TZARAAT and SIN are very much related!

The Yarden/Jordan River and Samaria were places of YAH’S Miracles!

Your Body is the Temple of RUACH HA KODESH Almighty! 

YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH is the Perfect, Eternal Priest, able to serve forever in the INCORRUPTIBLE Temple.

 

SHALOM!

Romans 7:24-25 Names of God Bible (NOG)

²⁴ What a miserable person I am! Who will rescue me from my dying body? ²⁵ I thank God that our Lord Yeshua Christ rescues me! So I am obedient to God’s standards with my mind, but I am obedient to sin’s standards with my corrupt nature.

 

 

 

Why study about TZARAAT (mistranslated as LEPROSY)?

 

Why is TZARAAT (mistranslated as LEPROSY) associated with UNCLEANLINESS

and

Why was the “healing of Metzoraim (mistranslated as Lepers)” such a central concern in the Ministry of YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH?

 

 

 

LEPROSY IS A SKIN DISEASE but is the same thing as TZARAAT?

Scholars have long recognized that the King James translation of tzara’at as leprosy (Hansen’s disease), which derives from the LXX’s Greek term lepra (meaning “scaly or rough skin”), is implausible.

(Implausible –  not seeming reasonable or probable; failing to convince)

Leprosy is generally a scarring illness that leaves the victim permanently disfigured. The symptoms of Hansen’s disease differ radically from those of tzara’at.  This contrasts sharply with the picture drawn in the parasha in which a person with tzaraat could achieve a complete remission and re-enter the camp without any residual evidence of the antecedent skin condition.

The global epidemiology of Hansen’s disease suggests that its incidence in most of the Middle East is close to zero, thus ancient Israelites would not have encountered it.  This is especially true since recent studies suggest that leprosy was only introduced to the Middle East with in the last 2,000 years.

 

Lukas 4:27-29 Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB)

²⁷ And many metzoraim (lepers) were in Yisroel during the time of Elisha HaNavi, and not one of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.

²⁸ And hearing these things, all in the shul were filled with ka’as (anger).

²⁹ And they got up and drove Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach outside the shtetl; and they led him up to the top of the hill upon which the shtetl had been built, and they were intending to throw him down. [BAMIDBAR 15:35]

 

 

This teaching is inspired by The TORAH Portion Reading called: “TAZRIA-METZORA.”

 

The condition described as leprosy in the Bible is NOT the same as modern Leprosy or Hansen’s Disease as it is often called.

 

The Hebrew word “sara’at” is a ritualistic term denoting:

• uncleanness

or

• defilement

and

• covered a range of conditions that could affect people, or clothing, or even a wall.

 

LEPROSY WAS A STIGMA!

 

In the days of old, if anyone developed Leprosy, they had to stay away from society, that is to say, be isolated!

 

LEPROSY WAS OFTEN ATTRIBUTED TO and/or ASSOCIATED WITH SIN/DISOBEDIENCE!

 

In this day and age, we still have skin diseases in society, for example:

• Measles
• Scurvy
• Scarlet Fever
• Chicken Pox/Small Pox, etc.

 

Note that even without reading the TORAH, it is clear that when one obtains such a skin disease, they have to be isolated for sometime.

 

What does Science have to say about Leprosy?

When was Leprosy first discovered?

1873: Dr. Gerhard Henrik Armauer Hansen of Norway was the first person to identify the germ that causes leprosy under a microscope. Hansen’s discovery of Mycobacterium leprae proved that leprosy was caused by a germ, and was thus not hereditary, from a curse, or from a sin.

 

Does Leprosy still exist today,  according to Science?

Yes. Does leprosy still exist? Yes – leprosy is not a disease consigned to Biblical times. More than 200,000 new cases are recorded each year globally and three million people are living with irreversible disabilities, including blindness, because of leprosy.

In 2016 there were 12 countries reporting more than 1,000 new cases of leprosy. These were Bangladesh, Brazil, DR Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia,Madagascar, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria and Tanzania.

As per a report in 2015, Kalaupapa, on the island of Molokai, is Hawaii’s leprosy colony, where 8,000 people were sent into exile over the course of a century. Six of these patients still live sequestered, out of the 16 total patients who are still alive (30 Aug 2015).

Leprosy can affect people of all races all around the world. However, it is most common in warm, wet areas in the tropics and subtropics. Worldwide prevalence is reported to be around 5.5 million, with 80% of these cases found in 5 countries: India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Brazil and Nigeria.

Does leprosy cause body parts to fall off? In short: no. Leprosy attacks the nerves in the cooler parts of the body, particularly those that relate to the hands, feet and face. The result is a loss of sensation in these areas meaning a person is at much greater risk of injury as they cannot feel pain.

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, an acid-fast, rod-shaped bacillus. The disease mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes. Leprosy is curable and treatment in the early stages can prevent disability.

Leprosy is a chronic mildly contagious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, a bacteria similar to that which causes tuberculosis. … Leprosy rarely causes death but untreated it causes much disability. Leprosy caused 0.011% of all deaths worldwide in 2002, with an average of 1 death per million people.

It usually takes about 3 to 5 years for symptoms to appear after coming into contact with the leprosy-causing bacteria. Some people do not develop symptoms until 20 years later. The time between contact with the bacteria and the appearance of symptoms is called the incubation period.

Vaccination against leprosy. There is no vaccine generally available to specifically prevent leprosy. However, the vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), called the BCGvaccine, may provide some protection against leprosy. This is because the organism that causes leprosy is closely related to the one that causes TB.

Since leprosy causes severe sensory loss, scant attention has been paid to pain inleprosy, because of the assumption that pain could not occur in these patients. However, chronic pain in leprosy emerges as a challenge during or after MDT.

