Torah Portion Summary

The name of the twenty-seventh reading from the Torah is Tazria, which means “conceived.” The name is derived from the words where the LORD says to Moses, “When a woman [conceives] and bears a male child.” The Torah portion begins with the discussion of the laws of ritual impurity and purity as it pertains to childbirth. A new mother is treated 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 8th day a boy must be circumcised, and once the woman is considered clean, must bring a yearling sheep as a burnt offering and a dove for a sin offering (if she is poor, two doves suffice for both offerings).

The parashah next describes certain skin afflictions, collectively called tzara'at, that cause the afflicted person to be impure (tamei) and in a state of uncleanness (tumah). Note that tzara'at is not to be identified with leprosy (as some English translations claim), since the symptoms of tzara'at include not just the afflicted person's skin, but sometimes his clothes, pottery vessels, and house.

Tzara'at was a skin condition that could only be diagnosed by a kohen (priest), not a doctor. If white or pink patches appeared on a person's skin, the afflicted person was required to contact a kohen for an examination. If the priest detected 1) two hairs that had turned white within the spot, or 2) a piece of healthy skin in the middle of the spot, he was declared tamei (impure or unclean), and then had to follow the prescribed laws for the metzora (person affected with tzara'at); otherwise he was declared tahor (clean).

On the other hand, if the priest suspected tzara'at but was unsure, the afflicted person was quarantined and required to perform teshuvah (repentance). If a second evaluation indicated that the spot(s) had grown larger in size, the person was declared tamei and was subject to the laws for the metzora (i.e., dwelling "outside the camp" until the person was completely healed).

Tzara'at was essentially a spiritual disease - an affliction that the LORD used to help lead His people to teshuvah. The Babylonian Talmud (Erachin 15b, 16a) lists seven causes for tzara'at, including: murder, adultery, pride, theft, stinginess, a vain oath, and (most of all) for the sin of lashon hara.

Haftarh 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).

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 healing by Yeshua is paradoxical, since anyone who touches someone afflicted with tzara'at became (ritually) unclean themselves, and yet we know that Yeshua was entirely without sin or impurity. He alone is the Healer of our uncleanness before God, and through His touch we are made acceptable for true spiritual worship. Thank the LORD God of Israel! The Lord Yeshua visits and heals us outside the camp!

It is the exclusive prerogative of the LORD God of Israel to "touch" those afflicted with tzara'at and heal them based on their teshuvah, and in like measure, Yeshua entered the "leper colony" of humanity to heal those who cried out to Him. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and His love reaches down to those who are afflicted and oppressed on account of their uncleanness. If you call upon Him, He will likewise touch you and restore you to fellowship with God.

All Portions this week (LINK)
Torah	Haftarah	B'rit Chadashah
Leviticus 12:1-13:59	2 Kings 4:42-5:19	Luke 7:18-35
Exodus 12:1-20	Ezekiel 45:16-46:18	John 6:8-13
		Matthew 8:1-4

COMMENTARY
Fruits of Torah	Torah Resource	Hebrews for Christians
Ardelle -ver1	Tim Hegg -part1	Torah Table Talk
Ardelle -ver2	Tim Hegg -part2	The Biblical New Year

AUDIO COMMENTARY (Nehemia's Wall)
Portion	Torah Pearls	Prophet Pearls
Tazria