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		Living in Exile     Tazria/M'tzorah   (Lev 12:1 - 15:33)

Vayikra/Leviticus 13:3,34   And the priest shall see ... and declare him unclean // and the priest shall see ... and declare him clean

View whole verse and interlinear translation ...

View whole verse and interlinear translation ...

Our texts - taken from two different manifestations of tzara'at to find exactly matching words - come from the section of the Torah that deals with the curious and elusive skin condition that the rabbis associate with divine punishment of a range of 'unseen' human-to-human offences such as gossip and slander. Although we have considered in the past the condition itself and the restitution, some of the symptoms, the effect on the victim and how The Name ...

HaShem: literally, Hebrew for 'The Name' - an allusion used to avoid pronouncing the Tetragrammaton, the so-called 'ineffable' name of G–d
HaShem might use it to show that nothing is hidden from His gaze, not to mention the effect that such offences have on the community as well as the individuals concerned, here we are going to consider the cohen, the priest, and the role that he plays in the process. Who Is ...

Nechama Leibowitz: (1905-1997 CE), born in Riga, graduate of the University of Berlin, made aliyah in 1931; professor at Tel Aviv University; taught Torah for over 50 years
Nechama Leibowitz explains why the priest's role is so important: "tzara'at is not a biological phenomenon and purity and impurity are governed exclusively by halakhah, as applied by a priest. Neither a physician nor any other expert enjoy a standing in this matter."

Starting first with the Hebrew text, note that each action starts with the verb וְרָאָה, the Qal 3ms affix form of the root ראה, to see or look at (Davidson). ראה is one of the more frequently used verbs in Tanakh, occurring just over 1300 times. David Clines helpfully suggests that the meaning may sometimes extend to "observe, witness, experience",¹ and highlights the role the priest plays in the process. As Everett Fox points out, the priest "functions neither as medicine man nor as doctor, but simply as a religious official whose duty it is to check the afflicted person for signs of what is considered ritually polluting."² Robert Alter reports that "first we have the instructions about what the priest must do, then the official diagnostic declaration."³ The priest investigates and uses his eyes to inspect the blemish or skin marking to determine whether or not it is a manifestation of tzara'at. If the situation is unclear, he may require one or two seven-day waiting periods to assess whether the appearance of the physical symptom is changing and, if so, in which direction. The priest then makes a religio-judicial pronouncement and withdraws until summoned for further adjudication if further change, hopefully for the better, is observed. No curative or ameliorating measures are described or given; it is as if time itself is the only healer the Torah recognises.

Two specifically cultic verbs complete the actions. If the signs the priest observes are, in his opinion, typical of tzara'at - painstakingly described by the Torah - then he is to pronounced the person 'unclean' or 'impure'. If the person is free from the signs of tzara'at, then the priest is to pronounce them 'clean' or 'pure'. The root טמא, to be ritually impure, unclean,⁴ is used 30 times in this section; the root טהר, to be ritually pure, cleansed, purified,⁵ 36 times. Here the verbs are both used in their Pi'el 3ms affix forms; these often show the sense of making something or someone clean or unclean. Ezekiel, for example, speaks of a wicked man defiling or making unclean another man's wife (18:6). Should we therefore translate these actions as "making unclean" or "declaring unclean"? The priest is not transmitting impurity to or removing impurity from the person, nor altering their physical state, simply declaring the ritual state as a formal declaration of recognition of what he is. Tamar Kamionkowski observes that, "remarkably, it is not the person's condition but rather the priest's pronouncement that renders him impure; until the priest declare him impure he is not impure! Thus the priest's declaration in fact is what changes the person's status at that moment."⁶

We see the power of official words in action. Asked how the priest effects this ritual change of state, Who Is ...

Rashi: Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (1040-1105 CE), French rabbi who wrote commentaries on the Torah, the Prophets and the Talmud, lived in Troyes where he founded a yeshiva in 1067; focuses on the plain meaning (p'shat) of the text, although sometimes quite cryptic in his brevity
Rashi answers, "he shall say to him, 'You are unclean.'" That's it. John Hartley underlines this: "The pronouncement is critical for it changes a person's status from 'clean' to 'unclean', excluding that person from further participation in the cult. Thus the use of the Pi'el in this case is not strictly declarative, for the pronouncement alters a person's status."⁷ The priest has seen the presence or absence of the signs, detected the state of tzara'at and declared it clean or unclean. Baruch Levine notes, "literally the object of the verb is the disease, not the person, but here we find an instance of metonymy, a literary device whereby, in this instance, the disease is interchangeable with its victim. In referring to the disease, the text also refers to the person."

