Shalom Chaverim,
It is Wednesday once again, and we are beginning the month of Iyaar (4th day today), and still counting the Omer... But it is also time to post a few videos to help us study the Torah. It is good to study Torah all week, whenever the opportunity arises (apart from set-aside time for study such as my Rambam study on the daily schedule with my community)... I have been posting this thread weekly for several years now and quite frankly I never get tired (even watching some of the same videos year after year).
I got to thinking just how 'timely' Griffins post is. This is why I posted the by-line of this weeks video study 'Leprosy in the Jewish community'. This weeks portion contains the laws of Tzaarath (otherwise mis-translated as leprosy) which was a skin disease which befell Jews who spoke Lashon Hara about others. This 'spiritual skin disease' was only able to be diagnosed by the Kohen who would send those afflicted into solitary life outside the camp. They would stay there until the lesions went away and the Kohen declared the person pure again.
Last week my boss was asking me about why certain foods are Kosher and others were not. I explained the law of animals as 'If it chews its cud and has split hooves it is Kosher'. I did not realize it at the time but last weeks Torah portion had those very laws in it. Coincidence? I think not.
From Chabad's 'Parsha in a Nutshell' @
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/2879/jewish/Tazria-Metzora-in-a-Nutshell.htmThe Parshahs of Tazria and Metzora continue the discussion of the laws of tumah v’taharah, ritual impurity and purity.
A woman giving birth should undergo a process of purification, which includes immersing in a mikvah (a naturally gathered pool of water) and bringing offerings to the Holy Temple. All male infants are to be circumcised on the eighth day of life.
Tzaraat (often mistranslated as “leprosy”) is a supra-natural plague, which can afflict people as well as garments or homes. If white or pink patches appear on a person’s skin (dark pink or dark green in garments or homes), a kohen is summoned. Judging by various signs, such as an increase in size of the afflicted area after a seven-day quarantine, the kohen pronounces it tamei (impure) or tahor (pure).
A person afflicted with tzaraat must dwell alone outside of the camp (or city) until he is healed. The afflicted area in a garment or home must be removed; if the tzaraat recurs, the entire garment or home must be destroyed.
When the metzora (“leper”) heals, he or she is purified by the kohen with a special procedure involving two birds, spring water in an earthen vessel, a piece of cedar wood, a scarlet thread and a bundle of hyssop.
Ritual impurity is also engendered through a seminal or other discharge in a man, and menstruation or other discharge of blood in a woman, necessitating purification through immersion in a mikvah.
As is my style, I choose to watch Rabbi Richmans latest post (from last week due to the difference between the Diaspora and Israel)...
Topic: Video Study for Parsha Tazria-Metzora : Leprosy in the Jewish Community (Read 3125 times)