This sheet on Leviticus 14 was written by Arnold Eisen for 929 and can also be found here
The actions taken by the High Priest in response to an outbreak of tzara’at—detailed in chapter 14 of Leviticus—cry out with the pathos of their own limitations.
The kohen can do many things in the face of the contagion: listen to the victim; examine the signs of infection; judge whether it has run its course; pronounce the afflicted one pure or impure; impose or lift quarantine; perform the required rituals of cleansing; and order the destruction of homes that cannot be freed of impurity. There is one thing the priest cannot do, however: provide a cure for the disease that claims his attention. That makes what he can and does offer, all the more valuable. The priest places the suffering Israelite in a divinely-commanded order of life-giving meaning and community.
Any sickness, in any time or place, imposes a degree of isolation. Considerable effort may be required to relieve that isolation, itself a source of pain—all the more so if the disease afflicting the patient is contagious and without a known cure. The sufferer needs comfort while the disease lasts, and ease of entry back into society when it passes. The community needs reminding that those who suffer are not closer to or farther from God than those who are spared. The comforters of today will be the patients of tomorrow.
The Torah knows that entire community has a role in healing. It understands the power of words to inflict pain and to relieve it. One hopes that we, 21st-century students of Torah, are wise enough to learn this lesson well.
The kohen can do many things in the face of the contagion: listen to the victim; examine the signs of infection; judge whether it has run its course; pronounce the afflicted one pure or impure; impose or lift quarantine; perform the required rituals of cleansing; and order the destruction of homes that cannot be freed of impurity. There is one thing the priest cannot do, however: provide a cure for the disease that claims his attention. That makes what he can and does offer, all the more valuable. The priest places the suffering Israelite in a divinely-commanded order of life-giving meaning and community.
Any sickness, in any time or place, imposes a degree of isolation. Considerable effort may be required to relieve that isolation, itself a source of pain—all the more so if the disease afflicting the patient is contagious and without a known cure. The sufferer needs comfort while the disease lasts, and ease of entry back into society when it passes. The community needs reminding that those who suffer are not closer to or farther from God than those who are spared. The comforters of today will be the patients of tomorrow.
The Torah knows that entire community has a role in healing. It understands the power of words to inflict pain and to relieve it. One hopes that we, 21st-century students of Torah, are wise enough to learn this lesson well.
(ג) וְיָצָא֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן אֶל־מִח֖וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וְרָאָה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְהִנֵּ֛ה נִרְפָּ֥א נֶֽגַע־הַצָּרַ֖עַת מִן־הַצָּרֽוּעַ׃
(3) the priest shall go outside the camp. If the priest sees that the leper has been healed of his scaly affection,
Arnold M. Eisen is the seventh chancellor of The Jewish Theological Seminary.
929 is the number of chapters in the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, the formative text of the Jewish heritage. It is also the name of a cutting-edge project dedicated to creating a global Jewish conversation anchored in the Hebrew Bible. 929 English invites Jews everywhere to read and study Tanakh, one chapter a day, Sunday through Thursday together with a website with creative readings and pluralistic interpretations, including audio and video, by a wide range of writers, artists, rabbis, educators, scholars, students and more. As an outgrowth of the web-based platform, 929 English also offers classes, pop-up lectures, events and across North America. We invite you to learn along with us and be part of our dynamic community.
To join 929's listserv for new and dynamic content each week click here
To join 929's listserv for new and dynamic content each week click here
