Parashat Tazria

(Leviticus 12:1 - 13:59)

2. "Speak to the descendants of Israel, saying, ‘If a woman has been sown with seed [tazria] and given birth to a male, then she shall become ritually impure for seven days, as in the days of the separation of her infirmity, she shall be ritually impure.

Separation: Aramaic, "isolation”, i.e., the defilement of her monthly bleeding cycle. Chiefly it refers to a separation from intimacy, which is meant to build an anticipation for its restoration. Nowhere but here is it called an infirmity. Ritual impurity is a picture of selfishness, and she becomes impure, not because there is something sinful about having a baby, but because it is a reminder of the selfishness of another woman who affected us all. The Hebrew word for “male” also means to mark, give prominence to, or remember. To have a son means that one’s name is remembered. Here, it is a reminder that what is being dealt with during the “seven days” (7,000 years) of redemption history is the fact that we no longer have a direct line of communication with YHWH because Chawwah listened to the serpent (“whisperer” in Hebrew). Ever since then there have been things within ourselves that whisper to the selfishness latent in us. The fact that Adam did nothing to nullify Chawwah’s choice is another symptom, but let us focus on the sickness itself. The woman said nothing, but only gave Adam the fruit, yet YHWH cursed Adam for listening to his wife’s voice! It was the serpent who had spoken. Therefore, the voice of the woman is the same as the voice of the serpent. Listening to the serpent set death in motion and gave it power for the first time. Our sickness is separation from intimacy with YHWH; the germ that put it there was wanting to have our own ideas when YHWH had already spoken. How could this curse be broken? Atonement is by definition a covering over, but this does not repair what was broken; it merely removes the punishment for it. In Genesis 3:15 YHWH promised that the seed (descendant) of a woman—the first male who did not heed the voice of the woman--would begin the process of removing her selfishness from the earth and defeat the “seed of the serpent”, though through great pain. David’s weakness was a woman, yet he battled hard to put himself away and welcome YHWH’s presence; just read the psalms. His descendant, Yahshua, built on the foundation he laid and accomplished much in this war, because he was obedient even to the point of death. But every son born in Israel reminds us of the woman’s selfishness. Whether or not Yahshua had any literal sons, many men became part of his household, and they in turn brought others. We should be able to look to any of them to bring about an end to the curse. Yahshua said the beneficial seed refers to the sons of the Kingdom sown into the earth. (Mat. 13:24ff) So it is also our job as Yahshua’s Body to complete the removal of the selfishness of the woman, YHWH’s bride, which stemmed from the sin of wanting to be in Elohim’s position. Then we can be like the original Adam again, totally open and innocent in our relationship with YHWH. YHWH put a covering of skin on Adam and Chawwah—in part a thickening of flesh over their hearts that has to be cut away, pictured by this outward, literal cutting:

The eighth day is when vitamin K and prothrombin (immune and blood clotting factors) are at their all-time highest levels in a boy's life, making it the very best time to promote his healing. From the start, the child experiences the most basic cycle--the sabbatical--on which the whole world is built. Every boy is allowed to live through one Sabbath before undergoing this surgery. But why is it mentioned in this context? Because skin was only given to man to hide the fact that the light with which he had been clothed before had diminished. (Gen. 3:21) When Moshe spent merely 40 days in YHWH’s presence, the glow began to return. (Ex. 34:29) His flesh had begun to pass away. Eliyahu and Yahshua were more such road signs on the way to the “eighth day”. (Mat. 17) We get closer when we praise and worship YHWH. With the birth of each male, the possibility of redemption increases. Circumcision is a symbol of a much greater commitment—to raise this son as part of YHWH’s covenant with Israel. The operation forms a permanent reminder of the covenant right in his own body, and specifically in his procreative organ, where the voice of selfishness speaks most loudly in a male. It reminds us that the covenant is to be passed down through all generations. It pictures the putting off of the flesh, and is linked symbolically to the sealing of what remains as eternal after the seven "days" of a thousand years each in which the present creation will exist, when this world will physically be no more, and a new heaven and earth will take its place. He lives through one whole week in his "flesh", then is divested of it, as we will be in a more complete way after these “seven days”.

