Parashat Metzora

Our Torah portion this week is a continuation on the theme of tzara’at. Last week I discussed how tzara’at is not what we often think it is. Although it is commonly to understand these passages as dealing with an actual skin disease, Jewish tradition teaches that tzara’at is not leprosy at all, but a serious spiritual caused by Sinat Chinam – hatred without a reason.

Interestingly, there is a wealth of Jewish tradition that makes a connection between tzara’at and the Messiah. After all, the rabbis teach us that everything in the Torah concerns Mashiach. Therefore, the rabbis recognized that even within the spiritual malady of tzara’at were hidden signs of Mashiach:

This tradition of connecting tzara’at and Mashiach begins with a particular verse from last week’s parasha, in Leviticus 13:12-13:

Referring particularly to verse 13, the Talmud States (b. Sanhedrin 97a):

“The Son of David (Mashiach) will only come when every government becomes heretical. Rabah said, ‘Where do we see this in Scripture? From the verse “He has turned completely white, he is ritually pure.’”

Rashi further expands on this verse and notes, “Just as when the affliction has spread throughout the entire skin and the person is ritually pure, so too, when all the governments have become heretical, the redemption will come.”

Recognizing that the Messiah must be afflicted, and familiar with suffering, the rabbis went even further - and one of the ways they identified Mashiach in the Talmud is with the title, The Leper Scholar:

“The Rabbanan (rabbis) say that Mashiach’s name is The Leper Scholar of the House of Rabbi, for it is written, ‘Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten and afflicted by G-d (b. Sanhedrin 98b).’”

The rabbis obviously recognized that this does not mean that Mashiach would literally be afflicted with tzara’at but that this was a memtaphor. This connection between tzara’at and Mashiach is not unique to rabbinic literature. Rather, Yeshua himself is described in the Besorah as having compassion for the metzora (the person with tzara’at), and healing them:

“And it happened when he was in a certain city, a man covered with tzara’at saw Yeshua, and he fell on his face and implored him, saying, ‘L-rd, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’ Then Yeshua put out his hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing, be healed.’ And he commanded him to tell no one, ‘But go to the cohen and make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them, just as Moshe commanded (Luke 5:12-14).”

Those with tzara’at were healed, and their healings were part of the sign of his being the Mashiach. Yeshua taught that we must forgive, and not let Sinat Chinam eat away within us:

"And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" (Mark 11:25).

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven" (Luke 6:37).

According to the sages, tzara’at is the physical effect of sin. It is a spiritual disease that must be kept in check. To specifically avoid tzara’at, we must avoid slander and baseless hatred. All of us have spiritual sores and wounds, which if left untreated, can fester into something much worse. That is why we must learn to forgive and let go of any kind of judgment and hatred we might have against another person. Sinat Chinam – baseless hatred will destroy us, but forgiveness and healing can set us free!

We must learn how to go before our great great High Priest, Yeshua our Messiah (Hebrews 5), and let him inspect us. For through him, not only will we find healing and wholeness, but redemption as well.

Shabbat Zachor

The Shabbat that precedes Purim is called Shabbat Zachor – the Shabbat of Remembrance. For on this Shabbat, there is an added maftir (a different concluding reading) and a different Haftarah reading because we are to recall the Torah command to blot out the memory of the Amalekites.

The sages recognized the direct connection between the command to blot out the memory of Amalek (Deut. 25:17-19) and Purim. Haman, the chief villain of the Purim story is a descendent of Agag (see Esther 3:1). And we learn from the special Haftarah reading this week (1 Samuel 15:1-34) that this is King Agag, the king of the Amalekites during the reign of King Saul.

Thus, the rabbis maintained that this portion should be read right before Purim because Haman was an Amalekite – a descendent of King Agag. Haman continued the same hatred against the Jewish people as his ancestors, the Amalekites, did. Therefore, Purim is not just a deliverance from Haman the individual, but a deliverance from Amalek.

In her commentary on jewschool.com, Alana Vincent raised an additional interesting question regarding the Torah command to “remember what Amalek did to you … (Deut. 25:17)”:

“What does it mean to remember? How on earth am I supposed to remember something that happened thousands of years ago, to someone else? How can we both remember and blot out the remembrance of Amalek? Why go through such terrible mental contortions at all—isn’t it better to just forget?”

