priest shall examine him; and, behold, if the plague has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him clean of the plague. He is clean.
(LY:3) 18 “When the body has a boil on its skin, and it has healed, 19 and in the place of the boil there is a white rising, or a bright spot, reddish-white, then it shall be shown to the priest; 20 and the priest shall examine it; and behold, if its appearance is lower than the skin, and its hair has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of tzara'at. It has broken out in the boil. 21 But if the priest examines it, and behold, there are no white hairs in it, and it is not deeper than the skin, but is dim, then the priest shall isolate him seven days. 22 If it spreads in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a plague. 23 But if the bright spot stays in its place, and has not spread, it is the scar from the boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
(RY:2, LY:4) 24 “Or when the body has a burn from fire on its skin, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white, or white, 25 then the priest shall examine it; and behold, if the hair in the bright spot has turned white, and its appearance is deeper than the skin; it is tzara'at. It has broken out in the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of tzara'at. 26 But if the priest examines it, and behold, there is no white hair in the bright spot, and it is not lower than the skin, but is faded; then the priest shall isolate him seven days. 27 The priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of tzara'at. 28 If the bright spot stays in its place, and has not spread in the skin, but is faded, it is the swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean; for it is the scar from the burn.
(LY:5) 29 “When a man or woman has a plague on the head or on the beard, 30 then the priest shall examine the plague; and behold, if its appearance is deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is yellow and thin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is an itch, it is tzara'at of the head or of the beard. 31 If the priest examines the plague of itching, and behold, its appearance is not deeper than the skin, and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall isolate the person infected with itching seven days. 32 On the seventh day the priest shall examine the plague; and behold, if the itch has not spread, and there is no yellow hair in it, and the appearance of the itch is not deeper than the skin, 33 † Lev 13:33 (#3.214): Not to shave off the hair in the tzara'at ·leprosy· infected area (See more notes in Lev 13:33 OU213) then he shall be shaved, but he shall not shave the itch; and the priest shall shut him up who has the itch seven more days. 34 On the seventh day, the priest shall examine the itch; and behold, if the itch has not spread in the skin, and its appearance is not deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean. He shall wash his clothes, and be clean. 35 ‡ Lev 13:45 (Lev 13:45-46) (#3.215): For the leper to be known to all by these things: his clothes shall be rent and torn, and the hair of his head shall be loose, and he shall cover his upper lip, and he shall cry “tamei, tamei ·unclean, unclean·” when walking around non-lepers (See more notes in Lev 13:33 OU213) But if the itch spreads in the skin after his cleansing, 36 then the priest shall examine him; and behold, if the itch has spread in the skin, the priest shall not look for the yellow hair; he is unclean. 37 But if in his eyes the itch is arrested, and black hair has grown in it; the itch is healed, he is clean. The priest shall pronounce him clean.
(RY:3, LY:6) 38 “When a man or a woman has bright spots in the skin of the body, even white bright spots; 39 then the priest shall examine them; and behold, if the bright spots on the skin of their body are a dull white, it is a harmless rash, it has broken out in the skin; he is clean.
40 “If a man’s hair has fallen from his head, he is bald. He is clean. 41 If his hair has fallen off from the front part of his head, he is forehead bald. He is clean. 42 But if there is in the bald head, or the bald forehead, a reddish-white plague; it is tzara'at breaking out in his bald head, or his bald forehead. 43 Then the priest shall examine him; and, behold, if the rising of the plague is reddish-white in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, like the appearance of tzara'at in the skin of the flesh, 44 he is a leprous man. He is unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him unclean. His plague is on his head.
45 “The leper in whom the plague is shall wear torn clothes, and the hair of his head shall hang loose. He shall cover his upper lip, and shall cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 All the days in which the plague is in him he shall be unclean. He is unclean. He shall dwell alone. Outside of the camp shall be his dwelling.
47 § Lev 13:47 (Lev 13:47-59) (#3.216): A leprous garment is unclean and causes defilement
Directive: It is contagious, it shall be burned (See more notes in Lev 13:33 OU213) “The garment also that the plague of tzara'at is in, whether it is a woolen garment, or a linen garment; 48 whether it is in linen, or in wool; whether in a skin, or in anything made of skin; 49 if the plague is greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin, or in the linnen, or in the woof, or in anything made of skin; it is the plague of tzara'at, and shall be shown to the priest. 50 The priest shall examine the plague, and isolate the plague seven days. 51 He shall examine the plague on the seventh day. If the plague has spread in the garment, either in the linnen, or in the woof, or in the skin, whatever use the skin is used for, the plague is a destructive tzara'at mildew. It is unclean. 52 He shall burn the garment, whether the linnen or the woof, in wool or in linen, or anything of skin, in which the plague is: for it is a destructive tzara'at mildew. It shall be burned in the fire.
53 “If the priest examines it, and behold, the plague has not spread in the garment, either in the linnen, or in the woof, or in anything of skin; 54 then the priest shall enjoin that they wash the thing in which the plague is, and he shall isolate it seven more days. (RY:4, LY:7) 55 Then the priest shall examine it, after the plague is washed; and behold, if the plague has not changed its color, and the plague has not spread, it is unclean; you shall burn it in the fire. It is a tzara'at mildewed spot, whether the bareness is inside or outside. 56 If the priest looks, and behold, the plague has faded after it is washed, then he shall tear it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the fabric, or out of the leather: (LY: Maftir ·Conclusion·) 57 and if it appears again in the garment, either in the linnen, or in the woof, or in anything of skin, it is spreading. You shall burn with fire that in which the plague is. 58 The garment, either the linnen, or the woof, or whatever thing of skin it is, which you shall wash, if the plague has departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time, and it will be clean.”
59 This is the Torah ·Teaching· of the plague of tzara'at mildew in a garment of wool or linen, either in the linnen, or the woof, or in anything of skin, to pronounce it clean, or to pronounce it unclean.
Haftarah Tazria ·Taking leave · She conceives·:
M'lakhim Bet / 2 Kings 4:42-5:19
B'rit Hadashah ·New Covenant·: Mark 9:14-50

