Parashat Metzora

2. "This shall be the instruction in regard to the leper [metzora] on the day of his ritual purification: he shall be brought to the priest [cohen].

Leper: About this skin disease which differs from the leprosy we know today, Rabbi Mordecai Kamenetzy writes: "The discoloration of skin does not necessarily reflect a chemical impropriety or a nutritional deficiency. It is a heavenly sign of a spiritual flaw, primarily related to a deficient speech pattern. It is a disease that afflicts a gossip. The one in question must go to the cohen (priest) who instructs him in the proper procedure to rid himself of both the blemish and the improper behavior that caused its appearance." Ritual purification: from a word meaning "brighten"; one who is ritually cleansed becomes more like the original Adam and the second Adam. Cohen literally means "one who officiates". The reason one has been placed outside the camp was because this skin disease revealed that one had not properly recognized his authorities. It is a reminder of Adam and Chawwah’s sin, which got them put outside His first “camp”. The cure, which Adam refused, would have been to take responsibility for his error; the extent of discipline through which the world has been put might not have been necessary if he had done so from the start. There is a high price to pay if one arrogantly chooses where he really has no choice. The choices that will keep us out of trouble and move us closer to YHWH have already been made; we only need to learn the finer details. If one chooses life, the keeping the commandments is not an option. If we do so, we will always been on firm footing, and there should be no need to go through this process. No minimum amount of time is given for which the metzora needs to stay outside the camp, because some people respond quickly to the need to repent, while others continue to find excuses to be bitter about the “unfairness” of this situation. The purpose of being there is not an exercise in embarrassment, but so that he might be taught and become clean. Those put outside the camp were vulnerable, but if they looked after each other, this would be a step toward their cure. He has already been examined several times before being put outside, because he did not examine himself well enough beforehand. (Some people, who had the disease on parts of their body that were not often seen by others might even hide it for their whole lives, but ignoring it will not make it go away.) Undoubtedly he has been examining his lesions every day to see whether they have been clearing up. This is the day he starts to remove his uncleanness, though this, too, will be an extensive process.

How can the leper who is banished outside the camp come to the cohen? He did not stay very far from the protection of the camp or city; the cohen comes just outside to meet him. Our high priest, Yahshua, emptied himself to meet us “outside the camp” (Heb. 13:13), but we too must take steps toward him. His brother Yaaqov also said, "Draw near to YHWH, and He will draw near to you." Neither alone is sufficient if the connection is to be made. Those inside cannot count the metzora as part of the city, because he is not in a position to help its defense. As far as those inside are concerned, he is "dead". Sha'ul (Paul) said to let an immoral brother in Corinthos be turned over to Satan--outside the protection of the community. He could not be helped until he turned back and repented. But then he was restored.

Give the command: Up to this point, the cohen performed the duties himself; now he is delegating. It may be that this was just because of the large number of people to be ritually cleansed, but it may have a symbolic meaning. "Clean": This would seem redundant, because no ritually unclean animal is ever to be slaughtered in the Temple. But the metzora, being unclean himself, needed the extra reminder that his sacrificial substitute could not be in the same condition as himself, but had to have at least one foot on solid ground to be able to pull him out of his condition. Note the components of the figurative cleansing: "twin" birds (see v. 6), cedar wood, scarlet thread, and hyssop. These are the elements also used in sanctifying the ashes of a red heifer (Numbers 19:6) which was the only way the high priest could be sanctified in order to begin making others holy--for everyone started out in the same spiritual condition that the leper symbolizes. Scarlet thread was one of the gifts requested from the Egyptians (Exodus 25). It was made from the crushed bodies of a worm. Though not kosher to eat, it is a fine example of selflessness, because the mother attaches herself to a tree to shield her young when they are born, and she never again leaves the spot. When the Temple stood, YHWH’s people are called “living stones” which are to be built together into His dwelling place. At the time Moshe gave this command, the Dwelling Place was a tent, but one of its coverings was made entirely of wool dyed with this crimson scarlet. So the use of this component might serve the same purpose—to remind the metzora that he is just one part of a larger dwelling, and not the only consideration. The theme of the scarlet thread runs through Scripture as a blood-red symbol of deliverance from certain destruction: It is seen in the unusual birth of the twins Paretz (breach-maker) and Zarakh (rising), which pictures the true Firstborn triumphing over one who tried to usurp his place. As Rahav in Y’rikho had to take advantage of it in order to be spared, Yahshua's blood is offered to us, but we have to utilize it, or our blood is on our own heads. (See also note on v. 7.) Hyssop is a plant with many healing properties; it is sometimes used to treat nervous exhaustion, overwork, anxiety, and to make one alert again. It both readily absorbs liquids and readily gives it back out--a wonderful picture of the type of students we should be. It would be ideal for dipping in the blood and spattering it. It is what was used to "paint" the Passover lamb's blood on the doors in Egypt, and to complete the picture, it was filled with wine--often used to symbolize blood--and offered to Yahshua as he fulfilled the typology of the Passover lamb right on schedule. The stick may be to attach the hyssop and possibly other components so that the priest can carry out these orders without touching the person directly and thus becoming ritually defiled for a day himself. These items may even be paid for by the person coming to be declared clean himself.

