Vayikra

Tazriah - Parsha

 

In last weeks parsha we learned all about keeping kosher.

In this parsha, Tazriah, which means “things that are not pure”, we learn what would happen to people if they became sick with an illness that caused them to have “spots”. The spots were called tzara’at.  One of the jobs of the Kohanim was to check if someone had tzara’at spots. There could be spots on their skin, and the color of their hair would turn white. It could get on your clothes as well. People had to stay away from those people until the spots went away. The people were separated from their community for 7 days.

We also learn that the high priests, or the Kohanim, have the responsibility of helping those people who are sick.  After the sick person was separated from the community for 7 days, the Kohanim would check them to make sure the spots were gone and the person was better. Not only were the Kohanim our leaders, but they also were our doctors.  They taught us what to do with certain illnesses.

There is a Midrash (Rabbinic story) that says that people got tzara’at from speaking unkind words about other people.  When someone says something unkind  about another person that is called speaking Lashon hara. Lashon Hara literally means having a “bad tongue”.

Did you ever have or know someone who had Chicken Pox?  Chicken Pox look sort of like Tzara’at.  But we know that we don’t get Chicken Pox from speaking lashon hara.  Chicken pox are itchy, red, scabby sores all over your body and you have to wait until they get better.   When we are sick, or if we have an eye infection, we often have to stay at home, away from our friends until we get better.  This is also what the people with those tzara’at spots had to do; stay away from the rest of the community until they got better.