Dear friends,
It is eerily fitting that in this week’s double Parsha of Tazria-Metzoria we discuss the various ailments, identification and eventual quarantine associated with Tzarat (leprosy) caused by speaking Lashon Haraha- derogatory speech.
The Torah prescribes that when symptoms of leprosy appear, the suspected person must separate themselves from the Israelite camp to be examined by a Cohen (priest) in order to be properly defined as impure and begin the purification process.
Why was it that Tzarat needed to be examined specifically by a Cohen? The Torah describes leprosy as having distinct features and appearance, which arguably anyone could identify?
Before we answer this query it must first be explained what exactly were the roles of the Cohenim during the times of biblical revelation.
Unlike other religions and cultures, in Judaism a priest is no revered shaman, magician or hermit. The Cohenim were the practical and spiritual leaders of Israel.
Not only were they tasked with the divine worship in the Temple (the epicenter of Judaism) but priests were also the teachers, educators and public servants of Israel. The Talmud even goes to such an extent as to define a Cohen as being “a man of kindness and generosity.”
This aspect of priesthood still remains till today, in which descendants of Cohenim still recite at every festival the Birkat Cohenim which purpose is to “bless all of Israel with love.”
This is why only through a Cohen could a person with leprosy be declared as impure. A Cohen was not only tasked with being an impartial leader to all but was defined as having compassion and empathy to the most denigrated and lowly classes of the Jewish people. Despite the lepers being afflicted due to sin, a Cohen did not abhor or despise them but rather worked and strived for their purification and healing. Teaching us that when passing judgment or even categorizing another, it should be done with empathy and understanding as well as a desire for the other’s betterment.
Additionally, it does not take a great stretch of the imagination to learn a further practical contemporary lesson from this week’s Parsha.
Several times throughout the length and breadth of Torah the Jewish people all as one are referred to ‘the nation of priests.’ Despite the lineage of Aaron belonging to a select few, the actions and lessons of the Cohenim of old are not limited to a select number.
Although all of us are extremely fortunate to be in Australia while weathering this coronavirus storm, some members of our society are left bare and vulnerable.
The pandemic has caused not only senior and handicapped citizens to be labelled as physically most at risk during this time, but the young and healthy can be just as vulnerable during this turbulent time with untold effects on mental and emotional health- something which is just as imperative.
This Parsha teaches us that regardless of reasons, we have an obligation to aid those that have fallen ‘outside the camp’ but also to do it in a compassionate, sensible and impartial way.
I hope everyone is doing well. Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Gabi
ARK Centre acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which our organisation is located and where we conduct our activities. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past, present and emerging. ARK Centre is committed to honouring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.