Running water: literally “living water”, which includes the possibility of pouring water through the vessel beneath where the birds are being killed. The cohen here represents YHWH; the bird, Yahshua, whose blood was shed in an earthen vessel (a mortal body) over (or "on account of") "living water" (the Holy Spirit, Yochanan 7:38ff). The Aramaic reads, "fresh water"; others render it "spring water".

The two birds (generally sparrows, and, according to the Mishnah, as identical as possible, like the two goats at Yom Kippur) represent the two comings of Yahshua. First he came and walked among "clay vessels" (a symbol of men, Yesh./Isa. 45:9), into whom he poured his word (Yochanan 4:10). Then his blood was shed (Rom. 3:25) to make a way for his second coming as king. The second bird is bloodied but not injured--a picture of Yahshua who still bears the scars Thomas put his hands into, but was not ultimately injured by it. His garments will be covered with blood when He judges the earth. (Yeshayahu 63) He alluded to this passage when He told us not to fear those who kill the body, since two sparrows are sold for a very small price, but we are of more value than many of them. (Mat. 10:29) The text does not specify wool dyed with scarlet, so it may simply be that some dye was put in this mixture to make the bird continue to appear bright red after it dries, because blood alone, when dried, would end up much darker.

David prays, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me and I shall be whiter than snow." (Psalm 51) In this context (which has strong Passover overtones after David took a "single lamb" that had been raised in the household of another and reaped the Passover plague of the death of his firstborn by Uriah's wife), he asks YHWH to cleanse his innermost, hidden parts--again, as a dove's feather is used to sweep the hidden leaven onto a cedar wood spoon at Passover. Let loose: like the scapegoat at Yom Kippur, but possibly for a different purpose. Yahshua sent his Body into the world (which he said the field represents--Matt. 13:38), since Efrayim was scattered there, intermingled with the nations and needing to be brought back. The pronunciation here is the completion only of the first “wash cycle”, just as when Yahshua healed some lepers, he told them to go and follow the rest of these instructions and offer the gifts Moshe prescribed as a testimony. (Mat. 8) He could heal, but it was not his job to pronounce someone clean; only the priest can do that. Instead he gave the command, “Be cleansed.” Only the one in the process of healing can complete that task. The former metzora is now “clean” on one level, but being healed is not enough; there is still a process to undergo before he can be fully integrated back into the community, which is the real goal of his cleansing. The Hebrew word for “heal” is rafah, which really means to mend as by stitching up a hole in a garment. He has been mended, but a favorite garment of a king that had been chewed up by animals and dragged through the mud would not be presented to him again after it had been merely sewn back together; it would be laundered as well.

The metzora, who wanted someone else’s position of authority, now loses all his authority (“glory”). It is a picture of removing the particular aspect of self that ruled over us. During this waiting period of growth and sanctification, we have to remain faithful until the kingdom comes. Then there will be an even greater putting away of self. Launder: Aramaic, "soak". Outside the tent: He is allowed back into the camp for protection from enemies or predators, but the Body does not receive from him yet. The tent is one's own place or station within the Body--his gifting, which is to be used for the whole community. But since he was punished for wanting someone else's place, for a time he is not allowed to even utilize his own gifts. He may not be intimate with his wife yet, because at this stage he will still render anyone who touches him unclean (by tradition). With all his hair shaved off, it is easy to see if the leprosy comes back. He would undoubtedly not be left completely exposed to rain or snow, but might have been housed in a special tent with others in the same situation as he. During the daytime, the sides of the tent would be rolled up to allow air flow, so he would not be hidden away. People who might not have noticed that he was gone from the camp, especially if it was only for a short time, would now be able to see that he had been a metzora. He is thus publicly shamed, and well he should be after his selfish actions, but there is additional time given to think about what he has done wrong; if he gets the point, YHWH will remove the plague from him.

