Readings for Tuesday,
April 9, 2024
Rosh Chodesh Nisan
28:1-15 Bamidbar (Numbers)
This is the standard reading for each Rosh Chodesh. Rosh Chodesh is the name of the minor holiday that marks the start of each month. The term Rosh Chodesh is translated as New Moon. The first day of the month is referred to as Rosh Chodesh because the months are lunar and the first day of each month comes with the start of the new moon. In the days of the Temple special sacrifices were brought in honor of the new moon. With the destruction of the Temple, the sacrificial system ended. In place of the sacrifices, Jews read a description of the sacrificial offerings, which is described in the first fifteen verses of chapter 28 in the book of Numbers. The Torah reading takes place during the daily morning service. There are many Jews who have no desire to return to the sacrificial system. They use these readings as a way of providing a connection with the past which is one of the keys to our future. Because of its connection with the moon, Rosh Chodesh is thought to have a special meaning for women. Some sages suggest that wives and mothers should be given gifts on Rosh Chodesh. There are other sages who think that Tzedakah should be given in the name of these women. Once again, Jewish fund raisers would seem to be missing a golden opportunity (no pun intended).
Nisan is the first month of the “religious calendar” and the seventh month of the year counting from Rosh Hashanah. The Torah refers to Nisan as “the first of the months of year” and as “Abib,” the month of spring. The Biblical references to the month as “Nisan” are found in the books of Nehemiah and Esther, showing that this appellation came into use during the Babylonian exile.
The 15th of Nisan marks the seminal event in Jewish history, the Exodus from Egypt which is marked by the celebration of Pesach (Passover). The 15th of the Nisan also marked the start of the harvest season in ancient Israel. This gave rise to the counting of the Omer which starts on the 16th of Nisan. In Israel, the 27th of Nisan is Yom Ha-Shoah or Holocaust Memorial Day. The 14th of Nisan is the day on which the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is memorialized.
Readings for Saturday, April 13, 2024
Tazria ( “To
bring forth seed’)
12:21 - 13:59 Vayikra (Leviticus)
Tazria
is the fourth sedrah in Vayikra (Leviticus).
The term “Tazria” is translated variously as “to bring forth seed” or
“childbirth” or “be delivered.” The
portion begins with the statement, “When a woman at childbirth ‘Tazria’ bears a
male.…” The name of the sedrah usually
comes from the first or first important word in the portion. It would be a fair question to ask why this
sedrah is not call “Ishah” or Woman since the word “Ishah” comes before
“Tazria.” The word “Ishah” would certainly
seem to be of prime importance when talking about childbirth. Also, the first chapter of the sedrah deals
with laws of purification relating to the “Ishah” or woman who has given birth
to a son or daughter. The balance of the
sedrah deals with “tzara’at,” a word that is traditionally translated as
leprosy. Based on the description of the
affliction described in the Torah, “tzara’at” is not what we call leprosy or
Hansen’s Disease. Depending upon the
commentator, the disease in the Torah is “a scaly affection on the skin” and
may in fact be more a general term for several skin ailments. The Torah is not a medical book and the
Kohanim were not medicine men.
Interestingly
enough, “tzara’at” can be found in woolen cloth and linen fabric. This would further underscore that the
disease described in the Torah is not the same as what we call leprosy. This sedrah is dealing with a concept of
“tumah” or “ritual impurity.” In each
instance, it describes the impurity, the role of the priest and the method for
responding to the impurity. According to
some, ritual impurity is not to be equated with sin. Rather it is a condition that people find
themselves in; a condition that has a physical manifestation; a condition that
can be dealt with and usually remedied.
There are also those who say the first part of the sedrah concerning the
new mother is a manifestation of ancient man’s sense of awe when confronted by
childbirth. A lack of understanding of
an event often would lead ancient man to create a series of taboos and
rituals. If this is so, then the authors
of the Torah have attempted to provide a Jewish context for pre-existing
behavior.
Themes
Commandments
166. The specification that a woman
becomes ritually unclean after giving birth (12:2, 5).
167. The prohibition of a person who is
ritually unclean from eating the meat of a sacrifice offered at the sanctuary
(12:4).
168. The specification of the sacrifice
to be brought by a woman who has given birth (12:6, 7).
169. The specification of ritual
uncleanness of a metzora, a person with a specific sort of skin affliction
(13:2-3).
170. The prohibition against shaving the
area of a scaly skin affliction (13:33).
171. The commandment that one afflicted
with the disease of tzara’at should rend his clothes and let his hair grow
loose, like a mourner (13:45).
172. The procedure to be followed when
there is an affliction of tzara’at on clothing (13:47-54).
From
Biblical Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
Tzara’at
This
is neither the first time nor the last time we will meet this skin
condition. Remember how Moshe’s hand
turned white and then returned to normal in Shemot. Also, Miriam will suffer a skin affliction
when she gossips about her brother.
