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Parsha M'tzora - One being diseased (a leper)

4/26/2019

By Richard Sison | 2019

Introduction

M’tzora deals with ritual impurity among other things. It addresses cleansing from skin disease (Heb. tzara'at), houses with an eruptive plague, male genital discharges, and menstruation

And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the L-RD.

Leviticus 14:18

By Richard Sison | 2019

Introduction

Tazria is Hebrew for bearing seed (or she conceives). It is the 13th word, and the first distinctive word, in the parsha. It is the 27th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fourth in the Book of Leviticus. The parsha discusses ritual impurity among other things.

This week’s Parsha Tazria, is about the ailment's diagnosis and treatment, while next week's Parsha M'tzora, is concerned with the "clean-up" after the diagnosis. In the ancient time the sages believe that all sickness seemed incurable by human beings, and so its root cause also could not be human. Thus, however a disease "presented," its origin must have been from G-D. In this Parsha, the word tzaraat in Hebrew is used to describe various kinds of skin diseases. The Rabbis of the Midrash, recalling that Miriam also got afflicted with tzaraat after she speaks ill of Moses' Kushite wife in Numbers 12, imagined that tzaraat was a punishment for motzi shem ra - “speaking badly of someone" (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah 16:1-6). The Midrash understands the law of leprosy as an allusion to seven traits that G-D hates as mentioned in Proverbs 6:16.

There are six things Adonai hates,
seven which he detests:
a haughty look, a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that plots wicked schemes,
feet swift in running to do evil,
a false witness who lies with every breath,
and him who sows strife among brothers.

Proverbs 6:16-19

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Parsha Sh'mini: The Eight Day

4/9/2019

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By Richard Sison | 2019

Introduction

Parasha Shemini tells of the consecration of the Tabernacle, the deaths of Nadab and Abihu, and the dietary laws of kashrut - the clean and unclean food.

In the first reading of the parsha, covering Leviticus 9:1–16, it says that on the eighth day of the ceremony to ordain the priests and consecrate the Tabernacle, Moses commanded Aaron to assemble calf, rams, a kid of a goat, a lamb, a bull, and a meal offering as sacrifices (known in hebrew as korbanot) to the L-RD.

Is it important to have these animal sacrifices?
The blood of the animals and the animal sacrifices as commanded by G-D may not be able to take away sins but rather it sanctified those who are obedient so that by His ultimate sacrifice, He can make the “sanctified” PERFECT!

It is in connection with this will that we have been separated for God and made holy, once and for all, through the offering of Yeshua the Messiah’s body.

Hebrews 10:10

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Parsha M'tzora - One being diseased (a leper)

By Richard Sison | 2019

Introduction

The message

Parsha Tazria - Bearing Seed

By Richard Sison | 2019

Introduction

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Parsha Sh'mini: The Eight Day

By Richard Sison | 2019

Introduction

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