Amalek and Purim represent a clear biblical theme of sudden reversal - when G-d turns everything upside down. After all, with all of this talk of wiping out the Amalekites, and the threatened destruction of the Jewish people mentioned in the book of Esther … why do we celebrate? Why is Purim associated with so much joy? As Alana asks, isn’t it better to just forget?

Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair points out that the only difference between a tragedy and a comedy is the ending. The book of Esther is written in the classic style of a comedy. The whole tragedy is turned upside down, Haman is hung on the enormous gallows he himself built, the Jewish people are saved, thousands of Persians convert to Judaism, and a Jewish girl becomes queen of what is now modern day Iran. The irony of the book should be evident.

And yet, Rabbi Sinclair adds that this is what it will be like with the coming of Messiah. It will be a sudden reversal. “When Mashiach comes, he will come in an instant and things will be turned upside down in a second just like Purim.”

We must always remember … and … never forget. We must never forget our past and struggles, and yet we must remember that redemption is near, for Mashiach is coming.

Chag Sameach!

This week’s Torah portion gives further instructions concerning the building of the Mishkan (the Tabernacle) and its furnishings. This raises an interesting question: For if the Bible’s overall theme is about G-d’s relationship with humanity through the Jewish people, then why is so much attention given to the details of objects? The answer is deeply connected to the purpose of the Mishkan, its furnishings, and the manifest presence of the Divine.

The Mishkan as Representation of G-d’s Presence

The Hebrew word for the Tabernacle is Mishkan (משכן), which means “to dwell” or “dwelling.” It comes from the root, shachan (שכן), which is also related to the word Shechinah (שכינה), meaning the manifest presence of G-d. They are all based on the same Hebrew root. Th Therefore, even the word Mishkan denotes HaShem's presence (the Shechinah) that would dwell among the people of Israel.

The Jewish sage, Ibn Ezra, comments that “while Moses was still on Mt. Sinai, G-d commanded him concerning the Tabernacle so that it would be a permanent place among the people for the glory that had rested on the mountain.” The author of Revelation writes that this continued presence of God will continue beyond the second coming of the Messiah and even into the “New Jerusalem.”

“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of G-d is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. G-d Himself will be with them and be their G-d (Rev. 21:3).’”

According to the Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman), “The secret of the Mishkan is that the Shechinah, which rested openly on Mt. Sinai, would dwell in the Mishkan in a concealed way … Thus, the Shechinah which appeared to them at Sinai continued to rest with Israel in the Mishkan.”

This idea is further supported by Ibn Ezra, who states: “While Moses was still on Mt. Sinai, G-d commanded him concerning the tabernacle so that it would be a permanent place among the people for the glory that had rested on the mountain.” As such, the Tabernacle served as a tangible assurance of the bond that G-d had forged with the people of Israel at Mt. Sinai.

Each of us is a Portable Tabernacle

According to the great medieval Torah commentator, Abravanel, “When the Torah speaks about the Mikdash, it is not only describing a sacred building in which worship takes place but it also has in mind the body of each human being. That is to say, each human being is a sacred sanctuary.”

Isn’t this exactly what the Shaliach Sha’ul wrote?

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from G-d, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify G-d in your body (1 Cor. 6:19-20).”

The ultimate example of this is Yeshua himself, who identified himself as an incarnation of the Temple:

“Yeshua answered them, ‘Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Judeans then said, ‘It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the temple of his body (John 2:19-21).”

This is a powerful image! The same presence of G-d that was revealed to Moshe at Mt. Sinai, and which dwelled in the Sanctuary, resides within us. Each one of us, therefore, is a dwelling place for the presence of HaShem. May we, as followers of Yeshua, our Righteous Messiah, continue to live lives aware of G-d’s manifest presence, and may we continue to work to bring that Presence to the rest of the world – thereby affirming our calling to be a Light to the Nations.

*Originally submitted to the UMJC website's weekly Torah commentaries.

The two most dramatic elements within Ki Tissa are clearly the sin of the Golden Calf and Moshe’s following plea before HaShem for mercy.

Regarding the sin of the golden calf, the people of Israel grew agitated with Moshe and took matters into their own hands:

“They gathered around Aaron and said to him, ‘Get busy and make us gods to go ahead of us; because this Moshe, the man that brought us up from the land of Egypt - we don’t know what has become of him.’” (Exodus 32: 1)

Aaron cooperated. Whether his actions were the result of fear or an attempt at appeasement, many authorities agree that Aaron’s accompanying actions were his biggest failure. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz states that Aaron’s participation in creating the golden calf was “the worst failure of his career.” This assessment is supported by Nehama Leibowitz who sees within the narrative not only the failure of Aaron and the sin of the Israelites, but a deliberate warning that human beings are capable of acting nobly at one moment and ugly at the next.