Normally blood is a thing of impurity, but here it cleanses. Only the first seven days is she considered impure; then begins a process of repurification. Not touch anything holy: Actually this is a liberating things in that she is relieved even of her responsibility to attend the festivals in the Temple, etc., without incurring guilt, so that she is able to give this time solely to the baby. The only other allusion to blood cleansing rather than just atoning (covering sin over) is Yahshua's, which, unlike the blood of bulls and goats, actually takes away sin, because it was untainted by sin itself and yet was human; thus it could truly begin the restoration of the fallen Adam. As "the seed of the woman", he accomplished much toward our cleansing in the thirty-three years of his life. But this does not remove our responsibility, for it remains a process. But a woman does not normally continue bleeding past the first week, or in rare cases, the second. So this cleansing blood is not the woman’s own. Instead, it relates to the circumcision of her son. In Israel, only males are circumcised, but it is the woman’s responsibility to ensure that it takes place, as Moshe’s wife learned the hard way. (Ex. 4:24ff) Doing so is a commitment to bring about the end of the “sick separation” from YHWH by entering back into covenant with Him in each new generation. When she takes on this responsibility, it is as if the woman herself was circumcised. The male child’s blood seals the covenant for her. Adam named Chawwah as the mother of all who are alive, so every son born is in a real way her son. The tiny amount of blood shed on the eighth day of the boy’s life moves us a step closer to the “eighth day”, a metaphor of the return to Eden. Chawwah’s cleansing comes about when we remember what took place in Eden, so that it might be repaired. Bringing our seed into the covenant fulfills the hope of Adam and Chawwah. The first word in Scripture that has the numeric value of thirty-three is k’ekhad (“as one [of us]”) right in this context, in Gen. 3:22. The temptation was to try to take YHWH’s position. We can indeed become like Him, but it was not meant to be in this way. He wants us in our innocence--not ignorance, but trust, and since the serpent cast doubt on YHWH’s intentions, we have had a very hard time trusting YHWH. For thousands of years, though, there have been a few who have tried. YHWH keeps giving us tools to help us do so: circumcision, the whole Torah, and Yahshua’s example. We did not do enough with any of them. If we bring our sons into the covenant, our daughters will not be a concern. We rise and fall through our sons, and women have the very special responsibility of repairing the world by bringing the male seed into the world. (1 Tim. 2:14-15) Taking the serpent’s hint, Chawwah said, in effect, “It is my life and I need to be the one to make my own decisions.” She could not see her evil inclination for what it was. So YHWH imposed on her a husband’s rule. (Gen. 3:16) Today this is seen as a curse, but it was a great blessing, if she wants to see the redemption come about. Had Adam taken responsibility for her actions immediately and put an end to her wrongdoing through confession rather than blame-shifting, they would still be alive today, and would still be in the “eighth day”. Whenever we seek to do our own thing in opposition to the way of the authority YHWH has put over us, we perpetuate our exile from Eden and hold the redemption back. The woman’s part in redemption is to bring the reminder of sin; the son’s part is to eradicate it.

Thus her uncleanness lasts 80 days in all. Why does everything double for the female? Because she is introducing another female cycle, built upon her own, into the world--a flow of blood which can defile others while she is alive. Only humans can do that; animals can only defile a person when they die, if he touches their dead body. But if one touches a woman during her time of uncleanness, he is barred from entering the Temple for a whole day. There is also a clue in some Hebrew words whose numeric value adds up to 80. One is l’tamei, which means “for the uncleanness”. What uncleanness? That of not just this woman, but of Chawwah also. Two words that each have the numeric value of 40 are walad (which means “boy child” and appears only once in Scripture, in reference to Yitzhaq, Gen. 11:30) and the other is li, which means “for me”. Put the two together, and we have “a boy-child for Me”, which adds up to 80. Also, when Moshe was also on the mountain, bringing forth a "woman" to be a bride for YHWH, he stayed for 80 days.

It is easy to understand why she should bring the ascending offering; it says, “YHWH is greater than I and worthy of my all.” But why a sin offering? Did she sin through having this baby? Not at all. The offering is for Chawwah’s sin of listening to the evil inclination, the results of which remain on all of us, whether we are daughters or sons. It is a reminder that we are all enwrapped in an environment that is "missing the mark" and in a place of needing reconciliation, because since Chawwah everyone's relationship with YHWH has been clouded. The innocent lamb dies so that the child may live. It may be that had Chawwah not sinned, women would not even bleed during childbirth (for all shed blood must be atoned for), but would have had a very easy delivery like most animals do. Chawwah heeded the one who had been in the position of YHWH’s wife until “she” rebelled, and we all carry the “voice of the woman” within us. So part of Yahshua’s task in opening the way to return to YHWH was that he not heed the evil inclination. He was the only one to never obey it. (Once grown, he did not even heed the voice of the woman most prominent in his life—his mother, Yochanan 2:4) Participating in this circumcision and associated offering is identifying with that and agreeing to do all we can to correct Chawwah’s error. To the priest: a woman did not enter the Court of Priests, but stood at its entry watching as the priest made the slaughter. Even the men would not offer a bird themselves, for the cohen had grown a specially-sharp thumbnail and was trained as an expert in swiftly ending the bird’s life with one stroke; otherwise the slaughter was not kosher. The priest represents YHWH to the people, so the offerings are presented to him to demonstrate their response to YHWH Himself. Pigeon: Not the species we have in many cities of the West, but actually another type of dove distinct from the turtledove.