The best way to prevent the spread of leprosy is the early diagnosis and treatment of people who are infected. For household contacts, immediate and annual examinations are recommended for at least five years after last contact with a person who is infectious.

Some armadillos, placental mammals with leathery armor, are naturally infected with leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Armadillos are known to carry leprosy—in fact, they are the only wild animals other than humans upon which the picky M. leprae can stand to live—and scientists suspected that these anomalous cases were due to contact with the little armoredtootsie rolls.

 

 

 

 

 

Tzaraat–A Biblical Affliction

Commonly mistranslated as leprosy, this ailment described in the Bible cannot be healed by doctors.

 

According to the King James translation of the Bible, both Moses and Miriam suffered from leprosy at some point in their lives. But the Hebrew word often translated as Leprosy, Tzaraat, is not the same as the disease we call Leprosy (also known as Hansen’s disease) today. In the Bible, Tzaraat is a skin disease that can take many different forms, and in particularly bad cases can manifest itself on one’s clothing, belongings, and house, in addition to the skin. According to the rabbis, Tzaraat is caused by sin. This makes it a disease like no others; part medical condition, part spiritual pathology.

Two chapters of the Book of Leviticus are devoted to the laws of dealing with someone who is afflicted with Tzaraat. Symptoms described include:

• swelling,

and

• whitish-red spots on the torso.

According to the TORAH , when a person saw that he may be coming down with Tzaraat he consulted with a priest, or kohen, who examined him. Diagnosis was somewhat contrary to intuition or to common-sense expectation.  A person who had spots covering his whole body was not considered infected, and someone who was infected could be granted a grace period if they were about to get married.

If Tzaraat was confirmed, three separate ceremonies were required on three different days. The ceremonies were focused on sacrifices and certain rituals. The infected person had to offer:

• a guilt offering,
• a sin offering,

and

• the rabbis added requirements for repentance as well.

 

Aside from the chapters dealing with the laws of Tzaraat (Leviticus 13-14),

the disease comes up in narrative parts of the TORAH twice.

After encountering the burning bush, Moses worries that the elders of Israel won’t believe him. YAHUVEH ELOHIM gives Moses two signs:

• turning his staff into a snake and then back into a staff,

and

• turning his hand white with Tzaraat, and then back to normal again (Exodus 4:1-8).

Miriam, Moses’ sister, is afflicted with Tzaraat after she and Aaron criticize Moses’ choice of a Cushite wife (Numbers 12). Though Moses and Aaron plead for her to be healed immediately, she had to be isolated from the camp for seven days.

Other later biblical characters who suffered from Tzaraat are:

• Naaman, a commander of the Aramean army (2 Kings 5:1), and after interacting with him,

 

• Gehazi, a servant of the prophet Elisha, comes down with Tzaraat as well.

 

• Four men with Tzaraat pillage the Aramean camp after it has been abandoned (2 Kings 7:3-10).

 

• King Azariah of Judah suffered from Tzaraat (2 Kings 15:5),

 

• ………as did King Uziah (2 Chronicles 26 particularly verses 20-23).

 

The very first mention of the word, “TZARAAT” which is now translated as “LEPROSY” is in the Book of Exodus when YAHUVEH ELOHIM was teaching Moses to trust HIM.

Exodus 4:6-7 Names of God Bible (NOG)

4⁶ Yahweh said to him, “Put your hand inside your shirt.” So Moses did this, and when he took his hand out, it had a skin disease. It looked as flaky as snow. ⁷ “Now put your hand back inside your shirt,” Yahweh said. Moses put it back, and when he took it out this time, it was healthy again like the rest of his body.

 

Compare versions:

Exodus 4:6-7 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

⁶ Adonai also said to him, “Now put your hand within your cloak.” So he put his hand inside, and when he took it out, his hand had tza-ra’at—white as snow. ⁷ Then He said, “Put your hand back into your cloak.” So he put his hand back in, and when he took it out it was restored again as the rest of his skin.

 

The next mention of the word is found when Miriam is struck with it as a result of speaking badly against Moses, her brother and YAHUVEH ELOHIM’S Appointed Servant.

Numbers 12:10 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

¹⁰ When the cloud lifted up from above the Tent, behold, Miriam had tza’arat, like snow! As Aaron turned toward her, behold, she had tza’arat!

 

Compare versions:

 

Numbers 12 Names of God Bible (NOG)

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

12 Miriam and Aaron began to criticize Moses because he was married to a woman from Sudan. ² They asked, “Did Yahweh speak only through Moses? Didn’t he also speak through us?” Yahweh heard their complaint.

³ (Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on earth.)

⁴ Suddenly, Yahweh said to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, “All three of you come to the tent of meeting.” So all three of them came. ⁵ Then Yahweh came down in the column of smoke and stood at the entrance to the tent. He called to Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forward.

⁶ He said, “Listen to my words: When there are prophets of Yahweh among you, I make myself known to them in visions or speak to them in dreams. ⁷ But this is not the way I treat my servant Moses. He is the most faithful person in my household.^[a] 8 I speak with him face to face, plainly and not in riddles. He even sees the form of Yahweh. Why weren’t you afraid to criticize my servant Moses?”

⁹ Yahweh was angry with them, so he left.

¹⁰ When the smoke left the tent, Miriam was covered with an infectious skin disease. She was as white as snow. Aaron turned to her and saw she was covered with the disease. ¹¹ So he said to Moses, “Please, sir, don’t punish us for this foolish sin we committed. ¹² Don’t let her be like a stillborn baby that’s not completely developed.”

