Shalom!
 
Much of our Parashat Tazria, plus the following Parashat Metzora, are about the condition known as tzaraat, often translated as leprosy. Tzaraat not only affects humans, but also can be found on clothing and the walls of houses. Today we know of no one disease that affects people, clothing, and walls. So we have many questions as we try to understand the concepts of tzaraat.
 
I am using as a resource Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' book - Leviticus: The Book of Holiness. Rabbi Sacks points out that it was the priests who supervised cases of tzaraat. The ideas of impurity and purity are quite different from the concepts of sickness and health, being ill and being cured.
 
What links human skin, garments, and walls of houses? The answer is that they all mark a boundary between inside and outside. They are the outer surfaces covering something whose essential significance is within. Priests were intensely concerned with boundaries: between sacred and secular, pure and impure, permitted and forbidden. Decay in a boundary, whether it be skin, clothes, or walls, is to the priestly mind a sign of disorder within.
 
Tzaraat testified to sin that sought to hide. Therefore, it was made public. Consider malicious gossip. Usually it is when people speak with hushed voices and often deny when accused of it. It is secretive and devastating. The Father's desire was for His people to become one, built on shared memories, hopes, and expectations. Lashon hara (evil tongue) destroys the fabric of community. Tzaraat is a way Elohim could announce that "if you sin in private, I will advertise your guilt in public to the world." Those who sin in private will eventually be exposed to all. Without trust, a community cannot survive.
 
Luke 12:2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which you have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops
 
Therefore, it appears that the Levitical priests were judging words, thoughts, and motives. As human judges, they were not able to see into the heart of the victim of tzaraat, but the malady gave the evidence. The future speaks once again of what is hidden being brought into the light and this time our Judge will not need tzaraat, for He will be looking straight into our hearts:
 
1 Corinthians 4:4 For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is Adonai. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until Adonai comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from Elohim.
 
2 Corinthians 5:9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Messiah, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
 
Galatians 6:4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
 
Another look at the term "lashon ha ra", or evil tongue
 
Mr. William Bullock (www.regionschristiancenter.org) points out that the noun "lashon" means 'tongue' in the sense of 'first language', or 'native speech'. (Genesis 10:5) Lashon is thus that aspect of our speech that tells everyone of what kingdom we are from - where our citizenship is. Lashon is that aspect of our conversation that reveals exactly what culture is inside of us, defining how we think, and with what world-view we align.
 
John 18:36 Yeshua answered, "My kingdom is not of this world.
 
Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of Elohim and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
 
Luke 17:21...For indeed, the kingdom of Elohim is within you."
 
Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of Elohim is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
 
Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love
 
What kingdom are we projecting every time we open our mouth to speak? We are broadcasting a whole lot more than words. And the message we are communicating may actually be the exact opposite of what the words we speak literally mean. This may occur for a couple of reasons.
  • First of all, the message that we communicate may not be received accurately because the person to whom we are speaking hails from and/or is most closely aligned with a different kingdom (i.e. there is a 'language barrier'). We need to invest some love in, pay attention to, perceive and understand and seek discernment concerning the person(s) to whom we speak - especially about spiritual things.
  • Secondly, the message that we communicate may not be received accurately because it may be because the attitude, tone of voice, and body language we use speaks louder than the actual words we use. As Y'shua taught in the Sermon on the Mount....out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
What does 'ra' mean? Shorthand Hebrew/English dictionary sources will tell you ra means 'evil'. But that is really not very helpful, is it? So let's look a little deeper. Ra is a modifier described from the very root ra'ah, spelled resh, ayin, ayin - meaning to make a noise causing something to break into pieces/shatter. Speech that is ra is thus speech that causes a person - be it the speaker, the hearer, or a third-person object of the speech - to cease to be whole, but to instead become fragmented. Lashon ha-ra thus means speech that involves dissecting another person - looking only at one aspect of his or her life without seeing and taking into account the whole picture. At the same time it is speech that applies a 'double standard' and hypocrisy on the part of the one doing the dissecting - because that person does not consider the negative aspects of his or her own life when making/announcing his or her judgments. (For Bullock's complete teaching on this - Tazria)
 
This week I am sharing with you an inspiration story of joy, faith and unity from a Jewish Rabbi who was struck with ALS - Shine a Little Light from Yitzi Hurwitz
 
Shabbat Shalom!
Ardelle