Flow: Heb., source, fountain, or wellspring, from the term for "dig". This suggests being cleansed from the inside out. While a normal menstrual cycle renders one "unclean", after giving birth, the blood can actually be said to cleanse her. Yet now she needs to be cleansed from the blood as well. As crucial as the cleansing via Yahshua’s blood is to us, we need to get beyond it to life as Israel again. The purpose of Israel was always to reopen the way to draw near to YHWH. Hebrews 10:18-25 tells us that once there has been a sacrifice for sins, our responsibility is not to wallow in our sins any longer, but to draw near again. The context (9:28) tells us that when Yahshua came the first time it was to deal with sin, but when He returns it will be for our salvation and without reference to sin. Our salvation is a national one—that of becoming the kingdom of Israel again, under His rule.

Whenever we do all we can (in line with YHWH’s instruction) to bring the Kingdom about, we too can become clean. Unable to reach: i.e., she is too poor to afford a lamb. Yahshua's mother Miryam may have been this poor, because we are told that she brought this offering, but no mention is made of a lamb. (Luk. 2:24) The gift of gold by the sages from the east had not yet been brought. Had David’s and Shlomoh’s royal line become so impoverished? It may instead be that since Yoseyf was in Beyth Lekhem for a particular purpose, he had brought only enough money to accomplish that, and did not expect to have this additional expense. He may have had plenty of lambs, but they were out of his reach, and he may not have wanted to bring the fruit of someone else’s labor, but catching two doves was within his ability at the time. In any case, she did also bring a male Lamb—the offering of which had ramifications for the entire world. (Yoch. 1:36) It was just delayed by 33 years. Ascending offering: This is to praise the Father for the safe delivery of this child. She was rising out of her uncleanness in a rebirth also symbolized by the ritual washing she would undergo at this time, prior to entering the Temple. Cleansed: literally, made like new or brightened up--a picture of Yahshua, who not only covers our sin, but actually purifies us. In our day, no one can fully obey the Torah, since there is no Temple. All anyone can offer now is a substitute offering, since even in the Land of Israel no one is ritually pure until the ashes of another red heifer are present. The dove symbolizes the Spirit of Being Set Apart (Mat. 3:16), which is our down-payment (Eph. 1:14) so that our best efforts, though inadequate, can be accepted in the meantime.

CHAPTER 13

2. "If a person has a swelling-up, a scab, a bright spot on the [bare] skin of his flesh, and it becomes in the skin of his body [like] the plague of leprosy [tzara'ath], then he shall be brought in to Aharon the priest, or to one of his sons the priests.

Swelling-up: or blotch; Hirsch, "an intensely white spot, or nearly so"; by tradition there were four different shades of white for which one looked. Scab: Aramaic, "rash"; Fischer, “outgrowth” or “discoloration”. It comes from a root word meaning “attachment”. Bright spot: the meaning ranges from a blister, boil, or white patch, a shiny white spot, to a burn-mark. In any case, it is an anomaly in the skin, apparently accompanied by pus. Plague: a stroke, disease, spot, or mark, but usually sent directly by YHWH, rather than an ordinary disease. (Hirsch) We will later see how these terms give us huge clues as to what these symptoms represent. "Leprosy": not the same specific flesh-devouring disease that bears this name today (also known as Hansen’s Disease after the man who identified its cause), but a skin ailment more like psoriasis. The Latin term lepra, from which the term “leprosy” stems, means “scaly”, and in that sense it is an accurate term. But the symptoms were just like several normal, common occurrences, until they took on specific characteristics for which the priests had to watch, because they were signs of something deeper:

