Metzora (parsha)

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Metzora, Metzorah, M’tzora, Mezora, Metsora, or M’tsora (מצורע – Hebrew for "one being diseased,” the ninth word, and the first distinctive word, in the parshah) is the 28th weekly parshah or portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fifth in the book of Leviticus. It constitutes Leviticus 14:1–15:33. Jews in the Diaspora generally read it in April.

The lunisolar Hebrew calendar contains up to 54 weeks, the exact number varying between leap years and regular years. In years with 54 weeks (for example, 2008), parshah Metzora is read separately on the 28th Sabbath after Simchat Torah. In years with fewer than 54 weeks (for example, 2006, 2007, and 2009), parshah Metzora is combined with the previous parshah, Tazria, to help achieve the needed number of weekly readings.

cedar wood

1 Summary
2 Commandments
3 Haftarah
4 Further reading
5 External links

[edit] Summary

God told Moses the ritual for cleansing one with a skin disease. (Lev. 14:1–2.) If the priest saw that the person had healed, the priest would order two live clean birds, cedar wood, crimson stuff, and hyssop. (Lev. 14:3–4.) The priest would order one of the birds slaughtered over fresh water and would then dip the live bird, the cedar wood, the crimson stuff, and the hyssop in the blood of the slaughtered bird. (Lev. 14:5–6.) The priest would then sprinkle the blood seven times on the one who was to be cleansed and then set the live bird free. (Lev. 14:6–7.) The one to be cleansed would then wash his clothes, shave off his hair, bathe in water, and then be clean. (Lev. 14:8.) On the eighth day after that, the one being cleansed was to present two male lambs, one ewe lamb, choice flour, and oil for the priest to offer. (Lev. 14:9–13.) The priest was to put some of the blood and the oil on the ridge of the right ear, the right thumb, and the right big toe of the one being cleansed, and then put more of the oil on his head. (Lev. 14:14–18.) If the one being cleansed was poor, he could bring two turtle doves or pigeons in place of two of the lambs. (Lev. 14:21–22.)

hyssop

God then told Moses and Aaron the ritual for cleansing a house with an eruptive plague. (Lev. 14:33–34.) The owner was to tell the priest, who was to order the house cleared and then examine it. (Lev. 14:35–36.) If the plague in the walls was greenish or reddish streaks deep into the wall, the priest was to close the house for seven days. (Lev. 14:37–38.) If, after seven days, the plague had spread, the priest was to order the stones with the plague to be pulled out and cast outside the city. (Lev. 14:39–40.) The house was then to be scraped, the stones replaced, and the house replastered. (Lev. 14:41–42.) If the plague again broke out, the house was to be torn down. (Lev. 14:43–45.) If the plague did not break out again, the priest was to pronounce the house clean. (Lev. 14:48.) To purge the house, the priest was to take two birds, cedar wood, crimson stuff, and hyssop, slaughter one bird over fresh water, sprinkle on the house seven times with the bird’s blood, and then let the live bird go free. (Lev. 14:49–53.)

God then told Moses and Aaron the ritual for cleansing a person who had a genital discharge. (Lev. 15.)

When a man had a discharge from his member, he was unclean, and any bedding on which he lay and every object on which he sat was to be unclean. (Lev. 15:2–4.) Anyone who touched his body, touched his bedding, touched an object on which he sat, was touched by his spit, or was touched by him before he rinsed his hands was to wash his clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening. (Lev. 15:5–11.) An earthen vessel that he touched was to be broken, and any wooden implement was to be rinsed with water. (Lev. 15:12.) Seven days after the discharge ended, he was to wash his clothes, bathe his body in fresh water, and be clean. (Lev. 15:13.) On the eighth day, he was to give two turtle doves or two pigeons to the priest, who was to offer them to make expiation. (Lev. 15:14–15.)

When a man had an emission of semen, he was to bathe and remain unclean until evening. (Lev. 15:16.) All material on which semen fell was to be washed in water and remain unclean until evening. (Lev. 15:17.) And if a man had carnal relations with a woman, they were both to bathe and remain unclean until evening. (Lev. 15:18.)

When a woman had a menstrual discharge, she was to remain impure seven days, and whoever touched her was to be unclean until evening. (Lev. 15:19.) Anything that she lay on or sat on was unclean. (Lev. 15:20.) Anyone who touched her bedding or any object on which she has sat was to wash his clothes, bathe in water, and remain unclean until evening. (Lev. 15:21–23.) And if a man lay with her, her impurity was communicated to him and he was to be unclean seven days, and any bedding on which he lay became unclean. (Lev. 15:24.) When a woman had an irregular discharge of blood, she was to be unclean as long as her discharge lasted. (Lev. 15:25–27.) Seven days after the discharge ended, she was to be clean. (Lev. 15:28.) On the eighth day, she was to give two turtle doves or two pigeons to the priest, who was to offer them to make expiation. (Lev. 15:29–30.)

God told Moses and Aaron to put the Israelites on guard against uncleanness, lest they die by defiling God’s Tabernacle. (Lev. 15:31.)

[edit] Commandments

According to Maimonides and Sefer ha-Chinuch, there are 11 positive and no negative commandments in the parshah:

To carry out the prescribed rules for purifying the person affected by tzara'at (Lev. 14:2)
The person affected by tzara'at must shave off all his hair prior to purification (Lev. 14:9)
Every impure person must immerse in a mikvah to become pure (Lev. 14:9)
A person affected by tzara'at must bring an offering after going to the mikvah (Lev. 14:10)
To observe the laws of impurity caused by a house's tzara'at (Lev. 14:35)
To observe the laws of impurity caused by a man's running issue (Lev. 15:3)
A man who had a running issue must bring an offering after he goes to the mikvah (Lev. 15:13–14)
To observe the laws of impurity of a seminal emission (Lev. 15:16)
To observe the laws of menstrual impurity (Lev. 15:19)
To observe the laws of impurity caused by a woman's running issue (Lev. 15:25)
A woman who had a running issue must bring an offering after she goes to the mikvah (Lev. 15:28–29)

[edit] Haftarah

The haftarah for the parshah is 2 Kings 7:3–20.

When the parshah coincides with Shabbat HaChodesh, (as it does in 2008), the haftarah is Ezekiel 45:16–46:18.

When the parshah coincides with Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, (as it does in 2006 and 2009), the haftarah is Isaiah 66:1–24.

[edit] Further reading

The parshah has parallels or is discussed in these classical sources:

Mishnah: Pesachim 8:5; Shekalim 5:3; Moed Katan 3:1–2; Nazir 7:3; Horayot 1:3; Zevachim 4:3; Menachot 5:6–7, 9:3; Bekhorot 7:2; Negaim 12:1–14:13; Parah 1:4, 6:5; Niddah 1:1–10:8.
Sifra 148:1–173:9.
Leviticus Rabbah 16:1–19:6.
Zohar 3:52b–56a.