¹³ So Moses cried to Yahweh, “Please, El, heal her!”

¹⁴ Yahweh replied to Moses, “If her own father had spit in her face, wouldn’t she be excluded from the community for seven days? She must be put in isolation outside the camp for seven days. Then she can be brought back.” ¹⁵ So Miriam was put in isolation outside the camp for seven days. The people didn’t break camp until she was brought back.

¹⁶ After that, the people moved from Hazeroth and set up camp in the Desert of Paran.

 

After this, the next mention of the word, Leprosy is in the Book of Leviticus. Here, YAHUVEH ELOHIM points out what should be done in the case of someone being suspected of having developed Leprosy. YAHUVEH ELOHIM gave authority over the people to the Priests and High Priest. They got to decide who stayed and who did not stay in the Community/Camp  of the Children of Israel (society) in accordance with YAH’S TORAH! This meant that they were involved in every area of each persons’s life within the community.

Leviticus 13-14 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Tza’arat: Supernatural Skin Disease

13 Then Adonai spoke to Moses and to Aaron saying: ² “When a man has a swelling on the skin of his body or a scab or a bright spot, and it becomes the plague-mark of tza’arat in his flesh, then he should be brought to Aaron the kohen, or to one of his sons, the kohanim. ³ The kohen is to examine the plague of tza’arat on his skin, and if the hair in the plague has turned white, and the appearance of the plague is deeper than the body’s skin, it is the plague of tza’arat. Thus the kohen should examine him and pronounce him unclean. ⁴ If the bright spot is white in the skin of his body, but its appearance is not deeper than the skin and its hair has not turned white, then the kohen is to isolate the infected person for seven days. ⁵ The kohen should examine him on the seventh day, and behold, if he sees the plague has not spread in the skin, then the kohen is to isolate him for seven more days.

⁶ “The kohen is to examine him again on the seventh day, and behold, if the plague has faded and has not spread in the skin, then the kohen should pronounce him clean. It is a scab. He is to wash his clothes, and be clean. ⁷ But if the scab spreads on the skin, after he has shown himself to the kohen for his cleansing, he is to show himself to the kohen once again. ⁸ The kohen is to examine him, and if the scab has spread on the skin, then the kohen should pronounce him unclean. It is tza’arat.

⁹ “When one has a plague of tza’arat, he is to be brought to the kohen. ¹⁰ The kohen is to examine him, and behold, if there is a white swelling in the skin and it has turned the hair white and if there is raw flesh in the swelling, ¹¹ it is a chronic tza’arat in the skin of his flesh, and the kohen is to pronounce him unclean. He is to isolate him, for he is unclean.

¹² “Suppose the tza’arat breaks out above the flesh, and so far as it all appears in the eyes of the kohen, covers all the skin of the infected person from his head to his feet. ¹³ Then the kohen will see, and behold, if the tza’arat has covered all of his body, he is to pronounce him clean of the plague. Since it has all turned white, he is clean. ¹⁴ But whenever raw flesh appears upon him, he will be unclean. ¹⁵ The kohen is to examine the raw flesh, and pronounce him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean—it is tza’arat. ¹⁶ Or, if the raw flesh changes and turns white, then he must come to the kohen. ¹⁷ The kohen is to examine him, and behold, if the plague has turned white, then the kohen shall pronounce him clean of the plague. He is clean.^[a]

¹⁸ “When the body has a boil on its skin and it has healed, ¹⁹ but in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a bright reddish-white spot, then it should be shown to the kohen. ²⁰ The kohen is to examine it, and behold, if its appearance is lower than the skin and its hair has turned white, then the kohen is to pronounce him unclean. It is a plague of tza’arat that has broken out within the boil. ²¹ But if the kohen examines it and sees there are no white hairs within, and if it is not deeper than the skin but is faded, then the kohen is to isolate him seven days. ²² If it spreads in the skin, then the kohen is to pronounce him unclean. It is a plague. ²³ But if the bright spot stays in its place and has not spread, it is merely the scar from the boil—the kohen is to pronounce him clean.

²⁴ “Or suppose the body has a burn from fire on its skin, and the raw flesh of the burn becomes a bright spot, reddish-white, or white. ²⁵ Then the kohen is to examine it, and behold, if the hair in the bright spot has turned white and its appearance is deeper than the skin, it is tza’arat. It has broken out in the burning, and the kohen is to pronounce him unclean—it is the plague of tza’arat. ²⁶ But if the kohen examines it and sees there is no white hair in the bright spot, and it is not lower than the skin but is faded, then the kohen is to isolate him seven days. ²⁷ The kohen is to examine him on the seventh day. If it has spread in the skin, then the kohen is to pronounce him unclean. It is the plague of tza’arat. ²⁸ If the bright spot stays in its place, and has not spread in the skin but is faded, it is the swelling from the burn, and the kohen should pronounce him clean, for it is merely a scar from the burn.

²⁹ “When a man or woman has a plague on the head or on the chin, ³⁰ then the kohen is to examine the plague, and behold, if its appearance is deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is yellow and thin, then the kohen is to pronounce him unclean. It is a scab—tza’arat of the head or the chin. ³¹ If the kohen examines the plague of the scab, and behold its appearance is no deeper than the skin and there is no black hair within, then the kohen is to isolate the person infected with the scab for seven days. ³² On the seventh day the kohen is to examine the plague, and behold, if the scab has not spread and there is no yellow hair in it, and the appearance of the scab is no deeper than the skin, ³³ then he shall be shaved, but he is not to shave the scab. The kohen is then to isolate the one who has the scab for seven more days. ³⁴ On the seventh day, the kohen is to examine the scab, and behold, if the scab has not spread in the skin and its appearance is no deeper than the skin, then the kohen should pronounce him clean. He is to wash his clothes, and be clean. ³⁵ But if the scab spreads in the skin after his cleansing, ³⁶ then the kohen is to examine him, and behold, if the scab has spread in the skin, the kohen may not look for the yellow hair, he is unclean. ³⁷ But if he sees the scab is stopped and black hair has grown in it, the scab is healed, and he is clean. The kohen shall pronounce him clean.

