Parashat metzora
summary
Parashat Metzora (Lev 14:1-15:33)
continues on from Tazria, focussing on the rites ordained
for the purification of those who had suffered from tsara’at.
The procedures are incredibly detailed and illustrate how
important this issue was to the biblical Israelites.
The person who had been confirmed to be afflicted by tsara’at,
was quarantined outside of the camp. A priest perform a
ritual of cleansing (using the same materials described
in Num 19:6f to purify one who had been in contact with
a corpse) and symbolically dispelling the disease from the
person. The person was allowed back into the camp but not
to enter their home for seven days. On the eighth day they
are purified once more (in a ritual that closely parallels
the purification of the priests when they were ordained
in Lev 8). They then offered an asham
(guilt offering), olah (burnt offering)
and chatta’t (sin offering), all
performed in public.
The ritual for identifying and cleansing tsara’at
in building stones (some sort of mold, blight or rot that
caused recessed lesions or discolouring of plaster or mud
used in building dwellings) is then described.
The rest of Metzora concerns discharges from sexual organs
due to illness and infection. The general rule was that
the person remained impure for seven days after the disappearance
of the observable symptoms. A distinction is drawn between
this occurrence and normal menstruation of women and seminal
emissions of men. What is of note is the close relationship
between illness and ritual impurity. The ancient Israelite
understanding of their world, seems to be of the need to
maintain cleanliness, for any individual or item that was
afflicted by an illness rendered that person impure but
also all that they touched. An illness in the camp raised
the potential of the sanctuary being affected.
commentary
There seems to be some sort of plague
upon my house (Lev 14:35).
Suffering from illness and disease remains one of the
great levellers of our society. Despite daily adding to
the list of ‘preventable diseases’ and the development
of private health systems that ape the best hotels, money
cannot and does not prevent us from suffering.
The elaborate rituals described in this parasha,
may show a primitive understanding of illness and disease
but a much more highly developed understanding of the spirit,
something akin to ‘bedside manner’ of doctors,
u’vikor cholim (visiting the sick)
and ones sense of trust in God. It is true that the former
led to periods of exclusion from society but the way in
which they were publicly welcomed back into it by invoking
holiness usually reserved for the priests may have shown
the ultimate supremacy of the latter.
When family and friends are ill, do we keep them at arms
length, reassuring ourselves that, ‘they would not
like to be troubled,’ or do we positively offer to
visit and bring food and care?
When we hear that millions die each year in poor countries
of the world from ‘preventable disease,’ do
we say ‘I cannot affect the global situation’
or do we join with others to make our collective voices
heard in shouting out that this is just not right and must
change?
There may never be a day when humanity’s medical
advances overtake the development of disease. In some way,
our understanding may always be seen as ‘primitive’
to generations to come. However, we can do our best to remain
healthy and support others to have the same chance as us.
We can also provide human comfort to those in pain and never
ostracise those who are afflicted. But ultimately, sometimes
our strength comes from trust:
Out of the depths I call to You,
Eternal One. O God, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive
to my supplications!
Psalm 130:1f.
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