Upon seeing the people singing and dancing before the golden calf, Moshe became enraged:

“He threw the tablets he had been holding and shattered them at the base of the mountain. Seizing the calf they had made, he melted it in the fire and ground it into powder, which he scattered on the water.” (Exodus 32:19-20)

Moshe confronted his brother Aaron, pleading “What did these people do to you to make you lead them into such terrible sin?” Aaron replied with one of the sorriest excuses in the Torah:

“My lord should not be so angry. You know what these people are like, that they are determined to do evil … I answered them, ‘Anyone with gold, strip it off!’ So they gave it to me. I threw it in the fire, and out jumped this calf!” (Exodus 32:22-24)

Not only does Aaron deflect responsibility by pointing the finger at the people, but he makes an excuse, as though his participation was only passive – “I threw it into the fire, and out jumped this calf!”

Afterwards Moshe went back up the mountain to plead with HaShem not to destroy the Jewish people. G-d agrees and Moshe requests to see G-d’s glory. Placing Moshe in the cleft of a rock, HaShem allowed His presence to pass by Moshe. Moshe then cut two new stone tablets, and HaShem descended upon the mountain in a thick cloud and proclaimed what has come to be known as the Thirteen Attributes of G-d.

Within these two dramatic events we see two very different responses to responsibility under pressure. Aaron gave into the desires of the people, and when confronted made an excuse. Moshe, when confronted, took on the responsibility for the actions of the Jewish people. Instead of making an excuse and passing the blame on the people, he stood before the presence G-d and pleaded for mercy.

G-d is not looking for perfect people. Rather, G-d is looking for people who are humble and obedient. Humility requires that we not only seek to do HaShem’s will, but when we fall short, to come humbly in repentance, and take responsibility for our actions. Let us stop making excuses for the tasks at hand and let us walk humbly together, like Moshe, and prepare the way for the return of Mashiach!

*This week's parashah commentary was originally submitted to, and appears in, this week's Set Table.

In this week's Torah portion, parashat Yitro, G-d reveals Himself to the people of Israel during the giving of the Aseret Dibrot – the Ten Commandments. In the Torah, G-d revealed Himself in very physical manifestations on Mt. Sinai. There was thunder and lightning, the ground shook, and a great shofar blast was heard growing louder and louder. And then in the climax of the moment, G-d answered Moshe with a voice (Ex. 19:19). This was a powerful encounter with the G-d of Israel, who made Himself and His will known to the Jewish people.

Luke 7 appears right after a revelation of Yeshua also made from a mountain top. Often known as “the Sermon on the Mount,” the context of Yeshua’s message is actually paralleled with the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. Yeshua’s message is rooted in Jewish legal – halachic – style and nature. Similar to the giving of the Torah, it is also a revelation of G-d’s will to humanity - a sort of “second Sinai experience.” Instead of thunder and lighting, however, G-d’s character became further made known through Yeshua.

Luke 7:1-17 describes two miracles performed by Yeshua. The first miracle was the healing of an influential Roman officer’s servant, and the second is the healing of a dead man who was the only son of a widow in the city. At the end of the section, Luke describes that the town’s people “were all filled with awe and gave glory to G-d, saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us,’ and, ‘G-d has come to His people.’ This report about him spread throughout all of Y’hudah and the surrounding countryside (Luke 7:16-17).”

Through both of these portions, we gain a glimpse of G-d’s attributes and guidelines for our lives. Through Yeshua, we see the G-d of Israel, the same G-d who revealed himself to Moshe on Mt. Sinai. As Paul states in Colossians, “He is the visible image of the invisible G-d (Col. 1:15).” And in the same way, G-d wants to reveal Himself to us in a very personal and real way.

Each and every one of us has the opportunity to engage HaShem in our own Sinai experience – individually and corporately. So the next time the Torah is removed from the ark, remember the original revelation on Mt. Sinai, and relive the giving of the Torah. For G-d wants to reveal Himself to, and through you in the same way.

Last week’s Torah portion, Va’era, introduced the first seven of the ten plagues. This week, Parashat Bo identifies the final three plagues and records the mitzvot concerning Passover.