This is the second “wash cycle”. Hair (sa'ar) in Hebrew stems from a root meaning "dread"; the hair stands up when one is very afraid. So part of the process of an unclean (selfish) person's healing is removing all his fear and the insecurities that misdirect his path. It is also the surrender of his egotism, and symbolizes a complete break with the past. (Hirsch) Beard: his authority is taken away, because he wanted someone else's authority, and this is why he was visited with the leprosy. The Hebrew word for "garments" (beged) comes from a root meaning "treachery", "rebellion", and "deceit" because it is used to "cover up" and is only used because of Adam and Chawwah's sin. These, too, must be cleansed so that they are only used for the right reasons. Having to live outside the tent, exposed and accountable to all, where everyone can inspect him (v. 8), is a complete (seven-day) witness to the veracity of the selfish one's repentance. This is part of the "cleansing of the hidden parts" that David spoke of. Yahshua said that everything that was done in secret would be published from the housetops. But it is also the same procedure followed when a Nazir (one who takes a special vow of holiness and is very much like a priest for a set amount of time, drinking no wine during his time of service and touching nothing dead) finishes his time of separation. (Numbers 6:18) Now both he and the leper are back in the same position after being separate from the people for very different reasons--one set apart for a particular task for the Kingdom, the other because of his selfishness. Now both are restored to being ordinary members of the same community, but the path to cleansing is to become more like a Nazir—making a greater commitment to the Kingdom, having seen where he was lacking and therefore readier to do something specific about it.

Three-tenths of a measure: estimated to be about 6 quarts. Log: A unit of liquid measure equivalent to approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of a liter (roughly one pint). Being purified is an expensive task, and it must be repeated at higher levels since there are things in us that need changing but which we cannot yet see. Eighth day: symbolic of the finalization of what has been accomplished during the seven days so it can be rendered permanent.

The priest who purifies us for now is Yahshua.

13. "And he shall slaughter the lamb in the place where he had slaughtered the sin offering and the ascending [burnt] offering—in a set-apart place, because, [just] like the sin offering, the guilt offering is for the priest; it is most holy.

The guilt offering is brought because of a misuse of something set apart by YHWH—which includes how we affect the rest of Israel. Most holy: i.e., it can only be eaten by certain select people in particular places.

The repentant metzora is not just restored, but greatly elevated--to a place of service. This is exactly the same procedure used to consecrate the priesthood (8:23; Exodus 29:20). Again this pictures both the most holy and the repentant sinner being on the very same ground before YHWH and equal members of the same community, simply chosen sovereignly for different tasks. Tip: possibly the lobe; others take it as the cartilage on the protruding portion of the ear. In any case, he sanctifies his ear for listening, his hand for doing holy deeds, and his foot for a holy walk [halakhah, lifestyle]. A priest is the servant of all--the most highly exalted, higher even than the Nazir, but if we respond with such commitment after our time outside the camp, it has truly accomplished its purpose. Adam and Chawwah’s “appearance in our body” has had its desired effect. "He who is forgiven much loves much" (Luke 7:47), so even the former leper can become the greatest in the kingdom. His downfall was desiring inordinate power, so he is taught what true authority is. (Rom. 12:3ff) Even Messiah is, by tradition, called “the leper prince” in His first coming.

The second mention of the cohen emphasizes that it is his own hand rather than that of the one coming for purification. Left palm: a symbol of the evil inclination being used by his better one, because his leprosy has taught him what not to be; thus it made him better.

17. "And the rest of the oil that is in his palm, the cohen shall put on the lobe of the right ear of the one who is to be ritually purified, and on the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering.

Shall put: literally "give". On top of the blood: In addition to what Yahshua has done for us, we need to continue to receive teaching in order to become all that he provided for us to be.

This completes the third “wash cycle”. Note that each level costs him more than the previous. Oil: symbolic of another honor: great exaltation for those who thus humble themselves, confess, and submit to the prescribed treatment, for oil is used for the anointing of a king, who is given the unique privilege of searching out the things YHWH has hidden (Prov. 25:2).

