TORAH SPARKS ניצוצות תורה
פרשת תזריע – שבת החדש
PARASHAT TAZRIA BIRKAT HAHODESH
SHABBAT HAHODESH
April 2, 2011 – 27 Adar II 5771 — כ"ז אדר ב’ תשע"א
Annual: Leviticus 12:1 – 13:59 (Etz Hayim, p. 649; Hertz p. 460)
Triennial: Leviticus 12:1 – 13:39 (Etz Hayim p. 649; Hertz p. 460)
Maftir: Exodus 12:1 – 20 (Etz Hayim p. 380; Hertz p. 253)
Haftarah: Ezekiel 45:16 – 46:18 (Etz Hayim p. 1291; Hertz p. 1001)
Prepared by Rabbi Joseph Prouser
Baldwin, New York
Mother Teresa memorably said: “I try to give to the poor people for love what the rich could get for money. No, I wouldn’t touch a leper for a thousand pounds; yet I willingly cure him for the love of God.” Her words touch upon a number of themes found in parashat Tazria.
The Torah reading begins with a discussion of the offerings a mother was to bring after childbirth, so she could re-establish her ritual purity. If the mother was of
limited financial means, the customary requirement of a sacrificial lamb is waived in
favor of two pigeons or turtle doves. The sacrifices are brought following a period of ritual impurity lasting 33 days after the birth of a son and 66 days after the birth of a daughter.
The remainder of the parashah deals with “rash decisions,” as it were – that is, with the priestly diagnosis and treatment of leprosy (as the variable biblical term for the
affliction called tzara’at generally is generally translated), and the procedure that
restores those afflicted with the condition to purity and allows them back after their forced separation from the community.
Once declared leprous, the Israelite expresses his state by rending his clothing, uncovering his head, “covering the upper lip” as with a veil or mask, and calling out
“Unclean! Unclean!” This self-stigmatizing proclamation, quite in keeping with the mournful nature of the accompanying rituals, also serves to warn fellow Israelites
not to approach for fear of immunological or ritual contamination.
Parashat Tazria goes on to discuss the priestly identification and purification (or, alternatively, the destruction) of clothing and fabric affected by tsara’at: wool, linen,
and leather.
Theme #1: “My True Love Gave to Me…”
“If, however, her means do not suffice for a sheep, she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin
offering. The priest shall make expiation on her behalf, and she shall be clean.” Leviticus 12:8
Derash: Study
“The sin offering precedes the burnt offering, though the Torah writes of the burnt offering first… The reason for the burnt offering is that a woman is
required to know that the goal of all education is for the child to understand
that he belongs entirely to God, and that everything – life, livelihood and all one has – is a gift from God. Since this is the goal, the Torah teaches us the laws of the burnt offering before those of the sin offering. The burnt offering is totally consumed on the altar, thus indicating that all belongs to God. However, in order to reach that understanding, one must be meticulous with his deeds, to make sure that they are not tainted with any faults, and, if something improper does occur, to repent immediately. Therefore, in practice, the sin offering is the first to be sacrificed.” Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
“Because she fluttered in her heart, she had to bring a fluttering sacrifice, two turtledoves or two young pigeons.” Genesis Rabbah 20:7
“Living Jewishly shouldn’t force people into poverty. If a family is forced by the value it places on living full Jewish lives to use all its discretionary
income and then some to buy Jewish education, synagogues, center
membership, kosher food, etc., it is left with the effective income of a poor family to meet all its other basic needs.” Jacob Ukeles, 1985
“The prevailing attitude of too many in positions of authority is that affordability is a private matter. If families want to live an observant life, they alone should bear the costs… Missing from this cold calculus is any
recognition of the value Jews well-versed in their religious culture are
adding to American Jewish society. A disproportionate number of leaders and activists have been shaped by the most immersive forms of Jewish education. As for the rank and file, we would expect a community that places great value on general education for all to ensure a comparably high level of literacy in Judaica. Lacking, too, is a principled appreciation for the responsibility Jews must assume for building Jewish social capital so that there will be a vital Jewish community in the future.” Jack Wertheimer Questions for Discussion
The Torah anticipates – and redresses – the problem of financial stress impeding full
participation in Jewish religious observance and communal life. How can our congregational structures provide similar recourse to those in need? What trends in
Jewish communal life create unnecessary and insurmountable financial obstacles to
a segment of the Jewish people?
How might Professor Wertheimer respond to a congregational afternoon religious school that operates at a significant deficit?
How do we best express our recognition that – as Rabbi Feinstein wrote – “all one has is a gift from God”? How do we teach that to our children? How do our educational institutions implement this central curricular goal? How should they?
