Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

Category

Back to Home -> Tazria -> 5774


וראה הכהן את הנגע... וראהו הכהן וטמא אתו

The Kohen shall look at the affliction on the skin… the Kohen shall look at it and declare him contaminated. (13:3)

The Kohen is looking at the same nega, plague, – once; yet, the Torah writes that he sees/looks twice. Why is there a redundancy? The Meshech Chochmah offers a powerful insight to explain that, in fact, the Kohen is instructed to have a “double take,” look twice: once at the plague; and once at the person who manifests the plague. In the Talmud Moed Katan 7b, Chazal quote the pasuk, “U’b’yom heiraos bo; ‘On the day that healthy flesh appears in it” (Vayikra 13:14).’ There are days during which you (Kohen) may view the nega, and there are days when…

Continue Reading

אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו שאת או ספחת

If a person will have on the skin of his flesh a seis, or a sapachas. (13:2)

The Torah details various forms of tzaraas, which is often incorrectly translated as “leprosy.” It is a spiritual illness that manifests itself in the body by displaying white spots on one’s skin, similar to leprosy. The Sifsei Kohen posits that the words seis and sapachas allude to two spiritual deficiencies which catalyze the tzaraas. Seis is connected to hisnasus, elevating/lording oneself over others, raising himself above those around him. Such a person walks with an upright gait as if to “push up against the Shechinah” Who towers over everyone, melo kol ha’aretz Kevodo, “The entire earth is filled with His…

Continue Reading

תביא כבש בן שנתו לעלה ובן יונה או תר לחטאת... וכפר עליה הכהן וטהרה

She shall bring a sheep within its first year for an Elevation-offering and a young dove or a turtle dove for a Sin-offering… and the Kohen shall provide atonement for her and she shall leave purified. (12:6,8)

The new mother is required to bring a korban, sacrifice, to atone – for what? This woman just brought a new neshamah, soul, into the world. She should be the recipient of accolades. Yet, she must bring a korban to atone for herself. Chazal teach that Moshiach will not arrive until all of the neshamos that are “waiting” in Heaven are born. She, in fact, was mekareiv, brought closer, the geulah, Final Redemption. Still, she must bring a korban for atonement. Chazal address this question and explain that, because during the extreme pangs of childbirth she had uttered an oath,…

Continue Reading

אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר... אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו שאת או ספחת

When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male… if a person will have on the skin of his flesh a seis, or a sapachas. (12:2) (13:2)

As happens often, I received a call from a father who was celebrating his son’s bar-mitzvah on Parashas Tazria, and he wanted something to say for a Dvar Torah. Obviously, I had written Parashas Tazria a few weeks ahead of time. After giving it some thought, I began to wonder: What is the connection between Parashas Tazria and bar-mitzvah? The question actually goes deeper. Tazria begins with the laws concerning a woman who gives birth, the korbanos she should offer after a period of time and other laws connected with birth. The Torah then moves on to the laws of…

Continue Reading

אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר

When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male. (12:2)

Many people travel the road of life, remaining clueless about what is happening around them. We do not stop to think, to ask ourselves: What just happened? Why did it occur? What does it have to do with me? If nothing actually “bad” happens to us, we continue in our life with business as usual. Isha ki sazria – v’yalda zachar. We take so many things for granted. Chazal quote the pasuk in Tehillim 139:5, Achor vakedem tzartani, “Back and front, You have formed me.” This pasuk refers to the initial creation of man as an androgynous being, as male…

Continue Reading

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our weekly Peninim on the Torah list!

You have Successfully Subscribed!