The sin offering deals with how one violated the Torah. The ascending offering is to recognize what we have done, acknowledge that we have done something about it, and recognize YHWH as King over every aspect of life—the “testimony” Yahshua referred to in Mat. 8. Note the order. YHWH is more concerned that we deal with how we misused the unity of Israel even before we deal with breaking one of His commandments. This is how seriously He takes the way we treat one another. As Yahshua said, if you are bringing an offering to the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, go first and make amends with him, and then deal with what you did against YHWH. (Mat. 5:24)

Now his purification and restoration to the community is complete. This may seem excessive, but how many times must we overcome our selfishness before we are truly selfish?

Hand is not able to reach: i.e., he cannot afford these--though that perspective should not be carried too far. We could always claim we could not afford something, but if we are able to sell one or more of our possessions to procure it, it is indeed within our reach. YHWH has a special mercy for the truly poor, but the lamb can never be missing from a guilt offering--an important truth about our need for Yahshua, even if the reason we sinned was that we were "victimized" and "could not avoid it". Even if we have not had work for a long time, having been outside the camp, we must find a way to procure one, no matter what else we have to sacrifice to do so. It is never as costly as it would be to remain selfish, because then we never get back into the camp. We have to either pay now or later, but the more we put it off and keep seeking self, the more debt we amass, and eventually it will become too high to ever repay. There is a large “balloon payment” at the end. We must therefore keep “making payments” each day toward the purchase of the “pearl of great price”--the entrance into the Kingdom. (Mat. 13:46; Rev. 21:21)

Whichever: The two types of bird must have had different monetary value or availability in different locations.

24. "Then the cohen shall take the lamb of the guilt offering and the log of oil, and the cohen shall wave them as a wave offering before YHWH;

Wave: swing to and fro, in the case of the lamb, to highlight what one is doing for those who witness it.

26. "And the cohenshall pour the oil on the cohen's left palm,

27. "And with his right finger the cohen shall sprinkle [some] of the oil which is on his left palm seven times before YHWH.

28. "And the cohen shall put some of the oil that is on his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one who is to be ritually purified, and on the thumb of his right hand, and the big toe of his right foot, at the [same] place where the blood of the guilt offering [is].

29. "And the rest of the oil that is on the cohen's palm he shall place on the head of the one who is to be ritually purified in order to make atonement for him before YHWH.

30. "Then he shall offer one of the turtledoves or pigeons--whichever his hand can reach--

31. "One of whatever his hand has been able to reach he shall [be used as] a sin offering, and the other as an ascending offering, in addition to the food offering. Thus the cohen shall make atonement for one who is to be ritually purified before YHWH.

32. "This is the instruction regarding him in whom [there is] a mark of tzara'ath, whose hand could not reach his purification."

33. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe and Aharon, saying,

34. "When you enter the land of Kanaan, which I am giving to you as a [heritable] possession, and [find that] I have placed the mark of tzara'ath in a house in the land of your possession,

"House-leprosy": a "gift" from YHWH that comes with the territory of His blessing. Not much can be hidden in a tent, unless it is buried in the ground like Akhan’s, because in the wilderness we were constantly packing up and moving on. When we start accumulating possessions, it is easy to start hoarding. When we live in community, it is less of a problem to have to lose some possessions, because everyone looks out for each other. Note that while one might have inherited the house from the Kanaanites, this leprosy was not in the house as the result of something they did. It is YHWH who has put it there. It is a supernatural occurrence—not something YHWH just does for fun, but to teach us something. The Midrash says the house-leprosy is sent first as a warning that one is in danger of being struck by bodily leprosy as well. Normally anything made of stone was automatically considered ritually clean. (1 Corinthians 10:4) But stones in a house are different--they are components of a larger picture. We are called living stones that make up a spiritual house. (1 Kefa/Peter 2:5)

The process only works if the one in charge of the house confesses that there is something wrong.

He is still given the benefit of the doubt until the proof is produced. Nothing in the house becomes unclean until the priest declares it so, highlighting the fact that ritual defilement is not a physical thing, but something deeper, from a place where the cohen has authority. When Yahshua passed on the "keys" of such "binding and loosing" to his disciples, he gave us an awesome burden of responsibility. The Midrash says this is about the person who refuses to lend to his neighbor because he "doesn't have enough" (in direct violation of Deut. 15:7-11; compare Prov. 3:28). He is now given the occasion to prove it. When his possessions are placed out in the open and everyone, including the one he declined to help, can see how much he really has, his closed-heartedness becomes evident to all.

