Parasha Metzora (מצורע) — Vayikra 14:1 – 15:33. Read on Shabbat, April 17, 2027.
Summary of Parasha Metzora
The parasha describes the purification of a person healed of tzara’at. The kohen goes out of the camp to examine him. Two pure birds are taken, together with cedar wood, a scarlet thread and hyssop: one bird is slaughtered over living water, and the other, dipped with these items in the blood, is set free into the open field. The person washes, shaves off all his hair, launders his garments and may return to the camp, while remaining outside his tent for seven days. On the eighth day, he brings offerings; the kohen places blood and oil on the lobe of his right ear, the thumb of his right hand and the big toe of his right foot. A reduced offering is provided for one whose means are limited. The Torah then deals with tzara’at of houses, which will apply once the children of Israel enter Canaan: the owner informs the kohen, the house is emptied and then examined; the affected stones are removed and replaced, and if the affliction reappears, the house is torn down. A purification similar to that of the person is prescribed when the house is declared pure. The parasha concludes with the laws of impurity connected with certain discharges of men and women, and with the rules for their purification.
The Themes
- Reintegration into the camp
- The tzara’at of houses
- Purity and impurity
Rav Raphaël Benizri’s Lectures on Metzora
There are no lectures by the Rav on this parasha yet. Find all available lectures on the Weekly Parasha page.
A Question for the Shabbat Table
After a period of exclusion, what does it take for someone to fully regain their place among others?
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Summary by the Pensées Juives editorial team. The Rav’s teachings are found in his lectures, linked above.