³⁸ “Suppose a man or a woman has bright spots on the skin of the body—bright white spots. ³⁹ Then the kohen is to examine them, and behold, if the bright spots on the skin of their body are a dull white, it is a harmless rash broken out in the skin. He is clean.

Baldness is Clean

⁴⁰ “If a man’s hair has fallen from his head, he is bald. He is clean. ⁴¹ Or if the borders of his face become bald, his forehead is bald. He is clean. ⁴² But if on the baldhead or bald forehead, there is a reddish-white plague, it is tza’arat breaking out in his baldhead or bald forehead. ⁴³ Then the kohen is to examine him, and behold, if the rising of the plague is reddish-white on his bald head or bald forehead, like the appearance of tza’arat in the skin of the flesh, ⁴⁴ he is a man with tza’arat. He is unclean. The kohen shall definitely pronounce him unclean—his plague-mark is on his head.

Unclean! Unclean!

⁴⁵ “The one with tza’arat who has the plague-mark should wear torn clothes, the hair of his head is to hang loose, he is to cover his upper lip and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ ⁴⁶ All the days during which the plague is on him he will be unclean. He is unclean. He is to dwell alone. Outside of the camp will be his dwelling.

⁴⁷ “Also when a garment has a mark of tza’arat on it—whether it is a woolen or a linen garment, ⁴⁸ whether it is woven or textured, linen or wool, leather, or anything made from leather— ⁴⁹ or if the mark is greenish or reddish within the garment or in the leather, or in the weaving or the texture, or in anything made from leather, it is the plague of tza’arat, and should be shown to the kohen. ⁵⁰ The kohen is to examine the plague and isolate it for seven days. ⁵¹ Then he is to reexamine the plague on the seventh day. If the plague has spread in the garment, either in the weaving, the texture or the leather, whatever the use for the leather may be, the plague is a destructive mildew. It is unclean. ⁵² He is to burn the garment or the weaving, or the texture, wool or linen, or anything of leather, in which the plague resides, for it is a destructive mildew. It is to be burned in the fire.

⁵³ “If the kohen examines it, and behold, the plague has not spread in the garment, either in the weaving, the texture, or in anything made of leather, ⁵⁴ the kohen should command that they wash the thing which has the mark, and he is to isolate it seven more days.

⁵⁵ “Then the kohen is to reexamine it, after the mark has been washed, and behold, if the mark has not changed its color and has not spread, it is unclean. You are to burn it in the fire, whether the rot is inside or outside. ⁵⁶ If the kohen looks, and sees the mark has faded after it has been washed, then he is to tear it out of the garment, or the leather, or weaving, or texture. ⁵⁷ But if it appears again in the garment, either in the weaving, the texture, or in anything made of leather, it is spreading. You are to burn with fire whatever has the mark. ⁵⁸ The garment, or weaving, or texture, or whatever leather item it is that you have washed, if the mark has departed from it, is to be washed a second time, and will become clean.”

⁵⁹ This is the Torah for a mark of tza’arat in a garment of wool or linen, either in the weaving, the texture, or in anything of leather, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.

Parashat Metzora

Purification of One with Tza’arat

14 Then Adonai spoke to Moses, saying: ² “This is the Torah of the one with tza’arat in the day of his cleansing. He should be brought to the kohen, ^[b] 3 and the kohen is to go to the outside of the camp. The kohenis to examine him, and behold, if the mark of tza’arat is healed in one with tza’arat, ⁴ then the kohen is to command that two clean living birds, cedar wood, scarlet and hyssop be brought for the one being cleansed. ⁵ The kohen should command them to kill one of the birds in a clay pot over living water. ⁶ As for the living bird, he is to take it, the cedar wood, the scarlet and the hyssop, and dip them with the living bird into the blood of the bird that was killed over the living water. ⁷ He is to sprinkle on the one being cleansed from the tza’arat seven times and pronounce him clean, then release the living bird over the open field.

⁸ “The one to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe himself in water. Then he should be clean. After that he may come into the camp, but is to dwell outside his tent for seven days. ⁹ Then on the seventh day, he is to shave all his hair from his head, his beard, and his eyebrows—he must shave off all his hair. He is to wash his clothes, and bathe his body in water. Then he will be clean.

¹⁰ “On the eighth day he is to take two male lambs without blemish, a one-year-old ewe lamb without blemish, three tenths of a pint of fine flour as a grain offering, mingled with oil, and a pint of oil. ¹¹ The kohen who cleanses him is to set the man who to be cleansed along with those items before Adonai, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. ¹² The kohen should then take one of the male lambs, and offer it for a trespass offering, with the pint of oil, and wave them as a wave offering before Adonai.

¹³ “Then he is to slaughter the male lamb in the place where they slaughter the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the Sanctuary area. For the sin offering like the trespass offering belongs to the kohen. It is most holy. ¹⁴ Then the kohen is to take some of the blood of the trespass offering and dab it on the tip of the right ear of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. ¹⁵ The kohen should then take some of the pint of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand. ¹⁶ He is to dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before Adonai. ¹⁷ Then the kohen should dab some of the rest of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the trespass offering. ¹⁸ From what remains of the oil that is in his hand, the kohen is to dab on the head of the one being cleansed. In this way the kohen will make atonement for him before Adonai.