- Leviticus / Vayikra
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*13:12 Lev 13:12-13 (Lev 13:9-17, 13:1-17, 13:1-46) (#3.213): A leper who has the infection spread over his entire body, the Cohen ·Priest· is to examine him and thus declare the person clean Consider: The origin of tzara'at ·leprosy· in Judaism is said to be caused not from natural sources, rather from God Himself to call attention to a particular unrepentant sin in a person’s life. The most significant of which is lashon harah ·evil tongue·, that is speaking evil, gossip, slander, and backbiting (Talmud, Erachin 15B) / Note: Science: In the modern age, tzara'at on a person is called Leprosy or Hansen’s Disease and tzara'at in a house or on clothing is called Mold or Mildew. Neither of these modern diseases named are not identical to the Biblical description. The Modern age does not know exactly what disease tzara'at is, it is possible the disease mutated or was only of divine-origin. Therefore, in Judaism, it was understood that only God can heal tzara'at ·leprosy· Consider: Because there was no known cure for tzara'at ·leprosy· it was like unto a death sentence in society for the person would be forced to leave everything behind, including possessions and family. The person would not feel human touch again and live in isolation or in a leper colony. Consider: The passage (Isaiah 35:5-7) is interpreted by the Rabbis that Messiah would be able to heal the blind (v5) and deaf (v5) and in addition, Messiah can cleanse tzara'at ·leprosy· because “the lame will leap like a deer” (v6). Only God is recorded to cure tzara'at ·leprosy· (Ex 4:6-7; Num 12:9-15; 2 Sam 3:28-30; 2 King 5:1-10, 5:25-27; Luke 4:27; 2 King 15:5; 2 Chr 26:16-21). There is no record of a Jewish man cleansing a leper except in (Matt 8:2-3, 10:8, 11:5; Mark 1:40-42; Luke 5:12-13, 7:22, 17:11-19)

†13:33 Lev 13:33 (#3.214): Not to shave off the hair in the tzara'at ·leprosy· infected area (See more notes in Lev 13:33 OU213)

‡13:35 Lev 13:45 (Lev 13:45-46) (#3.215): For the leper to be known to all by these things: his clothes shall be rent and torn, and the hair of his head shall be loose, and he shall cover his upper lip, and he shall cry “tamei, tamei ·unclean, unclean·” when walking around non-lepers (See more notes in Lev 13:33 OU213)

§13:47 Lev 13:47 (Lev 13:47-59) (#3.216): A leprous garment is unclean and causes defilement Directive: It is contagious, it shall be burned (See more notes in Lev 13:33 OU213)

© 2016 Thomas Robinson