Sharing my thoughts on Torah Portion Metzorah. This was a short but meaty portion.  This is my 5th year of reading the Torah Portions each Shabbat and I learn something new each time.  I use a different translation each Torah cycle.  This cycle I am using Shocken Bible.  I have to tell you I DO NOT like the commentary part, but I love the language of the Scriptures. I like having a book to hold, but if you want to read it online, here is a pdf. Thoughts on Metzorah Torah Portion As usual, these will be my random thoughts. I highly recommend you study Scriptures for yourself. Don’t take anyone’s words, commentary as anything other than their opinion. You must know why you believe what you believe.  Don’t leave your salvation up to somebody else’s interpretation!

The first thing I noticed is that the Priest determined if a person was unclean or clean {Leviticus 14:2}. The Priest didn’t ask what or if they had sinned… because in Hebraic thought, sickness is caused by sin. Think of an umbrella. You choose to either stay under the umbrella and stay dry (receive the blessings) or you choose to walk out from underneath the umbrella and get wet (receive the curses). Abba defines the walk and He has provided the umbrella (His Word).  We choose if we are going to receive the blessings (His path) or the curses (not on His path). Either way, it is our decision.

I’ll take it one step further. Not only did the Priest not ask you IF you sinned, he knew THE sin you committed to be Leprous. Who is the person that had Leprosy first in Scripture?  And what did they have Leprosy for?  Research it… A lesson is there to be dug up. If you do not have eSword, it is a fantastic way to really dig into and search scripture. And it will help you find the first person to have it.

Another aspect that completely struck me this time is there are seven days of purification but the unclean person is not fully clean until the 8th day and the events on the 8th day. So, we are being purified… but until we reach the eighth day and are deemed clean by the Priest, we are still in the process of being purified. This process of being purified is exactly like Aaron and his sons for the priesthood…. hmmm, think something is there?  Me too! On the 8th day, the unclean person is to be bring a he lamb as an Asham offering. The only time a “he lamb” is specified for the Asham offering is here for leprosy and for the Nazarite vow. There is more to this that I have not studied out… but think about it.  In both situations the requirement to shave is stated …  Both have HE lambs as their offering. Both are set apart (although for very different reasons)… but they are both identifiable by their “set apartness.”  Did you know the Levite Priests are shaven head to toe too {Numbers 8:6-7} when they begin their service?  Consecrated….  Born again…  covenant relationship; Priests, Nazarite vows and leprous people being brought back into “priestly” covenant…. there is more here to dig into.  I will be back to visit this study and soon!

Why did the Priest place blood and oil on the leprous person’s right ear, right thumb and right thumb toe?  Because the ear is for hearing, the thumb represents doing, and the toe represents walking.  So we are to hear, do and walk in His ways.  In other words, Shema!

Then we move into a home becoming Leprous. What do the green and red eruptions represent? Rabbinic and Hebraic thought is that this is Lashon Hora (evil speech). Tearing down a person (even if it is true). Lashon Hora leads to… a breaking or removal from the Almighty, which will lead to the attitude of loftiness resulting in rebelliousness and pride, followed by wrong attachments (false light)… so Teach Torah, His path!

For such a short Torah portion, there is so much to dig in.  Every time you see detail (numbers, cities, colors, names, etc.) there is something to study out there.  So you can see there is much, much more to study in this Torah portion.

Until next time, Shalom! Shalom!

 

Resources I recommend to help you study scripture.  Some are free and some you purchase.  All of these I have and use!  

Schocken Bible

Onkelos

Stone’s Chumash

Complete Jewish Bible online

Keil and Delitzsch

Delitzsch’s Hebrew Gospels

Complete Jewish Bible

The Scriptures

Artscroll

eSword

Blue Letter Bible