¹⁹ “The kohen should offer the sin offering and make atonement for the one being cleansed because of his uncleanness. Afterward he is to slaughter the burnt offering. ²⁰ Then the kohen is to present the burnt offering along with the grain offering on the altar. So the kohen should make atonement for him, and he will be clean.

²¹ “If he is poor and cannot afford so much, then he should take one male lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, plus one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil for a grain offering, a pint of oil, ²² two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he is able to afford. The one should be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.

²³ “On the eighth day he is to bring them to the kohen for his cleansing, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting before Adonai. ²⁴ The kohen is to take the lamb of the trespass offering and the pint of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before Adonai. ²⁵ He is to slaughter the lamb of the trespass offering. The kohen is to take some of the blood of the trespass offering and dab it on the tip of the right ear of the one being cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. ²⁶ The kohen should then pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand. ²⁷ He is to sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before Adonai. ²⁸ Then the kohen is to dab some of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of the one being cleansed, also on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the place of the blood of the trespass offering. ²⁹ The rest of the oil that is in his hand the kohen is to dab on the head of the one being cleansed, to make atonement for him before Adonai. ³⁰ He is to offer one of the turtledoves or the young pigeons, from what his hand can afford, ³¹ the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the grain offering. The kohen should make atonement for him being cleansed before Adonai.”

³² This is the Torah for one on who is the mark of tza’arat, who is not able to afford the sacrifice for his cleansing.

Purification of a House

³³ Adonai spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: ³⁴ “Suppose you have come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put a mark of tza’arat in a house in the land you possess. ³⁵ Then the one who owns the house should come and tell the kohen, saying: ‘Something like a mark has appeared in my house.’ ³⁶ The kohen is to order the house emptied before he goes in to examine the mark, so that nothing in the house might be made unclean. Then afterward the kohenis to enter to inspect the house. ³⁷ He is to examine the mark, and behold, if the mark is in the walls of the house with hollow streaks, greenish or reddish, and appears deeper than the wall, ³⁸ then the kohen is to go out of the house to the door and close up the house for seven days. ³⁹ Then the kohen is to come again on the seventh day, and behold, if the mark has spread in the walls of the house, ⁴⁰ then the kohen is to command that they take out the stones which are marked and throw them into an unclean place outside of the city. ⁴¹ He should also have the inside of the house scraped all throughout, and they are to dump the mortar that they scraped off outside of the city into an unclean place. ⁴² They may then take other stones and put them in the place of those stones. Likewise he can take other mortar, and plaster the house.

⁴³ “But suppose the contamination returns, breaking out in the house, after he has pulled out the stones and after he has scraped the house, and it has been re-plastered. ⁴⁴ Then the kohen is to go examine, and behold, if the plague has spread within the house, it is a destructive mildew inside. It is unclean. ⁴⁵ He is to break down the house, its stones, its timber, along with all the house’s mortar, and carry them out of the city into an unclean place.

⁴⁶ “Moreover, whoever goes into the house while it is shut up will be unclean until the evening. ⁴⁷ The one who lies down in the house must wash his clothes, and he who eats in the house must wash his clothes too.

⁴⁸ “But if the kohen comes in, inspects it, and behold, the plague has not spread within the house after it was re-plastered, then he should pronounce the house clean, because the contamination is healed. ⁴⁹ In order to cleanse the house he is to take two birds, cedar wood, scarlet and hyssop. ⁵⁰ He is to kill one of the birds in a clay pot over living water. ⁵¹ Then he is to take the cedar wood, the hyssop, the scarlet and the living bird, and dip them into the blood of the slain bird as well as the living water, and sprinkle the house seven times. ⁵² He should cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, with the living water, with the living bird, the cedar wood, the hyssop and the scarlet. ⁵³ But he is to let the living bird go out of the city into the open field. So he is to make atonement for the house, and it will be clean.”

⁵⁴ This is the Torah for any mark of tza’arat—even for a scab, ⁵⁵ or the tza’arat in a garment or for a house ⁵⁶ or for a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot— ⁵⁷ to teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean.

This is the Torah of tza’arat.

 

The next mention of the disease is seen in 2 Kings 5.

2 Kings 5 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Naaman’s Tza’arat

5 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man in his master’s sight and highly esteemed, because through him Adonai had given victory to Aram. Though the man was a mighty man of valor, he had tza’arat.

² Aram had gone out in bands, and had taken captive a young girl from the land of Israel. So she served Naaman’s wife. ³ Then she said to her mistress, “If only my lord went before the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his tza’arat.”

⁴ So Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel.” ⁵ The king of Aram said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, 6,000 pieces of gold, and ten changes of clothes.

⁶ He brought the letter to the king of Israel saying, “When this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent my servant Naaman to you, so you may cure him of his tza’arat.”

⁷ Now when the king of Israel read the letter, he ripped his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man is sending to me to cure a man of his tza’arat? But please consider, and see how he is seeking a pretext against me.”

⁸ Now when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, he sent word to the king saying, “Why have you rent your clothes? Please, let him come to me, and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

⁹ So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. ¹⁰ So Elisha sent him a messenger, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean.”

¹¹ But Naaman was angered and walked away, saying, “I thought he would surely come out to me, stand and call on the Name of Adonai his God, and wave his hand over the spot and cure the tza’arat. ¹² Aren’t Amanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

¹³ But his servants approached him and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he told you only to ‘Wash and be clean’?” ¹⁴ So, he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God. Then his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

¹⁵ When he returned with his entire retinue to the man of God, and came and stood before him, he said, “Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. Now please, accept a present^[a] from your servant.”

