Tazria-Metzora
She will conceive/Leper — תַזְרִיעַ־מְּצֹרָע
Torah Portion: Leviticus 12:1 - 15:33
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Leviticus 14:21-32
14:21 “If he is poor, and can’t afford so much, then he shall take one male lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering, and a log of oil; 22 and two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.
23 “On the eighth day, he shall bring them for his cleansing to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting, before Hashem. 24 The priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before Hashem. 25 He shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering. The priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering and put it on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. 26 The priest shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand; 27 and the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before Hashem. 28 Then the priest shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the trespass offering. 29 The rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before Hashem. 30 He shall offer one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, which ever he is able to afford, 31 of the kind he is able to afford, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meal offering. The priest shall make atonement for him who is to be cleansed before Hashem.” 32 This is the law for him in whom is the plague of leprosy, who is not able to afford the sacrifice for his cleansing.
Today’s Meditation:
Interesting that the blood the priest is placing on the individual healed of leprosy/infections is the same procedure Moses used to sanctify the Tabernacle for Aaron and the priests. We have talked about this before. The symbolism of these blood placements could mean the following. The blood on the right ear is to ensure that what you are listening to is not unholy. The blood on the right thumb is making sure that what you put your hands to (work, deeds) is also to be holy, not unholy. And applying blood to the right toe could mean you should be walking the path of holiness at all times, right alongside Hashem. Once again, Hashem is telling us that in all our ways, we should honor Him, obey Him, worship Him, and be holy as He is holy.
Today’s Challenge:
I challenge you today to reflect on the things you do in your life that are holy and those that are unholy. What kind of media/entertainment are you listening to? What kind of deeds are you putting your hands to? Where are the places that you walk to and through? Do you give honor and glory to Hashem for all these things? Or do you hide from Him when you know you are doing wrong? Today, try to start making things right in His sight. Try to walk, listen, and do as He would want you to.