Now we have a hint of what is going on behind the scenes, so to speak, off camera. The symptoms have been inspected and an official pronouncement of ritual status made - that is all a matter of the public record. But the priest is no doctor, prescribes no treatment and offers no cure. He is, according to Samuel Balentine, "a cultic specialist who identifies impurities and administers rituals that enable the community to separate the 'unclean' from the 'clean'. To be clean is to be whole; to be whole, without blemish, is to be holy and acceptable for communion with G-d."⁸ The priest's purpose, Hartley confirms, "is to regulate those who access to the sanctuary in order to keep it and the congregation from defilement by entrance into the area of the sanctuary by one who is unclean."⁹ A clean person may enter the sanctuary, may participate in the sacrifices and rituals of the cult, may seek G-d's presence and blessing; an unclean person is barred from the sanctuary, may not participate in expressions or worship and contrition with the rest of Israel and is - in effect - excluded from G-d's presence and blessing. All this also for the sake of the community, so that G-d's wrath may not be poured out on them for bringing someone who is unclean into His presence.

Calum Carmichael makes a connection between the role of priests here and the narrative in 1 Samuel chapters 5-6. The ark has been seized by the Philistines, following their defeat of the Israelites in battle. They take the ark back to their cities, but the presence of the ark causes an outbreak of what Carmichael euphemistically calls "skin disease" - in the form of tumours or haemorrhoids - among the Philistines. The narrator tells us that the distressed Philistines "summoned the priests and the diviners and asked, 'What shall we do about the Ark of the Lord?'" (1 Samuel 6:2, NJPS). They turn to their priests for directions. The experts respond that the ark needs to be returned to HaShem, together with a suitable offering that is something between an apology and a guilt reparation. If this is done rightly, they predict that "you will be healed, and He will make Himself known to you; otherwise His hand will not turn away from you" (v. 3, NJPS). The lesson Carmichael draws is that priests know about skin diseases and that by turning to their priests, the people of Israel receive directions so that they can resume contact with the site of holiness.¹⁰

The gospels tell us that Yeshua healed people who had been afflicted with tzara'at, for example: "Yeshua reached out His hand, touched him and said, "I am willing! Be cleansed!" And at once he was cleansed from his tzara'at" (Matthew 8:3, CJB). Significant for our purpose today is that before the man went away, Yeshua told him, "See that you tell no one; but as a testimony to the people, go and let the cohen examine you, and offer the sacrifice that Moshe commanded" (v. 4, CJB). Why didn't Yeshua simply declare the man clean? Because it wasn't His job at that time; He wasn't a priest and the Temple system was still in operation. Only the priest could make the official determination and adjudication; the man needed to be inspected and declared clean by a priest and then bring the prescribed offering of "two live clean birds, cedar wood, crimson stuff, and hyssop" (Vayikra 14:4, NJPS). During His ministry years, Yeshua was a man under authority and worked with the system that G-d had set in place at Sinai. Now, of course, that the Temple system is no longer in operation and He has "become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of G-d" (Hebrews 2:17, ESV), Yeshua can - and does - declare people clean, when He forgives their sin and brings them into right relationship with the Father. In fact, He is the only one who can now fulfil that function.

As exiles, we see signs and symptoms of modern-day tzara'at all around us: dysfunctional individuals, families and institutions; habits, addictions and life-style choices that make people unclean. But - I sure you have noticed - people rarely respond well to a clinical determination of their condition and a declaration of their status before G-d. Perhaps the reason for that is because it is not our job. There are, of course, those rare moments when someone will genuinely ask for your frank opinion. After telling you all about themselves and their troubles, they then invite you to comment and make suggestions. We must still resist the temptation to do more than offer sympathy and an introduction to Yeshua. We make the introduction and He will reveal His adjudication directly to them at the right time so that they can invite Him to touch, heal and cleanse them. But here's the thing: jumping that process makes a barrier for Yeshua's message and invitation, either because folk push back and resent our input, saying they feel judged, or because they accept our words and think that they are sorted, when the truth is that they still need Yeshua to declare them clean.

Yeshua, G-d's great High Priest, "became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, being designated by G-d a high priest after the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 5:9-10, ESV). We may see tzara'at - literally or figuratively - but it is not our position to adjudicate. We can call for the priest and He - who sees all - will heal and declare His people clean. Baruch HaShem!

1. - David J. A. Clines (ed.) The Concise Dictionary of Classical Hebrew, (Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2009), page 407.

2. - Everett Fox, The Five Books of Moses The Schocken Bible Vol 1, (New York, NY: Schocken Books, 1995), page 562.

3. - Robert Alter, The Five Books of Moses, (New York, Norton, 2004), page 409.

4. - Clines, page 141.

5. - Clines, page 139.

6. - S. Tamar Kamionkowski, Leviticus, Wisdom Commentaries, (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2018), page 124.

7. - John E. Hartley, Leviticus, Word Biblical Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1992), page 190.

8. - Samuel E. Balentine, Leviticus, Interpretation, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), page 105.

9. - Hartley, page 184.

10. - Calum Carmichael, Illuminating Leviticus, (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006), 21-22.

Further Study: Psalm 51:1-7; Malachia 3:1-4; Luke 17:11-19

Application: Have you called for the Great High Priest and asked Him to "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!" (Psalm 51:2, ESV). He is faithful and will pronounce you clean and pure before Him when you call on Him name.

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© Jonathan Allen, 2025

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