Parshas Tazria-Metzora: Spiritual Growth Begins at Conception

We have a double Torah portion this week, Tazria: Vayikra (Leviticus)12:1-13:59, and Metzora: Vayikra (Leviticus) 14:1-15:33. Both portions cover the physical and metaphysical aspects of impurity in human beings and how to remedy it. The physical symptom is a skin disease or household blight. The metaphysical malady is ungodliness. The remedy is Teshuvah.

Tazria opens with a list of rituals needed to purify a woman after childbirth. Tazria means “conceives’ or ‘she will cause to grow the child in her womb,’ alluding to the Divine Blueprint of Life responsible for creating a human being from conception. Mothers devote much energy to growing children before birth and nurturing their development afterwards. Good parents encourage their children to grow into spiritually mature people who truly reflect the image of God. 

In Tazria, we learn that Tzara’at, light colored lesions on garments, body, or head, indicate the character defects of gossip, slander, and haughtiness. This unsightly physical condition together with imposed social isolation drives the sufferer to abandon malicious truth telling, justified faultfinding and self righteous egotism. The process can ultimately produce a reformed individual who stays focused on self improvement rather than pointing out the flaws in other people. This is Teshuvah in action, a daily effort to restore a close relationship with God by living life to serve God and others rather than by the former self satisfying method.

Metzora describes specific rituals necessary to purify a Metzora, a person afflicted with skin lesions or a blighted dwelling. Purification is the prerequisite for reinstatement back into community or back into the house. The portion concludes detailing gender related impurities and various cleansing remedies for each.

Our Haftarah portion this week, II Melachim (Kings) 7:3-20, features four men with Tzara’at quarantined outside the city gate, the prophet Elisha, and his antagonist, King Jehoram of Israel. The King blames Elisha for allowing the invasion of Samaria by the city-state of Aram. Famine now poses an existential threat to Israel’s future. The King wants to execute Elisha, who predicts a return to prewar borders and abundant food supplies the very next day! 

Driven by hunger, the four men go to the enemy camp to beg for food and discover the army has fled the area after God afflicts them with terrifying delusions of imminent destruction. They leave behind lots of provisions. The men alert the gatekeeper, the gatekeeper informs the King, the King tells the people. Everybody enjoys a good meal and a return to normalcy. Elisha’s fantastic prediction comes true.

Our metaphysical state of being, or spiritual health if you prefer, depends upon our closeness with the Divine presence. God gives us an innate desire to grow closer to Him and to a life based in Torah principles. Too often our spiritual growth stalls due to fears, personal ambitions, misinformation, misunderstanding of Torah fundamentals, and worldly distractions. These pitfalls invariably result in an acute personal crisis. Disappointments, heartache, emotional and mental disturbances indicate a profound separation from God’s presence. We are spiritually sick.

Our sages explain that spiritual suffering comes from an imbalance between compassion and disciplined strength. Successful restoration depends on rebalancing these personality attributes through education, Teshuvah, and relying on God's mercy. Judaism sanctifies all human life from conception, so it is imperative to balance compassion for a vulnerable mother with the strength of character it takes to include the baby’s wellbeing and a father’s obligations in the remedy for the problem she faces. This whole life solution saves lives, strengthens families, and fortifies the spiritual health of all involved. Solutions that abandon women and children to the abortionist and fail to support men’s responsibility for their unborn children increase spiritual sickness. 

We recognize that good people often fall under the spell of baby killing profiteers, eugenicists, and their propaganda. We ought not judge too harshly those who suffer as many of us once did. Tolerance, truth, empathy and urgency inform our efforts to educate our family and friends about why and how we can save innocent lives, and heal suffering souls through Tikvat Rachel, our Teshuvah based program for Jewish women and men who suffer after abortion.

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Cecily Routman

May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and good life upon us and upon all Israel. Amen.

Cecily Routman is the founder and president of the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation. She opposes abortion homicide in general and among Jews in particular and laments secular policy making in Israel that results in loss of Jewish life and delays the messianic redemption. She envisions a Torah based holy Land of Israel and a world that respects the life of every human being from conception.