It seems strange that skin irritations are important in the Torah. This shows that while the literal commands are to be followed, we also need to look at what its behind them. This is speaking of more than just an insect bite or dry skin. One would come to the priest (the keeper of right-ruling) not for an herbal cure, but for a judgment and if possible, a cleansing. The cure can come from nowhere else, because these physical manifestations had spiritual rather than physical causes. Rabbi Avraham Fischer summarizes it as “a punishment for a sinful behavior, especially one that affects social cohesiveness, like slander.” In the three Biblical incidents in which someone was stricken with the disease, it punished the sin of being unsatisfied with what YHWH has created oneself to be, and defying those whom He has put in the coveted positions: when Miryam spoke against Moshe (Num. 12:10); when Elisha's servant Gehazi was greedy for the wealth Naaman offered, and misrepresented his authority (2 Kings 5:20ff); and when King Uzziyah tried to usurp the priests' position (2 Chron. 26:16ff). Plague: a “striking”; if we submit to YHWH’s strokes now, we will not need to suffer them later. (1 Cor. 11:31) But the first place the term was used was in Gen. 3:3, where Chawwah told the serpent more than what YHWH is recorded as having actually said: “You shall not eat of the fruit of this tree, nor even TOUCH it.” This was probably a “fence” that Adam himself added to the command to keep her one step away from disobeying the actual command, and as such it was a righteous thing to do, for it would have proven to be wise advice had she heeded it. But this word therefore shows us that this plague is linked all the way back to the first sin in the Garden, in which Chawwah wanted to usurp even YHWH’s position, let alone her husband’s, doing things the way she saw fit rather than according to YHWH’s instruction—the “way that seems right but ends in death”. Turned white: It looks pure! But the man whose name was “white” (Lavan) turned out to only favor Yaaqov because of how he could benefit him. Deeper than the skin of his flesh: i.e., more than just a surface blemish, though any of these should alert us to the need to examine ourselves to make sure that is all it is. Skin is what YHWH gave to diminish the light with which Adam and Chawwah had been clothed, but this “bright spot” that comes from a deeper place means that some of the Adam-and-Chawwah part of us is showing through. It is a physical manifestation of their rebellion. Only our eyes and fingernails are meant to remind us now of what we were. The root meanings of the words “deeper than the skin of the flesh” show us another angle: “[If] it appears more profound than the bare Gospel”. Anything beyond the simple message of the coming unified Kingdom of Israel with Yahshua on the throne comes from the “flesh”. Yahshua’s synopsis in Mat. 10 can be summarized, “Lost sheep of the House of Israel! It is now within your power to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth by returning to the Torah. Repent!” Only those who confess this and work toward its becoming a physical reality will be part of His assembly. He even included “cleansing lepers” as one of the signs that his disciples should use to herald its coming. (10:8) Anything deeper comes from the flesh, and will keep manifesting itself until we submit to the priest’s ruling. We must not let others leaven the loaf to convince us they have authority (Mat. 16:1-4), nor give the authority He has given us to any usurper who weasels his way in. No one who diminishes the Shepherd will be allowed to keep his sheep! Nor must we let his message swell up by making men’s morality a prerequisite for participation in the Kingdom or turning Yahshua into YHWH, since mankind’s original shortcoming was seeking to be equal to YHWH, and Yahshua specifically rejected this temptation. (Phil. 2:6) Do not make him appear guilty of the sin he came to repair!

Quarantine: Personal freedom is always lost when one considers the welfare of the whole community, even if the examinee came on his own volition, for contact with what is unclean will make others unclean. The waiting period is an important factor in the process of sorting the clean from the unclean. First, it symbolizes the seven millennia (a day is as a thousand years, Ps. 90) of man's existence on this earth before a “new earth” is created. Only at the end of that time, when everyone has had the occasion to show their true colors, is the process complete. Second, the time of Yaaqov's trouble is the final "week" (of seven years) in this present age, leading up to the Messianic Kingdom. To fully understand this, we must realize that in the Hebraic mindset there are three categories of people: the righteous, the wicked, and the "sinners" who have not yet made their decision which way to go, but have drifted along in lukewarmness. David speaks of "teaching sinners YHWH's way", while YHWH sets Himself firmly against the wicked. At the very beginning of this apocalyptic seven-year season, some are separated away and pronounced "clean" or righteous, for they have prepared themselves in this age. Others are destroyed by plagues and disasters, having "still refused to repent". (Rev. 9:20; 16:9) The remainder are "shut out" of the wedding and coronation of the Lamb in heaven for a "week" (literally a "seven"), and, remaining on earth, are pressed to decide one way or the other, for at the end of the book of Revelation only two categories remain--righteous and wicked, pictured here by "clean" and "unclean", and all are fixed forever into one or the other. (22:11). If the character flaw runs "deeper than the flesh", it is to be dealt with in a different manner. If it "rolls off one's back" and does not adhere, it will not have a lasting effect; one member being confined for just seven days will teach the others to work harder to make up for his being temporarily gone. One must be very brave to make such a pronunciation, since it will change someone’s life so drastically, so he must therefore be fully convinced that his understanding is accurate. But if there is any doubt, one must err on the side of caution rather than following one’s natural inclination to not make such “waves”.