Each of these plagues are devastating enough on their own, but added up together you can see why the result was the dramatic climax of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. Each plague is a demonstration of HaShem’s might and omnipotence. And what most people miss in the story is that each plague carries its own unique message, as each plague was meant to bring a direct assault against a different Egyptian deity.

“… and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, I am HaShem (Exodus 12:12b).”

The Nile River in Egyptian mythology carries a sacred aura about it. It is the life source of the country. It alone represents life and sustenance in an otherwise dry and parched land. Blood is a symbol of death. Therefore the first plague represented a direct assault upon the Egyptian’s sole source of life.

The Egyptian deity, Heqet (or Isis), is often represented as a frog. She represents fertility and sustenance. As a result, the second plague of frogs was a direct assault against this specific deity, demonstrating that HaShem, the G-d of Israel, was more powerful than Heqet and that HaShem alone is the source of all life.

The ninth plague, darkness, was a demonstration against Egypt’s primary deity Amen-Re, who is often represented as the sun. Three days of darkness so thick it could be felt (Ex. 10:21) established that the G-d of Israel was even greater than Egypt’s primary deities.

So, you get the idea … each plague directly correlated with a particular deity or central tenet of Egyptian mythology. But the final plague – the death of the firstborn – was the most catastrophic. Pharaoh would not have let us go on his own. Sadly, it took ten deadly and disastrous plagues to get Pharaoh to let the Jewish people leave Egypt. Although the result of these plagues would be our exodus from tyranny, slavery, and oppression; we do not rejoice over the suffering of the Egyptians or the havoc brought upon them.

Wine is a symbol of joy. So during the Passover Seder, when we recall the ten plagues we deplete the wine in our cups by placing drops of wine onto our plate. When havoc is wrought upon any people – be they helpless victims or our enemies, we do not rejoice over their fate. Our tradition teaches us that their suffering decreases our own joy.

So although we do not rejoice over the fate of the Egyptian people, we do commemorate our redemption from Egypt. We also look forward to our ultimate redemption – when our Messiah, Yeshua, returns and ushers in the world to come. The Messianic Age will bring with it not only our redemption as a people, but a permanent end to oppression, disease, and the suffering of others.

The Torah repeatedly calls us to stand up for the downtrodden and to recognize every person as created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of G-d (Genesis 1:26-27). This is especially true regarding strangers in our midst:

"You are not to deprive the sojourner or orphan of the justice which is his due, and you are not to take a widow’s clothing as collateral for a loan. Rather, remember that you were a slave to pharaoh in Egypt; and HaShem your G-d redeemed you from there. That is why I am ordering to do this." (Deuteronomy 24:17-18)

The Torah considers the treatment of strangers a matter of justice. The way we treat strangers reveals our gratitude to G-d for redeeming us from Egypt (or lack thereof). Therefore, we are further commanded in Deuteronomy: “Justice, only justice you must pursue!” (16:20)

According to the Torah, holiness is not some mystical, esoteric state of being. Rather, it is a way of life and a pattern of action. To “do holiness” is to partner with G-d in bringing redemption into the world. We are instructed to weigh fairly, pursue justice, observe Shabbat and the mitzvot, and protect those who are downtrodden. Why? Because the Torah states “Anochi HaShem … Because I am HaShem … and you are to be holy as I am holy (Leviticus 19:2)”.

We are additionally commanded in the Torah: “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:16). Regarding this verse the Talmud asks:

“What does the verse mean, ‘Do not stand idly by your neighbor’s blood?’ It means that if a person sees his fellow drowning, mauled by beasts, or attacked by robbers, he is bound to save him (b. Sanhedrin 73a).”

The rabbis clearly understood that when we see someone in trouble we are commanded to act. This goes beyond only when someone’s life is in danger. In fact, the Talmud further states that if we do not act upon injustice, we are directly responsible for not doing so:

“All who can protest against [something wrong that] one of their family [is doing] and does not protest, is held accountable for their family … A citizen of their city is held accountable for all citizens of the city. [All who can protest against something wrong that is being done] in the whole world, is accountable together with all citizens of the world (b. Shabbat 54b).”

From the perspective of the Torah, we must act whenever we see injustice. And if we do not act, we are personally responsible for the outcome.

Tomorrow we'll explore the concept of Justice as Holiness within the Prophets ...