Genesis Rabbah’s discussion of a “fluttering heart” is a reference to moments of equivocation – for example, during the pain of childbirth, at times of temptation, moral trial, or loss of faith. Why might this particular interpretation be associated specifically with the alternative offering allowed those in financial straits?
Theme #2: “An Isolated Case”
“He shall be unclean as long as the disease is on him. Being unclean, he shall dwell apart; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.” Leviticus 13:46
Derash: Study
“All ritual and all art must stem, originally, from the spontaneous individual impulse to reconcile the irreconcilable… As we humans are not God, nor
even potentially godlike, the human must be periodically, inevitably, unclean. The thought may be disturbing, but its acknowledgment is the first
necessary step toward integration.” David Mamet
“Dwelling outside the camp describes the feelings of many who suffer from illness. Feelings of isolation are common when one is hospitalized or homebound for a significant period of time… This feeling of isolation may occur when an individual is unable to participate in communal worship because they are physically unable to attend synagogue… Being ‘outside the camp’ may thus lead to questions about one’s self worth and one’s relationship with God… The description of disease in our Torah portion emphasizes the importance of communal involvement when one is ill. It recognizes that disease affects not only the body, but the spirit as well… We learn that the community plays an important role in countering feelings of isolation, and facilitating prayers for healing… We learn that God is intimately concerned about those who suffer from illness.” Rabbi Sara O’Donnell Adler
“There is another group of people who are also placed ‘outside the camp.’ Visit our homes for the aged and you will too often see people who have been ‘left’ outside life. The issues of care-giving and of honoring and
respecting one’s parents have never been more pressing. And as a result of
increasing life spans and mobility, the challenges of our providing care- giving, especially for our aging parents, are ever present. A good number of us have had the experience of dealing with older adults who live in isolation in some ‘facility,’ seemingly waiting to die. The sadness of this reality is that too many of these people yearn for human contact—a touch, a visit, a voice. Yet they have been isolated, and this isolation fuels the downward spiral of their life. This week’s portion, Tazria, can be viewed as a pathway into examining the ways in which some people have become isolated from others in our society. What remains a paradox is that in a world with so much interaction taking place, so many people remain isolated, either physically or psychologically, from others.” Rabbi Richard Address
“A man’s illness is his private territory and, no matter how much he loves you and how close you are, you stay an outsider. You are healthy.” Lauren Bacall
Questions for Discussion
The temporary ritual exile of the Israelite suffering from disease effectively reflects
the physical, emotional, and spiritual isolation of the individual contending with illness – particularly a stigmatizing illness. If it succeeds in sensitizing the rest of the Israelite camp to this reality, is the ritual measure unduly harsh? Does the forced separation from community represent a safety precaution or ritual necessity?
What are the obligations of a congregational community, beyond the pastoral care provided by religious professionals, to those who are physically unable to participate in its activities? What kind of contact or outreach should take place on an ongoing basis? For special occasions and holidays? In the realm of adult (or, where applicable, youth) education? What constructive opportunities do such needs present a Jewish community?
David Mamet seems to suggest that occasional time spent outside the camp is a reflection of the human condition. When do you feel most isolated and alone? How
does Jewish community and Jewish practice provide support or recourse during
these times?
Consider Rabbi Address’ paradox – Do sophisticated contemporary modes of communication actually impede fulfilling human connections and lead to well-
founded feelings of isolation and loneliness?
Rabbi Sara O’Donnell Adler discusses the inexorable connection between our bodies and our spiritual condition. How else does Jewish tradition give expression to this nexus?
Historic Note
April 2, 2011, is observed as Shabbat ha-Chodesh. The special Torah
reading, indicating the approach of Passover, recalls the exodus from Egyptian slavery. On April 2, 1979, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin visited President Anwar Sadat in Egypt. At the Cairo Museum Begin famously quipped that he was eager to see the pyramids that his ancestors had worked so hard to build.
Halachah L’Maaseh
Shabbat ha-Hodesh is observed on the Sabbath preceding Rosh Hodesh
Nisan or on Rosh Hodesh itself, should it coincide with Shabbat. The entire month of Nisan is treated as a festive period. Tachanun – penitential prayers
– are not recited as usual on weekdays, nor is the passage “Tzidkatcha
Tzedek” recited following the Shabbat Minchah Amidah. Some people customarily omit El Molei Rachamim (the memorial prayer), Tziduk Ha- Din, and eulogies from funerals in deference to the celebratory character of
the month in which Israel was liberated (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim
429:2).