The Levitical priests are the keepers of the Torah and the only ones vested with the right to judge such matters. It took bravery to confess and expose oneself to this long period of testing so that the rest of the camp could remain pure. The root words for the three symptoms listed in v. 1—lifting up, attachment, and shining brightness-- signal us to especially beware of the threat of inward uncleanness, and ask those called to be our spiritual leaders to test our motives. Indeed, we are specifically told that Uzziyah’s heart was “lifted up”, precipitating this sin. Attachment to the wrong things takes us away from concern for the community, and when we are in a position of bright personal glory, we should be especially suspicious that this temptation lurks nearby.

Only a lesion: LXX, "a [mere] mark". Yahshua promises to reward those who have not defiled their garments. (Rev. 3:4) Wash out: Aramaic, "soak". Sometimes the scabs, scars, or swellings have no connection to an underlying selfishness. In this case the problem proves to be only “skin deep”. But note that though this only looks like selfishness, one must still prove that the suspicion has no basis, and in the process of spending 14 days in solitary confinement with nothing else to do but ponder whether this emanates from a deeper problem, though one might not find this particular sin in himself, he will certainly find some negative things within h is heart from which he needs to be purified. Such times of silent reflection are a blessing, not a curse, if they are effective in helping us examine and root out what is rising up in us, what we are wrongly attached to, or where too much of Adam and Chawwah are showing through.

Like leaven, selfishness tends to spread and affect others if given the occasion. When discovered it must be dealt with decisively on the spreading edge, and its effects minimized.

9. "When the mark of tzara'ath is on a person, he shall be brought in to the priest,

Here, someone else notices the problem and, with all due respect depending on his position, brings him to the priestly authority for inspection. If it was a king, only a prophet or priest would have the right to bring him. In any case, if you know someone threatens the purity of the congregation, do not wait for him to confess it himself; you report it, with the proper witnesses and protecting the other’s dignity. The ideal would be that if one merely points it out to him, he would judge himself, but if not, you must see him through the process. If you are a leader, sometimes it is necessary to expose people in front of the whole congregation as an example so others can avoid the defilement. Yet while others can point out your selfishness, only you can do something about it.

Tender, raw: both words stem from the word for "alive"—i.e., the “quick”. The condition of one's flesh is easy to judge in this case because it is right at the surface. Whenever “live flesh” shows up, there is impurity. The covering of skin ['or] was given because of sin (Gen. 3:21), to replace the covering of light (also pronounced "ohr", though spelled differently). The flesh is a picture of selfishness or our natural capability. “Uncleanness” is not sin, but it is the wrong focus if we wish to live Spirit-led lives. It is a stumblingblock to ourselves and others in the "body", and must be dealt with severely. The Hebrew word for "flesh" is also the same as "glad news"; in a bedouin culture the discovery of fresh meat was indeed cause to celebrate. But the "gospel of self"--using the Word as a means for profit-- is something to cage in. Anything that is not motivated by the Kingdom belongs outside the camp.

This is simply a flaring up of what was once kept at bay; the source and motive are already known, since it has been judged once already. It comes back later when one’s guard is down, seemingly with no warning. One may have made confession outwardly, but had not cut deeply enough to remove the whole problem. There is no need to examine it in detail again. This should have been dealt with long ago.

Breaks out abundantly: LXX, "come out very evidently". Visible to the priest’s eyes: Rashi deduces that a priest with impaired vision or blind in one eye can therefore not be permitted to be in the position to judge whether one is clean or unclean.