¹⁶ But Elisha said, “As Adonai before whom I stand lives, I will accept nothing.” Naaman pressed him to accept, but Elisha refused.

¹⁷ So Naaman said, “If not, then please, let your servant be given two mule loads of soil, for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any other god, except Adonai. ¹⁸ In this matter, may Adonai pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my hand, and I prostrate myself in the house of Rimmon—when I prostrate myself in the house of Rimmon, may Adonai pardon your servant in this matter.”

¹⁹ Elisha said to him, “Go in peace.” So Naaman departed from him some distance.

²⁰ But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, thought, “Behold, my master held back from accepting what this Naaman the Aramean brought. As Adonai lives, I will surely run after him and get something from him.”

²¹ So Gehazi pursued Naaman. Now when Naaman saw someone running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him and asked, “Is everything all right?”

²² “It’s all right, he replied. “My master sent me saying: ‘Behold, two young men of the sons of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.’”

²³ Naaman said, “Please, take two talents.” He even urged him, and packed two talents of silver in two bags with two changes of clothes, and gave them to two of his servants; and they carried them ahead of him. ²⁴ Now when he arrived at the fortified hill, he took them from their hand and deposited them in the house, and let the men go, so they departed.

²⁵ When he entered and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”

So he replied, “Your servant has gone nowhere.”

²⁶ Then Elisha said to him, “Didn’t my heart go, when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to accept money and accept clothes, or olive groves and vineyards, or sheep and oxen, or male and female servants? ²⁷ Therefore, the tza’arat of Naaman will cling to you and to your offspring forever.” Then he went out from his presence with tza’arat as white as snow.

Prophet Elisha’s servant, Gehazi also acquired the disease but only out of deceit and disobedience. The sad part is that his actions affected his entire lineage from henceforth!
Gehazi should never have taken those items because the items were a gift or some kind of bribe related to the problem which Naaman had. Receiving the gifts against his master’s wish was the worst thing he ever did in his life! By collecting the gifts against Prophet Elisha’s wish, Gehazi collected Naaman’s problem (a.k.a Leprosy).

 

Note that the YARDEN/River Jordan where Prophet Elisha asked Naaman to go and wash himself was a place of Miracles. It was the very place where the Children of Israel had crossed on dry ground into the Promised Land that they were possessing then. I would like to believe that if Naaman had known this secret, he would have acted as quickly as possible.

The YARDEN was the very place where Prophet Elijah crossed with Prophet Elisha when he (Prophet Elijah) was about to be taken up to the Heavens in a Chariot of Fire. After Prophet Elijah had been taken up, Prophet Elisha also miraculously crossed over  the YARDEN and went to Samaria (Read 2 Kings 2).

The Yarden and Samaria were places of YAH’S Miracles!

 

The next mention of Tzaraat (a.k.a Leprosy) is as follows:

2 Kings 7:3-10 Names of God Bible (NOG)

The Aramean Army Flees

³ Four men with skin diseases were at the entrance of the city gate. One of them asked, “Why are we sitting here waiting to die? ⁴ If we go into the city, the famine is also there, and we’ll still die. But if we stay here, we’ll die. So let’s go to the Aramean camp. If they give us something to keep us alive, we’ll live. But if they kill us, we’ll die anyway.” ⁵ So they started out at dusk to go into the Aramean camp. When they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there.

⁶ (Yahweh had made the Aramean army hear what sounded like chariots, horses, and a large army. The Aramean soldiers said to one another, “The king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” ⁷ So at dusk they fled. They abandoned the camp as it was with its tents, horses, and donkeys and ran for their lives.)

⁸ When the men with skin diseases came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent, ate and drank, and carried off the silver, gold, and clothes they found in that tent. They went away and hid them. Then they came back, went into another tent, carried off its contents, went away, and hid them.

⁹ Then they said to one another, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news, and we’re not telling anyone about it. If we wait until morning when it’s light out, we’ll be punished. Let’s bring the news to the royal palace.” ¹⁰ So they called the city gatekeepers and told them, “We went into the Aramean camp, and we didn’t see or hear anyone. The horses and donkeys were still tied up. Even the tents were left exactly as they were.”

 

After that, we see King Azariah of Judah being inflicted with the Tzaraat disease as well:

2 Kings 15:1-7 Names of God Bible (NOG)

King Azariah of Judah

15 In Jeroboam’s twenty-seventh year as king of Israel, Amaziah’s son Azariah^[a] began to rule as king of Judah. ² He was 16 years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jecoliah from Jerusalem.

³ He did what Yahweh considered right, as his father Amaziah had done. ⁴ But the illegal places of worship were still not torn down. The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense at these worship sites.

Azariah’s Skin Disease

⁵ Yahweh inflicted the king with a skin disease that lasted until the day the king died. So the king lived in a separate house. The king’s son Jotham was in charge of the palace and governed the country.

⁶ Isn’t everything else about Azariah—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Judah? ⁷ Azariah lay down in death with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His son Jotham succeeded him as king.

 

Compare versions:

2 Kings 15:1-7 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Menahem Ends Jehu’s Line

15 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah became king. ² He was 16 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 52 years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. ³ Now he did what was right in Adonai’s eyes, just like all that his father Amaziah had done. ⁴ However, the high places were not taken away—the people were still sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.

⁵ Then Adonai struck the king, so that he had tza’arat until the day of his death, and lived in an isolated house. Meanwhile Jotham, the king’s son, was in charge of the palace and governing the people of the land. ⁶ Now the rest of the acts of Azariah and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? ⁷ Then Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David. Then his son Jotham became king in his place.

