 |
|
 |
Parshat Tazria
2005
Finding Holiness in Each Day
The Book of Leviticus takes us on a deep quest for holiness. We explore myriad ways in which holiness is lost and regained and parse out an unfamiliar ritual system for the restoration of the holy order.
The value of a spiritual journey is clear enough. The amount of attention the Torah gives to leprosy, on the other hand, seems out of place. While the sacrificial system is no longer in use, our retelling of its story enables us to maintain a sense of connection with our ancestors, helps us to link our quest for holiness with theirs, even as we achieve that holiness in a radically different way. It would be hard to make a similar case for leprosy, to which the Torah devotes fully two parshiyot.
"As for the person with a leprous affection, his clothes shall be rent, his head shall be left bare, and he shall cover over his upper lip; and he shall call out, 'Impure, impure.'" (Leviticus 13:45)
Rashi, the 12th-century French commentator (and vintner), points out that the proclamation "Impure, impure" is intended as a warning to those who might accidentally come in contact with the leper. It's quite clear that we are to separate ourselves from any source of impurity and not risk the contamination with which it is associated. But it does seem that this public declaration of impurity simply adds insult to injury. Is not the leper's physical suffering enough?
In an age of inclusion, in which we seek passionately to ensure that no one is left out, this is a discomfiting idea. Let's take a moment, though, to examine our understanding of the terms "pure" and "impure."
In Purity and Danger, Mary Tew Douglas writes, "Whether they are rigorously observed or violated, there is nothing in our rules of cleanness to suggest any connection between dirt and sacredness. Therefore, it is only mystifying to learn that primitives make little difference between sacredness and cleanness." For generations, we have presumed that to be impure meant to be unclean. However, a careful examination of the sources reveals that pure and impure are ritual categories. In most cases they yield restrictions on participation in temple or sacrificial service but have little impact on social behavior. Impurity is a reflection of a broken spiritual state. Anyone living in a close-knit community knows the degree to which diseases of the spirit can be spread and impact upon the well-being of the community as a whole.
Leprosy, it turns out, is one of the cases of impurity which does result in restrictions on social interaction. The reason for that may lie in the rabbinic interpretation of its cause: gossip. A play on the name of next week's parshah, Metzora, yields the acronym for motzi shem ra, one who brings forward a bad name (for someone else). Coupled with Tzipora's sudden leprosy following speaking ill of Moses' wife, the rabbis derive that leprosy was the punishment for lashon hara, or evil speech. The mandate to isolate the leper from the community would come, then, not to protect the community from his or her physical ailment, but from the spiritual affliction which posed a certain threat to others.
That said, we are still left with the challenge of a tradition which appears to mandate exclusion over rehabilitation. How are we to build a civil society, a community which is warm and welcoming, when we impose embarrassment and exclusion on those who suffer?
The Talmud comes to our rescue here. In Moed Katan we learn that the proclamation is intended not only to warn others of the risk of contact, but to elicit compassion and prayers. One who is guilty of undermining the spiritual health of the community is set apart, it's true. But the community maintains a sense of connection and responsibility, paving the way for their speedy return.
While we are fortunate that we do not cope with leprosy in our communities, we do cope with the ebb and flow of communal concerns and the balance and tension between maintaining standards which celebrate who we are and providing multiple points of entry for those who, for any number of reasons, are on the outside. We strive daily to create sacred, holy environments, nurturing the souls of individuals and communities alike. Some days are met with more success than others; sometimes it's hard to find the holiness in setting up one more chair or shlepping one more table. Then there is the moment where you see the light of understanding in a student's eyes, or you hear the chorus of many student voices raised in prayer or song. Ultimately, it is exhausting, fulfilling and sacred work, and it's our privilege to do our share.
Prepared by Rabbi Elyse Winick, Assistant director, KOACH
Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Tazria at MyJewishLearning.com.
|
 |
|
 |