This seems backwards, but at this point no flesh is showing, being scabbed over. The striking has had its intended, instructive effect rather than causing us to simply pity ourselves. If one listens to it and "comes to the end of himself", having “no flesh left”, having hit bottom so hard that the only way to go is up, he dies to self. Even if he has been far more sinful than most, he can become pure in YHWH's eyes. Yahshua told a parable about a wicked man who recognized his wretchedness, and went home justified, while a very religious man who focused on himself (for that is what ritual impurity depicts) did not. (Luk. 18:10ff) Compare 1 Keyfa/Peter 4:1 ("He that has suffered in the flesh is freed from sin."). This is not just a little death here and there, but a complete death to self. It was this kind of leprosy that initially proved Moshe’s authority was not for the sake of self (Ex. 4:6). When we heed the pictures in leprosy, we can make the needed reparations and become clean again. It is one thing for the brightness of Moshe’s skin (Ex. 34:29-30) to be exhibited, but quite another for only a little bit of Adam and Chawwah’s choice to make their own decisions to come through. If every time we had a spot or irritation on our skin we would consider where we might be selfish or rebellious, the repair would come all the sooner, and we can become more like the original Adam and the stroke will be a corrective touch rather than a punishment. Every blemish can therefore be seen as a gift.

Appears: or "is seen"--i.e. as soon as it affects others. One is unclean as soon as he stops dying to self. Our experience is so inconsistent—back and forth, on-again, off-again. Our flesh can come back to life when we get back into our old routines after having “mountaintop spiritual experiences” in which we have gotten more into synchronization with YHWH and His community. Then it is “back to square one”.

Any time the "flesh" is alive, it is unclean, even before it is recognized. But Jewish tradition says that it says “on the day” here rather than “when”, because there are certain days on which a priest would not examine him—any festival day and the seven days of one’s wedding feast, to name a few. (Rashi)

Reverses and changes: literally, "repents and is converted". (Acts 3:19) This is another way the unclean can become clean. The turning white is a picture of the flesh being restored to light (see note on v. 10), thus reversing the curse on Adam and "repairing the world". The "thin-skinned" oversensitivity that cannot see past self and takes things too personally has been done away with. Report to the priest: He needs to be the one to ask whether what appears in him is harmful to the community, rather than just leaving his sleeves down and hiding it. This type of discipline will be beneficial to him if he receives it rightly. While we should consider the consequences before we sin at all, the process of return will include some steps back, but this does not mean we have not made any progress. If we have to go outside the camp again, it is for our restoration.

18. "Now when the flesh has in its skin an inflamed sore, but it has been healed,

Inflamed: or heated; often identified as an infection.

Bright spot: or white patch; possibly a scar or blister. Very reddish: the root word is reduplicated; the spelling suggests “blood-red” or, more poignantly, “Adam-red”, and related to the word for “ground”, the dust out of which Adam was taken before his soul was enlivened with YHWH’s breath, and to which he was told in YHWH’s wrath that he would return. The Adamic nature is showing through. (Gen. 2:7) When Adam’s spirit was fully intact, he had direct communication with YHWH, bringing life even to the lowest aspects of his being. Though much lower than YHWH, he was perfectly one with Him. Once he severed that connection, only soul and perishable dust were left. His “telephone” was not working; YHWH had to come looking for him! YHWH wanted to give him “mouth-to-mouth resuscitation”, but he made excuses instead. Now that he knew two kinds of reality instead of only one, and he did not want to be seen as evil, and would not confess his responsibility. He would not accept the reconnection YHWH offered, so all he remained was living dust again. (Gen. 3:19) Not until Yahshua came was anyone ever born with the connection intact again; his flesh veiled the fact that he glowed as Adam had. (Heb. 10:20) He was still just a human soul, but he had a greater connection than anyone else had, because he was fully obedient, and Miryam and Yoseyf deserve great credit for “teaching him diligently” (Deut. 6:7).

Surface selfishness (a mere brush with it) can reveal the dirt in us and remind us to prefer one another.

22. "But if it has spread very far throughout the skin, the priest shall declare him unclean; he has been stricken.

Spread very far: LXX, "manifestly spread". He has been stricken: or, "it is a plague".

As it was: literally, "in its place"; Aramaic, "stationary". Though we taste the effects of selfishness, if we are able to discipline ourselves well enough by staying in our place in the community of Israel, the potentially-evil results can be restrained and no harm come from it to others. Scar: Aram., "impression".

Burnt flesh: Aramaic, "the impression of the scar"; LXX, "the part which is healed of the inflammation".

The physical cause was known, yet still one must seek out the reason it took place. Was he merely not paying close enough attention to his surroundings? Or was there a deeper reason we suffered such a bad experience? When there is intense pain, we do tend to examine ourselves more closely. Regardless of how it shows up in our lives, we should not ignore these “red flags” that crop up in our flesh. If we are not certain where they come from, rather than doing something else to get our minds off them, we need to stop and look more closely. Whatever we find the root cause to be, the examining can certainly be profitable.