Hollow depressions: or "ingrained streaks"--something acidic is actually eating away at the stone itself. This corresponds with the tzara'ath that is "deeper than the skin" (13:4). Here, one is given over to his selfishness. He wanted to act on his own, so he is put in a place where he can be as selfish as he wants--by himself.

39. "Then the cohen shall return on the seventh day, and look [at it]. And behold, if the mark has spread in the walls of the house,

40. "then the cohen shall command that they remove the stones which have the mark in them, and throw them into a ritually-impure place outside the city.

Remove: or "hack out". (Hirsch) The removed stones are like the branches that are cut out of the olive tree and replaced by engrafted ones, so that the tree itself may be preserved. (Romans 11) Outside the city--a picture of the "outer darkness" in the kingdom, where men gnash their teeth in remorse for what they never made right in this age.

A little leaven leavens the whole lump, so the whole house needs to be cleaned out. It is put in a place where men should not go, so they will not be defiled by it. Debris: "dust" or mortar; Aramaic, "coating". Scraped: includes chipping some parts off or "cornering", like the "pointing" of bricks. The word "house" appears forty times in this passage--a symbol of transition. The House was given 40 more years after Yahshua "took out some of its stones", but because it will still found lacking, not one stone ultimately remained on top of another. (There was an early warning of this in Yirmeyahu/Jer. 19:14-15.)

43. "Now if the mark returns and breaks out in the house after he has removed the stones, and after he has scraped the house, and after it has been plastered,

44. "then the cohen shall come and inspect [it], and if the plague has indeed [continued to] spread in the house, it is an active tzara'ath in the house; it is unclean.

Active: malignant, corroding, prickling, or irritating. This is symbolic of a heresy that is established as a doctrine, like Marcion's (which said the Elohim of the Jews was not the same as that of Christians) and Constantine's (which cast a Gentile, even pagan, slant onYHWH), which thus infected the whole house.

Plastering over is only allowed once. The blood of bulls and goats could atone for (cover up) sin for a short time until the real solution came, but something more--one who could bear away our sins--was what was really needed. A fruitless tree is given a second try, but is cut down if it does not produce when conditions are optimized. (Luke 13:8) The "house" in which the disease has already spread too far will "have its candlestick removed" (Rev. 2:5) This may be the price one has to pay for not taking care of his neighbor. On the other hand, the rabbis say that the Kanaanites were famous for hiding their wealth within their walls, so if one obeys this command even when it would seem to portend his ruin, he will be blessed by being able to build a bigger and better house, in addition to being able to help his needy neighbor!

Just being in a selfish household renders us defiled as well. Ezra tore apart households when the priests married foreigners. (Ezra 10:10) Ecclesiastes 3:3 says there is a time to tear down, and a time to rebuild. The term for “tear down” in verse 45 actually indicates that it is a breaking out, to be done from within. Yahshua said not one stone of the Temple would remain on top of another. (Mark 13:2) He was alluding directly to the “leprosy” that was eating away at His Father’s House. By tradition, the Temple was destroyed not because Babylon or Rome had developed new weaponry, but because brother hated brother without cause. It was broken down from the inside, by Jews who stiffened their necks and kept walking as each individually saw fit. Everyone wanted to argue with his neighbor rather than listening to YHWH’s spokesmen. (Compare Yirmeyahu 18:12, 18ff; 19:14ff, where the prophet is faced with people who say they could never change.) Every house divided against itself will fall. (Luke 11:17) Indeed, for centuries after this, it was indeed off limits to us. Every time the Temple was to be rebuilt, political winds shifted, and the one time when construction was actually permitted, an earthquake knocked it down, showing that YHWH was indeed in its destruction for a time. That day is ending. But on a deeper level, we are called the Temple of YHWH. (1 Cor. 3:16) As long as there are things among YHWH’s people that are not of YHWH, there is tzara’ath in His House. The season to remember the Temple’s destruction is an open door to repent and begin to rebuild it the right way. We can also see in this verse an allusion to the fact that we were kept outside the “House” of Efrayim by our ignorance that we had once been a people. The House of Yehudah is off limits to us as well; we are not meant to convert to Judaism as long as it denies Yahshua.

