Pro-Life Torah Metzora

The Torah reading this week, Metzora: Leviticus 14:1-15:33, opens by describing the specific rituals necessary to purify a Metzora, a person afflicted with skin lesions. Purification is the prerequisite to reinstatement back into community. Treatments for dwellings afflicted with lesions follows. The portion concludes detailing gender related impurities and various cleansing remedies for each.

Purification requires sophisticated diagnostic and prescriptive talent and experience possessed only by a priest. The priest discerns whether the lesions simply represent a physical malady or reflect serious spiritual sickness. The spiritual ailment, contracted by engaging in slander, gossip, and arrogant self-will, vanishes under intense self-examination and sincere atonement for harms done. Afterwards, the priest applies a mystifying combination of precisely blended elements and animal sacrifices. The priest applies a similar treatment to an infected dwelling after a thorough cleaning and plastering removes the lesions, deeming it habitable once again. 

The priest approaches each case keeping in mind that HaShem allows these afflictions in order to facilitate personal and national redemption. Every Jewish soul longs to be close to the Almighty. This desire is often misdirected, leading to self imposed separation from Him. An individual with good intentions who is uneducated in Torah principles, coerced, or manipulated into wrongdoing experiences this separation. Our sages explain that their suffering comes from an imbalance between loving kindness and disciplined strength. Successful restoration depends on rebalancing through education, God’s mercy, and Teshuvah.

Many Jews have replaced devotion to HaShem and Torah with zealous dedication to feminism and abortion rights. Seduced by abortion propaganda that markets unrestricted abortion as a civil right needed for income equity and sexual freedom, they remain unconcerned about the true motives behind abortion rhetoric - mega profits and deliberate elimination of racial minorities, including Jews. 

Child sacrifice is prohibited in Judaism, as is abortion. Jewish advocates who favor killing innocent children in the womb often rationalize their position by citing our narrow exception to this prohibition - to save the life of the Mother, which has been expanded and corrupted beyond its original intent. When looking at the abortion question through the prism of theology, let us apply our science based Halacha, instead. Science clearly proves that the child in the womb is a living human being from the moment of conception. Judaism sanctifies all human life, so it is imperative to balance compassion for a vulnerable mother with the strength of character it takes to include the child’s wellbeing and a loving father’s concerns in the remedy for the problem she faces. This whole life solution saves lives, strengthens families, and fortifies the spiritual health of all involved.

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

Cecily Routman

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