27. "Then the priest shall inspect him on the seventh day; if it has continued to spread, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the plague of tzara'ath.

28. "But if the bright spot remains in its place, not spreading throughout the skin, but is somewhat faint, it is a swelling of the scar, and the priest shall declare him clean, because it is a scab from the burn.

Swelling of the scar: or "dignity/exaltation/excellency/loftiness of the burn-mark (or brand)." Scars elevate us if we learn from the times we are chastised. They remind us not to repeat our errors. Scar tissue helps us survive, but is weaker than ordinary flesh. But Paul said he bore the brand-marks of Messiah, because he was beaten so often for him. To most people it must have appeared that one who was thus treated by the authorities everywhere he went was a very evil person, but he was punished instead for doing what he was supposed to do. Yet the Lamb, too, received his worthiness (dignity) by being slaughtered and cut into pieces.

30. "then the priest shall inspect the plague, and if it indeed appears to be deeper than the skin, with a thin, yellowed hair in it, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a skin eruption, that is, a tzara'ath of the head or jaw.

Skin eruption: scurf or dry scall, from a word meaning "to pull away" like a scab, or "pluck out". One part of the body pulling away from another and leaving a raw spot is a picture of what is described in Prov. 18:1. "For the sake of his own lusts one separates himself, thus laying bare all that is substantial (or sound)." If one prefers to be away from the community and off on his own, that is the very punishment meted out! Deeper than the skin: thus killing the hair follicles as well, showing that this is no longer a small problem--a picture of utter moral decay. Thin hair: one that has withered. Yellowed: This is not an ordinary blonde hair, but one that shines in an abnormal way. The Hebrew word for hair comes from a word meaning "be terrified", probably through the sense of bristling with fear. So a withered hair pictures one whose fear of YHWH has faded away--a common attitude when one is selfish.

Black [or dark] hair: the norm in the Middle East. The fine "shining, yellowish" hair does not refer to other colors of normal hair known throughout the world, but a withered type that has been affected by the plague.

No deeper than the skin: LXX, "not hollow under the skin".

Shave himself: the Aramaic Targum Onqelos interprets it, "shave in the surrounding areas of the scurf, but that [hair] which is attached to the scurf he should not shave." This would reveal the exact borders of the affected area, and show easily whether the scab had spread beyond where it was the week before. Lesions on other parts of the body must have been marked in a different way since if the priest was inspecting numerous people during the course of the week, he would probably not be able to remember how large the affected area had been seven days earlier.

35. "But if the eruption spreads further in the skin after his purification,

36. "and when the priest inspects him, the eruption has spread through the skin after all, the priest need not [even] look for the yellowed hair; he is unclean.

Only this one sign is necessary to prove that the plague was not really gone from him; no further evidence need even be sought for. After Yahshua cleanses us, we can still go back to the same selfish habits, and the process of purification needs to begin another whole round.

In his eyes: as best he can tell; in his opinion.

Bright spots--white blisters: Aram., "numerous bright spots"; Hirsch, "white shiny patches".

Dull: dim, faint, or colorless; Aram., "faded". Pale eruption: or, simple rash. One is only declared unclean if the priest has inspected him. "Where there is no law, there is no transgression...Where there is no law, sin is not counted." (Rom. 4:15; 5:13) Paul also said that each one would be judged according to what he knows, so if Yahshua has not "shined his light" on someone and "audited" them, we are not their judge either. Once one comes to the knowledge of the truth, he is responsible. The impurities of what we take in come out in the skin. Tzara’ath is manifested physically, but its cause is not physical; it has to be examined to know what the cause is.

Grows smooth: LXX, "should lose the hair". I.e., this is nothing to worry about. Hirsch, "It is an occipital baldness".

From the edge of his face: LXX, "in front". Receding hairline: a different Hebrew word from bald, meaning specifically a high forehead. This has nothing to do with selfishness; in fact, many become less selfish when the hair is gone, and it can instead be a sign of maturity!

43. "and the priest shall inspect him, and if the swelling of the mark on his bald spot or receding hairline is indeed reddish-white like the appearance of tzara'ath in the skin of the flesh,

44. "then he is a leper; he is ritually unclean--impure; the priest shall declare him to be unclean; the plague is on his head.

It is more significant when the ailment is on one’s head, for it shows the real source of many of our errors.