Lying down and eating are pictures of intimacy and fellowship. (YHWH requires eating at His festivals and sacrifices.) Clothes: a picture of our works, which must be cleaned up for having been intimately involved with a defiled house. Sometimes there might be no choice but to stay inside a defiled house, if there is no other protection, but there is a price to pay for it.

Our testing time is almost up, and lo and behold, we are uncovering the foundations of the house and finding it still intact. YHWH promised to leave a remnant, and He was faithful to do so. Yahshua is the chief cornerstone. (Eph. 2:20) Now it is our turn to rebuild, not selfidhly this time, and not according to our own plans (Yirmiyahu 18:12), but seeking each other’s well-being. Even if it is rebuilt, a divided House cannot stand. We are called “living stones”. (1 Kefa 2:5) Even if only a few get out of place, the house will fall.

Even if nothing is wrong with the house anymore, he does not just leave it alone, because it was once plagued, and so a ceremony must officially change its status.

51. "and he shall take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet, and the living bird, and shall dip them in the blood of the slain bird and in the running water, and shall sprinkle [it] on the house seven times.

52. "Thus he shall ritually cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet [thread],

53. "and he must send away the living bird outside of the city into the open field; thus [he] can atone for the house, and it shall be ritually clean.

Yahshua's ascending into the heavenlies made a way for the whole House of Israel to be restored.

55. "as well as for tzara'ath of a garment, or of a house,

56. "and for a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot.

There is a reason for all of these instructions which goes beyond mere epidemiology:

When: literally, the day of… First we were born into a day of uncleanness (symbolic of selfishness), but now we are entering into a new day in which healing is possible. It is the Sabbath millennium, the Kingdom that brings all selfishness to an abrupt halt with a rod of iron. The order of the wording here is important: we must know what to avoid even before we learn what to embrace. If we identify what is selfish in ourselves, we can then learn what is unselfish by doing the opposite.

CHAPTER 15

2. "Speak to the descendants of Israel, and tell them, ‘When there is a discharge from any man’s flesh, he is ritually unclean because of his flow.

In ancient Israel, this is where a child’s education in the Torah would begin at around age 3. The purity laws are an absolute requirement for Israel to remain in the Land, since YHWH would not have His Land defiled. In our exile, and even in the Land today, until there is a red heifer slaughtered to sanctify the priesthood, we can never be ritually clean at all, but adhering as closely to them as we can now not only helps us understand many things YHWH wants to teach us; it is a preparation for the day when we will again need to follow them strictly. They cannot be learned overnight, but by the time our exile is over we must master them. Discharge: oozing or "running issue" (Hirsch)--something organic, not a normal issue like sweat or bleeding from a wound. Since this is specific to a “man”, many rabbinic scholars such as Rashi take it to be limited to that which oozes from the male procreative organ, in which case it would be along the lines of a sexually-transmitted disease like gonorrhea. The Hebrew term is zuv. At root it means “to flow freely” or overflow, like a river that has no boundaries and flows where it should not. The words show that there is also a deeper meaning. If what exudes from us is from our "flesh"--Paul's metaphor for our fallen nature that lacks the whole image of YHWH and therefore "falls short of His glory"—its free flow is bound to be impure. Yahshua said it was what comes out of a man's mouth that defiles him, so these are especially pictures of an uncontrolled free flow of one's tongue, which Proverbs 18:21 and Yaaqov/James chapter 3 say must be strictly bridled. Flesh: also the word for "glad news" in Hebrew, and coming from a word for "fresh"--which is the essence of and fuel for gossip. We need to weigh ahead of time how our words could be misinterpreted or otherwise affect the whole Body. Are our words wholesome? Profitable? "Where words are many, sin is not lacking." (Prov. 10:19) We will be judged by every idle word we speak. (Matt. 12:36)

Whether it spews out or just causes a swelling because it will not come out, it shows that there is something hidden beneath the flesh that we or others will eventually encounter. Either way it causes trouble, so we must be dealt with it. This physical ailment is not nearly as harmful as what it pictures: saying things that are of no profit or spreading things to people who have no reason to know. As the posters read during World War II, “Loose lips might sink ships.” There are many things inside of us—knowledge, secrets, pride, regret, guilt, love, hate, friendship, disgust, accomplishment, disappointments, selfishness, or selflessness. They will be manifested in our speech or actions if we “express ourselves”. Proverbs 15:2 tells us, “The tongue of the wise uses knowledge properly, but the mouth of fools gushes forth folly.” Being stopped up could be a picture of as a bitter attitude—anger that lasts beyond sundown and festers beneath the surface or of failing to give a rebuke when it is called for. It stops the flow of communication with YHWH or our brothers and may eventually burst. Even if we think it will not be a problem, we must examine what is building up inside of us and ask whether it will build up or tear down the community. (Gal. 5:16 – 6:1)

If you are closely connected with someone with such attitudes, you will “pick them up” also.