 

 

 

King Uzziah of Judah was also struck with Tzaraat. In his case, it was because he tried to venture into where YAHUVEH ELOHIM had already appointed and ordained other Children of Israel to manage. As a King, he had no right to burn incense in YAH’S Temple! This is why he ended up with Tzaraat (a.k.a Leprosy).

2 Chronicles 26:17-23 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Uzziah Usurps the Kohanim

¹⁶ But when he became strong, his heart grew so haughty that he acted corruptly. For he trespassed against Adonai his God by entering into the Temple of Adonai to burn incense upon the altar of incense. ¹⁷ Then Azariah the kohen with 80 valiant kohanim of Adonai followed him in. ¹⁸ They opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to Adonai, but for the kohanim, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the Sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully. You will have no honor from Adonai Elohim.”

¹⁹ Then Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the kohanim tza’arat broke out on his forehead right in front of the kohanim in the House of Adonai, beside the incense altar. ²⁰ When Azariah the chief kohen and all the other kohanim stared at him, behold, his forehead had tza’arat! So they rushed him out of there. Indeed, he himself hurried to get out because Adonai had smitten him.

²¹ King Uzziah had tza’arat until the day of his death. He lived in a separate house with tza’arat, for he was cut off from the House of Adonai. Jotham his son was in charge of the king’s house and governed the people of the land.

²² Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, from beginning to end, were recorded by the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. ²³ So Uzziah slept with his fathers and they buried him with his fathers in the field of burial that belonged to the kings, for they said: “He had tza’arat.” Then Jotham his son became king in his place.

 

 

 

We see Leprosy being mentioned a lot throughout the New Covenant/Testament (a.k.a “Brit Chadashah”).

 

The first case seen in the Gospels is to do with a man who had the skin disease.

Luke 5:12-16 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Yeshua Heals and News Spreads

¹² Now while Yeshua was in one of the towns, a man covered with tzara’at appeared. And when he saw Yeshua, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, “Master, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”

¹³ Yeshua stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be cleansed!” Immediately, the tzara’at left him. ¹⁴ Yeshua ordered him to tell no one, but commanded him, “Go and show yourself to the kohen.^[a] Then bring an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

¹⁵ But the news about Yeshua was spreading all the more, and many crowds were coming together to hear and to be healed of their diseases. ¹⁶ Yet He would often slip away into the wilderness and pray.

 

 

 

One of the cases mentioned is that of the Ten Men Who Had Been Inflicted With Tzaraat. YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH met them at Samaria where HE gave them some instructions which would help them to become well again. Note that HE met them in Samaria just like Naaman had to meet Elisha Ha Navi (a.k.a Prophet Elisha) in Samaria and also received his instruction to become well again.

Luke 17:11-19 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

On the Move through Samaria

¹¹ Now while going up to Jerusalem, Yeshua was passing between Samaria and the Galilee. ¹² As He entered a certain village, ten men with tzara’at came toward Him. They stood some distance away ^[a] 13 and raised their voices, saying, “Yeshua, Master, have mercy on us!”

¹⁴ When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the kohanim.”^[b] And as they went, they were cleansed. ¹⁵ Now one of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back, glorifying God with a loud voice. ¹⁶ And he fell at Yeshua’s feet, facedown, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ Then Yeshua answered and said, “Weren’t ten cleansed? But where are the nine? ¹⁸ Weren’t any found who came back to give glory to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then Yeshua said to the man, “Stand up and go! Your faith has made you well.”

 

Compare versions….

 

Luke 17:11-19 Names of God Bible (NOG)

Ten Men with a Skin Disease Are Healed

¹¹ Yeshua traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee on his way to Jerusalem. ¹² As he went into a village, ten men with a skin disease met him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and shouted, “Yeshua, Teacher, have mercy on us!”

¹⁴ When he saw them, he told them, “Show yourselves to the priests.” As they went, they were made clean.^[a] 15 When one of them saw that he was healed, he turned back and praised God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He quickly bowed at Yeshua’s feet and thanked him. (The man was a Samaritan.)

¹⁷ Yeshua asked, “Weren’t ten men made clean? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Only this foreigner came back to praise God.”

¹⁹ Yeshua told the man, “Get up, and go home! Your faith has made you well.”

 

 

Traditional Jewish thinkers have understood Tzaraat in a variety of ways.

There are Seven Main Reasons suggested as to why one might be afflicted with the disease: 

• Gossip,
• Murder,
• Perjury (the offence of wilfully telling an untruth or making a misrepresentation under oath),
• Forbidden Sexual Relationships,
• Arrogance,
• Theft,

and

• Envy

 

In fact, there is a connection between the word metzora, a person afflicted with the condition, to motzi shem ra, a person guilty of slander or libel.

(Metzorah, M’tzora, Mezora, Metsora, or M’tsora (מְּצֹרָע‬ — Hebrew for “one being diseased,” the ninth word, and the first distinctive word, in the parashah) is the 28th weekly Torah portion (פָּרָשָׁה‬, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fifth in the Book of Leviticus.)
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsh pointed out that because Tzaraat was treated by Priests, rather than doctors, it shouldn’t be interpreted as a medical problem at all, but rather as an exclusively spiritual ailment.

Though Tzaraat in the TORAH is a combination of the physical and the spiritual, many scientists and doctors have made attempts to connect Tzaraat to medical conditions. Maimonides, who was a physician himself, recognized that Tzaraat was probably comprised of a few different skin diseases that were all malignant and destructive. Seforno understood some forms of Tzaraat to be skin cancer, and others to be punishment for sin.