"Cover his upper lip": the custom of a mourner. He also has “no say” in the community, since in Hebrew, “lip” has the connotation of language as well. Most of our selfishness manifests itself through our mouths. The beard, which the Mishnah says is "the glory of a man's face", is hidden; this may have also had an epidemiological purpose, to prevent the spread of the plague. Head uncovered: Aramaic, "hair disheveled"; unkempt, or uncut. There is no dignity for one who is confirmed to be selfish. This and the torn garments are also signs of mourning, for one is essentially “a living death”. Call out: for the same purpose as the tombs on the way to Yerushalayim were whitewashed as the pilgrim festivals approached (alluded to by Yahshua in Matithyahu 23:27)--they kept people who did not wish to be defiled from coming close to them. No other person in a ritually impure state was required to do this; only lepers. Everyone has temptations, but like those on the sex-offender lists today, when one lets it get the better of his judgment, others must be warned. Someone who has let his flesh take over has to constantly proclaim his selfishness to the whole community. He cannot hide or cover it up and pretend it is not true; he must confess, or healing will never come.

Hirsch, "Outside the camp shall his habitation be"; he may even have had to move his tent there. "He who separates himself seeks his own appetite..." (Prov. 18:1) The reverse is also true. Figuratively, selfishness is rewarded with its own logical conclusion: becoming solitary and being cast out of the community that he did not think he wanted to be a part of. Outside the camp, one was more vulnerable to enemy attack. Isolation: The one thing YHWH said was not right about His creation was a man being alone. (Gen. 2:18) So this is the worst thing that can befall someone; it is a “primal curse”. YHWH also scattered Israel to many separate places when we would not be unified, and the Torah, which is written for a people, not many persons, could no longer be walked out properly until YHWH began to allow us repentance. The purification of the “leper” will be seen in the next chapter, but there are some clues in the rearrangement of the letters in the word tzara’ath: ratzah means “desire” and ta’aratz means “to be afraid”--both often causes of sin. Tara’atz means “He will dash in pieces”--the end result if we do not deal with our rebellion. But when the letters are put in alphabetical order in Hebrew, they spell ‘atzereth--the conclusion or summing up on the eighth day of Sukkoth (23:36) which allows for the fruits of the seven days to be preserved and carried onward. If we get our flesh back in order, the seven days of inspection can have a positive result.

The simplest translation of these two types of garments is "wool or flax" (i.e., linen). Garments represent our works, so we ask the same kind of questions as we asked about out thought process and our commitments. We want them to be "white" like Yahshua’s--matching what He is.

Warp: something one's hand is set to, imposed upon, or hand-made; woof: something interwoven, knitted, or mixed together. Hide: or leather; literally "skin".

50. "and the priest shall inspect the mark and quarantine the plague for seven days.

51. "And he shall inspect the mark on the seventh day, and if the mark has spread throughout the garment, hand-made or woven item, skin, or work of leather, the mark is a malignant tzara'ath; it is unclean,

Malignant: embittering, erupting, or corroding, or simply active. It is contagious and will ruin anything it spreads to. Garments are a picture of our works, but the Hebrew term can also mean a cloak of deceit or treachery. Are our actions coming from the flesh or from Kingdom motivation? Sometimes our works affect more people than we ourselves do; thus a garment can be unclean while the person wearing it is not: one may be wholehearted toward YHWH, but be calling Him "God" or observing Sunday instead of the Sabbath and have corrupt works because he has been taught wrongly and did not know any better. His heart may be right, but his works need to change, be cleaned up, or done away with.

53. "But if the priest looks, and the mark has not spread through the garment, hand-made or woven item, or any article of leather after all,

54. "then the priest shall give [the] order, and they shall launder the item that has the mark in it, and quarantine it for another seven days.

55. "Then the priest shall inspect the mark after it has been laundered out, and if the mark has neither changed in appearance nor spread, it is unclean; you shall burn it with fire. It has eaten away a hollow spot, a bare place either on the inside or outside.

Hollow spot: or, mark of decay. Even if it is not getting worse, if it is still there after reasonable treatment, we must get rid of it altogether. If our unsound works do not change, they are worthless to YHWH. Bare place...inside or outside: can mean the smooth side or the fluffy/unworn side, but these are the same Hebrew words for bald spot or receding hairline in the verses above.

The garment can be spared, but not in unaltered condition. Yahshua, our high priest, can see better than we when our garments will not be adequate to carry us through what he knows we will face. (Rev. 3:17)

58. "But [as for] the garment, hand-made or woven item, or any article of leather from which the mark goes away when you launder it, when you wash it a second time it shall be clean.

Repentance is not enough; submission to the community's test of its genuineness is also required.