This sheet on Leviticus 13 was written by Beth Kissileff for 929 and can also be found here
“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery in The Little Prince
Lepers need to be seen and examined by the cohen, the priest? Why? The root “resh-aleph-heh” to see, appears 35 times between Leviticus 13:3-57 and is signaling something of importance in its persistent repetition.
But who is this leper, and what led that individual to have this condition? “Tzara’at” in the Bible is thought to be Hansen’s disease, though not all the symptoms of “tzara’at” conform to that diagnosis. So perhaps the bodily symptoms are a physical manifestation of something else.
The rabbis suggested that one who has leprosy, a “metzora,” is a “motzei shem ra” one who “brings out an evil name” (Talmud, Arachin 15b). According to that approach, we need to think about why people say bad things about others. Sometimes, it is in an effort to call attention to themselves by bringing others down, if they don’t see a more positive means to gain the interest of the community.
So the things that are done to cure the disease must be things that will act as an antidote to the negative desires that led to the disease.
The constant repetition of the verb “to see” may be suggesting to us that being examined by the priest is really an opportunity for the leper to allow another human to view them, and enter into a therapeutic relationship. Therapist Lori Gottlieb describes the experience of therapy in a discussion of her new book: “What they discover in therapy is that the truth of who they are — warts and all — is what draws people to them. That’s the glue, because in that truth lies connection. I see you. You see me. That’s a delicious feeling.” Though she wasn’t thinking of this portion, I imagine, the image resonates: the priest, like a therapist, sees, understands and aids the diseased, warts and all, through examination of the physical symptoms.
Part of the cure is for the priest to examine the metzora and part is to enable the afflicted to learn to reconnect with others in a healthier manner than gossiping about them. When the person with tzara’at has his clothes torn, head uncovered and lips covered they should call out “unclean unclean” (13:45) to warn others of their approach. The Talmud suggests in Niddah 66b that in fact this declaration is “to let the public multitudes know of his suffering so they implore in prayer mercy on his behalf.”
Once the person is seen, that individual is able to ask others for what he or she needs in order to become reintegrated into the community.
When the needs of the metzora become visible externally, that person can let others see them and be assisted, knowing that even when they act inappropriately, others will care and help them to change. The essential may be invisible to the eye, but with the metzora, the essential, the cry for help becomes visible, and once seen, finally changed.
Lepers need to be seen and examined by the cohen, the priest? Why? The root “resh-aleph-heh” to see, appears 35 times between Leviticus 13:3-57 and is signaling something of importance in its persistent repetition.
But who is this leper, and what led that individual to have this condition? “Tzara’at” in the Bible is thought to be Hansen’s disease, though not all the symptoms of “tzara’at” conform to that diagnosis. So perhaps the bodily symptoms are a physical manifestation of something else.
The rabbis suggested that one who has leprosy, a “metzora,” is a “motzei shem ra” one who “brings out an evil name” (Talmud, Arachin 15b). According to that approach, we need to think about why people say bad things about others. Sometimes, it is in an effort to call attention to themselves by bringing others down, if they don’t see a more positive means to gain the interest of the community.
So the things that are done to cure the disease must be things that will act as an antidote to the negative desires that led to the disease.
The constant repetition of the verb “to see” may be suggesting to us that being examined by the priest is really an opportunity for the leper to allow another human to view them, and enter into a therapeutic relationship. Therapist Lori Gottlieb describes the experience of therapy in a discussion of her new book: “What they discover in therapy is that the truth of who they are — warts and all — is what draws people to them. That’s the glue, because in that truth lies connection. I see you. You see me. That’s a delicious feeling.” Though she wasn’t thinking of this portion, I imagine, the image resonates: the priest, like a therapist, sees, understands and aids the diseased, warts and all, through examination of the physical symptoms.
Part of the cure is for the priest to examine the metzora and part is to enable the afflicted to learn to reconnect with others in a healthier manner than gossiping about them. When the person with tzara’at has his clothes torn, head uncovered and lips covered they should call out “unclean unclean” (13:45) to warn others of their approach. The Talmud suggests in Niddah 66b that in fact this declaration is “to let the public multitudes know of his suffering so they implore in prayer mercy on his behalf.”
Once the person is seen, that individual is able to ask others for what he or she needs in order to become reintegrated into the community.
When the needs of the metzora become visible externally, that person can let others see them and be assisted, knowing that even when they act inappropriately, others will care and help them to change. The essential may be invisible to the eye, but with the metzora, the essential, the cry for help becomes visible, and once seen, finally changed.
Beth Kissileff is the editor of the anthology Reading Genesis (Bloomsbury/ T and T Clark, 2016) , a journalist and teacher.
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