The discharged material need not get on his clothing; he need only touch it.

Touching the chair on which one sat does not make one unclean; in this case one must actually sit where he sat—a picture of taking the same position he took. (Contrast verse 22.)

Merely brushing by his clothing would apparently not be enough to render one unclean in this case.

Spit: the only time in scripture the term for this particular kind of spitting is used. It may simply mean his saliva comes in contact with the person, but someone who wants to shame us also wants to get close enough to do us harm, so we must put up shields of holiness to stay away from such influences, for even indirect encounters with them will hinder the whole nation of Israel. (Gal. 6:1) If a selfish person so insults one who is not selfish, it makes him think of himself as well, and they are in the same condition. "Bad company corrupts right morals."

One might not even see the person and become unclean because of him. You might be the one who carries the blankets that were under his saddle when he stops to lodge for the night! Rachel used this principle as a way to keep her father from finding his household idols. (Gen. 31:35; compare v. 22 below.) She was among non-Israelites who apparently had this same practice.

The rabbis explain that the discharge is more likely to get on one’s clothes if one picks up the item than if he merely touches it.

He: the one who actually has the discharge. Rinsed off his hands: Logistically, even the rabbis are not sure how to interpret this. How long after he washes his hands will he again make others unclean? The picture is much easier to interpret: Water depicts the Torah, and our hands picture our works. By letting the Torah govern all that we do, we can dam up the flow and prevent impurity from spreading. Like a canal, it can be channeled where we want it to go. The Torah is not chains or handcuffs, but a guardrail that allows us to walk in otherwise-dangerous places without harm. Some reservoirs have a backup dam in case of earthquakes—a picture of letting the authorities YHWH has given us set additional fences beyond what the Torah says, but not in contradiction to it, to keep us even one step further from affecting others negatively. While someone may need to help us drain off the “pus” by listening to us vent what has been pent up inside us, there is no reason to let it spew all over everyone. The righteous chooses his words carefully. (Prov. 10:20) He does not just speak whatever comes to mind or what flows from his emotions. The righteous will not only recognize boundaries, but also enforce them on himself. Unlike with a leper, only certain objects are tainted by contact with the one whose flesh oozes uncleanness (things his more profane, unseemly members touch). Not everything he says comes from his flesh. But he spreads his bad influence to whatever person he affects, since he is "neither hot nor cold", a fountain gushing forth both potable water and bitter. Rinsing our hands is also an idiom for repenting of our day-to-day errors and the unavoidable influences that come with a sinful environment. (See Exodus 30:21.)

The porous vessel can absorb the corruption and it becomes part of it; anything it touches can thus be defiled, and so it must be destroyed to spare the rest. Dirt or clay can be found anywhere, but trees usually come in groups (“congregations”) and the tree planted by water is a symbol of the righteous, as contrasted with the more earthly individualist. Yet they still need an immersion.

As in the last chapter, the restoration is a process. He must be free from the discharge for seven consecutive days before he can be pronounced clean by the officiating priest. What he is taught by rebuke must not only be something he has experienced; it must become him. He must rearrange his life because of what he now knows. A major change must be made in the flow that comes from within him. It is not an option. He has not been given a sand castle to put in front of the flowing water, but a dam, if he will build it.

If this is a sexually-transmitted disease, he has probably gotten it by committing a sin. But even if not, it is a picture of sin and requires a sin offering.

This is similar to what is done for a leper, but to a lesser degree since it is not as serious.

Copulation seed: i.e., semen virile. Not only is it unhygienic to touch; multiple deaths have occurred, and thus much potential human life “wasted”. Most ritually uncleanness is caused by contact with something dead. It is not directly stated, but if he is unclean, if he touches others, they, too, will become unclean. In this case, it does not say there will be any ritual consequence if others touch him, as in other cases in this chapter. The minimal consequence would be that this man could not be in the Temple precincts. In fact, there was a special gate by which a priest who had a nocturnal emission could exit after bathing, early in the morning before others came in and could be defiled by him.

