Torah Portion Summary
Because this is not a leap year, this week we have a "double portion" of Torah readings, both parashat Tazria (Lev. 12:1-13:59) as well as parashat Metzora (Lev. 14:1-15:33).
Tazria: Our first reading, Tazria, continues the discussion of the laws of "purity" and "impurity" that began earlier with parashat Tzav. A new mother is regarded as a niddah (a menstruent woman) and is considered "impure" (tamei) regarding the sanctuary for 40 days (if a boy) or 80 days (if a girl). On the eighth day of life a boy must be circumcised. After the mother's "period of impurity" had ended, she was required to bring a yearling sheep as a burnt offering and a dove for a sin offering (if she is poor, two doves sufficed for both offerings).
The portion goes on to describe certain afflictions, collectively called tzara'at, that cause the affected person (or thing) to be both ritually impure (tamei) and in a state of uncleanness (i.e., tumah: טומאה). Note that tzara'at is not to be identified with "leprosy" (as some English translations claim), since the symptoms of tzara'at included not just the afflicted person's skin, but sometimes his clothes, pottery vessels, and house.
Metzora: In our second portion this week (Metzora), we learn about the laws for cleansing "lepers." If the one suffering from tzara'at (i.e., the metzora) had apparently been healed, he would first call for the priest to be officially reexamined. If the priest saw no sign of tumah (uncleanness), a second examination was scheduled seven days later, and if the metzora was free from any sign of the disease, the process of tahara (purification) would begin.
Haftarah Portion Summary
The Haftarah reading for Tazria includes two vignettes from the ministry of the prophet Elisha, both of which picture our Mashiach Yeshua. In the first story, we read how a 22 loaves of bread were miraculously multiplied to feed 2,200 men, and in the second story we read how the Syrian captain Naaman was healed of tzara'at (or skin disease). Interestingly, in the gospels we read of how Jesus multiplied the loaves of bread for the people (John 6:8-13) and cleansed a leper (Matt 8:1-4). Yeshua even referred to the healing of Naaman to demonstrate to that God loves and heals people from other nations, and not only Jews (see Luke 4:27-28).
The Haftarah reading for Metzora relates the story of how Gehazi, Elisha's servant who was afflicted with tzara'at for his greed (see 2 Kings 5:20-27), discovered that the LORD delivered Israel from the Syrians who had besieged them. The skeptical captain of Israel, who doubted Elisha's words about Israel's deliverance was killed by the mob rushing out to plunder the camp of the Syrians.
B'rit Chadashah Portion Summary
The New Testament reading for parashat Tazria includes reference to the two miracles that Yeshua the Mashiach performed just as Elisha the prophet did in the Haftarah readings (namely the miracle of the feeding of the multitude from the five loaves of bread and the healing of the one afflicted with tzara'at).
The B'rit Chadashah reading for Metzora includes reference several miracles that the Mashiach Yeshua performed during His first visitation, including the healing of a leper. Matthew connects the healing ministry of Yeshua as the fulfillment of what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases" (Isaiah 53:4).