April 20, 2024 · י"ב ניסן תשפ״ד
Parashat Metzora · פרשת מצורע
A PEEK AT THE PARSHA Parshat Metzora begins with a description of the purification procedure for a person who has Tzara'at. After the kohen determines that the Tzara'at has been healed, a ceremony involving two birds, a cedar plank, a scarlet thread and water from a live stream, is used for the initial stage of the purification. After 7 days, the person brings three animals and an oil offering to the Beit Hamikdash. If the individual suffering from Tzara'at cannot afford the sacrifices, two birds can be substituted for two of the animals.
ONE BIG IDEA This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Hagadol. It is called that for several reasons. The main reason is because a big miracle happened in Egypt around this time. The firstborn Egyptian males found out that the Jewish People were going to sacrifice a lamb before the Plague of the Firstborn and they asked Paroh to stop them but he wouldn’t because he couldn’t. So the firstborn males fought with Paroh’s army and many Egyptians died. They didn’t die because of a plague or because of war with the Jewish People. They died fighting with each other. This is a reminder that we need to know who our enemies are and who our friends are and never fight in general, but certainly not with our friends.
Homes, too, can be afflicted with Tzara'at. If stones on a home become discolored acquiring a strong red or green pigment - a kohen is called to analyze the stones. If it is Tzara'at, the home is off-limits for up to three weeks. Either the colors fade, or the specific stones are removed or the house is demolished. The purification process for a home is similar to the process for a person. After concluding the subject of Tzara'at, the Torah discusses other cases of impurity and the purification process. These cases require a person to go into a Mikvah (a natural body of water, which could be an ocean, a lake, or a small pool that has collected rainwater or other natural water). Sometimes, the purification process also involves bringing a sacrifice.
TIMES - זמנים Candle-lighting: 7:22pm Havdalah: 8:20pm allah: 5:25pm