Judaism does not connect ill health to divine punishment. On the other hand, Judaism, like modern
psychology does see a connection between the spirit and the body. Etz Hayim had one of the best notes about
this citing the sages who saw the commonality between leprosy and malicious
gossip. They are both highly
contagious. The gossip, like the leper,
can infect another with his evil tongue.
Tzara’at can be visited on those with haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood in secret, a mind that hatches evil, feet quick
to do wrong, a witness who testifies falsely and one who incites brothers to
quarrel. While we may no longer perform
the rituals, reading the sedrah should remind us of the evil of the wagging
tongue.
Tazria
For
those of you who are interested in reading more about why this sedrah is called
Tazria and not Ishah, I suggest you read the section in Torah Studies by Rabbi
Schneerson by that name. The discussion
is interesting, but beyond my ability to summarize.
Haftarah
7:3-20 Second Kings
The Man: The prophetic portion covers two more miracles involving Elisha, the son of Shaphat from the tribe of Gad. The miracles are noted at the end of this guide. The haftarah comes from the Books of Kings, specifically Second Kings. Sepher Melachim (Book of Kings) covers a period of roughly four hundred years. It begins with the last days of King David and continues through the reign of King Solomon, the establishment of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms and the destruction of both these monarchies. From another point of view, First Kings opens with the last days of King David and ends with the events surrounding the death of King Ahab. Second Kings opens with events surrounding the life of King Ahab’s son, Achaziah. It ends in Babylonia with Jehoiachin, the last King of Judah, being released from prison. This was seen as a harbinger of the ultimate redemption and return from exile. For those of you who are into dates, the narrative begins in approximately 965 B.C.E. and ends in 586 B.C.E. The prophet Elisha is the main character in this week’s reading. Elisha preached in the Northern Kingdom, Israel, for approximately sixty years. Before ascending to heaven, Elijah chose Elisha as his successor. Unlike his predecessor, Elisha appears to have worked more as an insider, advising the monarchs instead of being an external irritant. This does not mean that Elisha was pliant or afraid to point out the shortcomings of his society. Elisha is noted for the miracles he performed - seventeen in all according to the sages. These miracle stories must have been quite popular since most, if not all of them are included in various prophetic portions in the course of the year. Two of these miracles are featured in this week’s prophetic portion.
The Message: The haftarah is actually the climactic part of an event that began with II Kings 6:8. The King of Aram (probably Ben-hadad who reigned in Damascus) attacked the Kingdom of Israel. He laid siege to Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom. According to the text, the siege was so horrific that the people resorted to cannibalism. The King of Israel lost heart and threatened the life of Elisha. But Elisha told him not be afraid and predicted that the siege would be lifted. This is where the narrative of the haftarah begins. According to the text, four Israelite lepers were sitting outside of the city. As outcasts, they were caught between the besieged Israelites and the besieging Arameans. Figuring they had nothing to lose, they snuck into the Aramean camp looking for food and shelter. Much to their surprise, they found that the camp was empty. Thanks to a miracle from God, the Arameans had retreated in the night. At first, the lepers began looting the camp. But then they had a change of heart and decided to go back and tell the Israelites what had happened.
Theme-Link: The sedrah tells about the law of the leper. The prophetic portion tells about the behavior of four lepers. The haftarah puts a slightly different spin on this skin condition. According to some, leprosy was a punishment for “evil speech.” They cite the story of Miriam as an example of this. In this haftarah, lepers behave in morally superior manner. Even though they are outcasts, they decide that it is wrong to keep the Aramean booty for themselves. Instead, they return to the city to let the people know that they have been spared. Ironically, it is the lepers who reveal God’s miracle.
Miracles: “The confusion caused by God in the Aramean camp” (II Kings 7:6).
“The lowering of prices in the markets of Samaria and the death of the captain who had jeered at Elisha” (II Kings 7:16).
Personal Note: My grandson chanted this haftarah based on
events in the life of the Prophet Elisha as part of his Bar Mitzvah. There are those who believe that there is a
special connection between the Bar Mitzvah Boy and the Prophet who provides his
reading. While Elisha is remembered for
many things, the greatest thing he did came just after Elijah, his mentor and
teacher, was taken up in the fiery chariot.
“He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back,
and stood by the bank of the Jordan.” In
other words, Elisha followed in the footsteps of Elijah. He took hold of the tradition, kept it alive
and trained the next generation to follow in the footsteps of a journey begun
by Abraham. Jacob, like Elijah, has
picked up the mantle. With his Bar
Mitzvah he has followed in the footsteps of all those who came before them and
committed himself to travel down the road of Torah and Mitzvah. A grandfather could ask for no greater
gift. And yet Jacob, by being a mensch
in the truest sense of that word has given us so much more. As he stood before the congregation, he knew
that no matter what he does or where he goes, we will always love him.
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