Tazria-Metzorah
Lev. 12:1-15:33
Précis: Tazria begins with laws concerning the need for ritual purification of women following the birth of children, and the laws of what is usually referred to as “leprosy” of the skin and on garments (although this translation is most certainly erroneous; it appears to refer to an affliction which renders the person, garment, or home ritually impure). Metzorah discusses laws for the purification of “lepers” with sacrifice and water. It also discusses growths on walls of a house which cause ritual impurity. The parasha concludes with a discussion of bodily secretions which are another source of ritual impurity
Lev. 13:1 “Adonai spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling, a rash, or a discoloration, and it develops into a scaly infection on the skin of his body, it shall be reported to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons, the priests.’”
As noted in Etz Hayim, these verses raise an interesting point regarding the role of the priest, who appears to be both a ritual and a medical authority. However, he was not a “doctor” setting out to “cure” an illness. His role was to restore the individual to a state of ritual purity. Why? So that person could participate fully in the ritual life of the people.
Some of the great commentators, especially Maimonides, looked at science in general, and medicine in particular, with great interest. As he said, “And what is the way that will lead to the love of Him and the fear of Him? When a person contemplates His great and wondrous works and creatures and from them obtains a glimpse of His wisdom, which is incomparable and infinite, he will straightway love Him, praise Him, glorify Him, and long with an exceeding longing to know His great name… (Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Yesodei haTorah, 2:2).”
I find this statement to be of particular relevance following Earth Day last week and the marches around the world to support scientific inquiry. To me, our text as interpreted by one of our greatest philosophers suggests that while there is indeed a sphere which is limited to faith and belief, there is also a sphere of knowledge and fact which humans can use not only for their own betterment, but as a means of enhancing our appreciation of the Divine gifts we see all around us. Maimonides suggested at times that some of the halachic decisions by the earlier Sages were based on incorrect scientific observation; here too, we see that we can never allow human inquiry to stagnate.
An important Hebrew aphorism is “the more Torah, the more life.” I would add, “the more scientific knowledge, the more Torah.”