Skin: or leather. Evening: literally, the mixing (of light and darkness)--the onset of a new day.

Women often complain that their husbands go right back to their normal business after sexual relations. This is YHWH’s anticipation of women’s needs. He seems to be encouraging husband and wife to remain on and spend this time alone together, since they must both avoid contact with other people at this time.

This is her normal menstrual period. Again there is a death of her egg, as well as the impurity of shed blood. A potential pregnancy has passed away. But there is more emphasis on her being set apart unto YHWH than on her being unclean per se. It is a time for her to focus on YHWH’s desires more directly than her husband’s. Touches her: apparently if she is the one doing the touching, there is not the same ritual effect. There is no consequence for her. The emphasis seems to be on learning the discipline of not touching what is off limits to us. Traditionally, this is limited to males who are of age, for requiring young children to stay away from their mother for seven days would be unrealistically burdensome. The man is normally the one who brings the offering to the Temple for his family, so it matters more to him whether he is ritually clean or not.

Here, there is no laundering of the things she sits on; they remain defiled only as long as she is. So this is not chiefly a physical spread of disease, but a picture of trying to meddle in things that have nothing to do with us, when YHWH has given us enough roles to fulfill.

22. "‘And whoever touches any article on which she has sat must launder his clothing and bathe [himself] in water, and shall be ritually unclean until the evening.

23. "‘And if he is on the bed or on the article on which she has sat, upon touching it he shall be ritually unclean until the evening.

24. "But if a man actually lies with her and her menstruous material gets on him, he shall be ritually unclean for seven days, and any bed on which he lies shall be ritually unclean.

Or, if a man lies with her, her menstrual impurity is transferred to him.

An excessive number of days: traditionally at least three. This is not her normal menstrual period. There was more death than there should have been. This could signify an early miscarriage of a child that she was not yet aware of. Thus this is like the seven-day purification required at the birth of a child.

27. "‘And anyone who touches them shall be ritually unclean, and must wash his clothes with water, and shall be ritually unclean until the evening.

28. "‘But when she is cleansed from her discharge, then she shall count for herself seven days, and then she shall be ritually pure,

After a woman's defilement is over and she comes back to her husband, it is like another wedding--a picture of counting the seven weeks from the deliverance from Egypt to the wedding (betrothal--the first stage) beneath Sinai at Shavuot. The death of the firstborn, and so many male Hebrews, in Egypt was an "unusual shedding of blood". So was the lamb's blood being placed on the doorpost. Seven days: Some have taken this to mean that every month the woman is to remain niddah (set apart) for two weeks. But this is for abnormal cases; the normal lasts only seven days. (See v. 19.) The second seven days begins only when the unusual flow stops, so the entire time of being separate could, in such cases, be much longer than 14 days.

Sons of a pigeon: i.e., young pigeons.

Ascending offering: or "as an elevation"--i.e., to symbolize her rising back out of her ritual uncleanness. The sin offering shows that a mark has been missed.

This way: Here is the teaching behind each of the laws of separation from defilement. We need to be careful about what spiritual condition we are in, since He lives among us. We do not want to become the kind of people He no longer wants to live among. He is a king, and will not stand for filth and squalor in His home. Like Hadassah (Esther), we must approach Him in the right way. What have we put in His home that will disgust Him? And when we have become clean again, we need to make sure we replace the filth with something positive, lest even more demons return. (Mat. 12:45) Replace wild partyings with YHWH’s feasts, etc. The time for our exile to end is drawing closer by the day, and we do not have time to waste waiting outside the camp to be cleansed. We need to keep self under control before it reaches these proportions. Get help if you need to, because it is not only your own relationship with YHWH that is at stake, but the welfare of the whole community of Israel. But the word for “separate”(which specifically means “to draw back”) shares the same root as Nazir (Nazirite), an individual who is set apart in a visible way for a particular time to picture the fact that Israel as a whole is to be under the same type of vow. We have to be aware of what state we are in—asking why we did or said what we did, and what would be the most profitable thing to say--so that we can dwell with YHWH. Anything else is a kind of death. Whether the boundaries are placed by the Torah, our YHWH-given authorities, or just common sense, we need to enforce them, even if it simply means taking medication that will keep us from acting a certain way.We especially need to examine our motivations: Why do I need to know about tomorrow? Why must I do this my own way? Because I do not trust YHWH or the authority He has placed over me? Or because I have not made my boundaries strong enough?