Modern medical scholars have identified the white spots described as symptoms of Tzaraat as:

• vitiligo, a disfiguring but otherwise harmless disease (Vitiligo is a long-term skin condition characterized by patches of the skin losing their pigment.^[1] The patches of skin affected become white and usually have sharp margins.^[1] The hair from the skin may also become white.^[1] The inside of the mouth and nose may also be involved.^[2] Typically both sides of the body are affected.^[1] Often the patches begin on areas of skin that are exposed to the sun.^[2] It is more noticeable in people with dark skin.^[2] Vitiligo may result in psychological stress and those affected may be stigmatized. The exact cause of vitiligo is unknown.),

 

 

or as

• psoriasis, a disease that results in thick silvery scales and itchy, dry, red patches on the skin (Psoriasis is a long-lasting autoimmune disease characterized by patches of abnormal skin.^[6] These skin patches are typically red, itchy, and scaly.^[3] Psoriasis varies in severity from small, localized patches to complete body coverage.^[3] Injury to the skin can trigger psoriatic skin changes at that spot, which is known as the Koebner phenomenon.^[9] There are five main types of psoriasis: plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular, and erythrodermic.^[6] Plaque psoriasis, also known as psoriasis vulgaris, makes up about 90 percent of cases.^[4] It typically presents as red patches with white scales on top.^[4] Areas of the body most commonly affected are the back of the forearms, shins, navel area, and scalp.^[4] Guttate psoriasis has drop-shaped lesions.^[6] Pustular psoriasis presents as small non-infectious pus-filled blisters.^[10] Inverse psoriasis forms red patches in skin folds.^[6] Erythrodermic psoriasis occurs when the rash becomes very widespread, and can develop from any of the other types.^[4] Fingernails and toenails are affected in most people with psoriasis at some point in time.^[4] This may include pits in the nails or changes in nail color.^[4]Psoriasis is generally thought to be a genetic disease that is triggered by environmental factors.^[3] In twin studies, identical twinsare three times more likely to be affected compared to non-identical twins. This suggests that genetic factors predispose to psoriasis.^[4] Symptoms often worsen during winter and with certain medications, such as beta blockers or NSAIDs.^[4] Infections and psychological stress can also play a role.^[3][6] Psoriasis is not contagious.^[4] The underlying mechanism involves the immune system reacting to skin cells.^[4] Diagnosis is typically based on the signs and symptoms.^[4]There is no cure for psoriasis; however, various treatments can help control the symptoms.^[4] These treatments include steroid creams, vitamin D3 cream, ultraviolet light and immune system suppressing medications, such as methotrexate.^[6] ).

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

Thought Tzaraat is most often translated as leprosy, it has almost nothing in common with the disease we know by that name today. The translation came about because in the Septuagint Tzaraat was translated as lepra, which in Greek meant rough or scaly. Later English translations made the connection from lepra to leprosy. But in ancient Greece, what we now call leprosy was known as elephantiasis.

 

 

 

 

 

(Septuagint: The Septuagint or LXX (from the Latin: septuāgintā literally “seventy”; sometimes called the Greek Old Testament) is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Old Testament from the original Hebrew.^[1] It is estimated that the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or Pentateuch, were translated in mid-3rd century BCE and the remaining texts were translated in the 2nd century BCE.^[2] Under Christian auspices, the Septuagint includes the Hebrew Bible as well as the deuterocanonical books of the Christian Old Testament. Considered the primary Greek translation of the Old Testament, it is quoted a number of times in the New Testament,^[3][4]particularly in Pauline epistles,^[5] by the Apostolic Fathers, and later by the Greek Church Fathers.)

 

Understanding TZARAAT Today

Today, in Orthodox Jewish terms, even if we could positively identify someone as having Tzaraat, the sacrifices and rituals needed to purify the person are no longer possible, since there are no Jewish priests and no Temple.

As a result,

most contemporary communities use Tzaraat as a way to think about our behavior and its consequences.

 

How would we act differently if we knew that our sins could come back to us in the form of a rash on our skin, or mold growing in our homes?

 

The TORAH prescribes that a person with Tzaraat needs to go outside the camp of Israel before he or she can be healed.

 

What can this teach us about isolating ourselves or others when we see destructive behavior?

 

It is revealed in Luke 4 that unless a true Prophet of YAHUVEH GOD Almighty (such as Moshe/Moses, Yahushua/Joshua, Yeshayahu/Isaiah, Eliyahu/Elijah, Elisha, Yeremyahu/Jeremiah, Daniel, Yechezqel/Ezekiel, YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH, etc) intervened in Biblical times, those who had Tzaraat had no chance or opportunity of ever getting well again!

If not all, very often TZARAAT was inflicted upon various people for reasons of sinning against YAHUVEH ELOHIM, for example, Miryam/Miriam, King Uziah, etc!

Your body is the Temple of RUACH HA KODESH who is actually GOD (See Acts 2; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)!

Acts 2:1-4 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

The Ruach Fills the Disciples

2 When the day of Shavuot^[a] had come, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ And tongues like fire spreading out appeared to them and settled on each one of them. ⁴ They were all filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh and began to speak in other tongues as the Ruach enabled them to speak out.

 

The symptoms described in the TORAH that might potentially be diagnosed as Tzaraat involve:

• decomposition,
• decay,

and

• putrefaction—corruption of the flesh.

 

The laws of the sacrifices teach that God’s Sanctuary shuns death, corruption, and decay.

YAH’S Tabernacle/Sanctuary/Temple represents:

• immortality

and

• incorruptibility.

In HIS Presence, there is:

• no death,
• no decay,

and

• no decomposition.

 

Therefore,

YAHUVEH ELOHIM Almighty bans from His Temple the ailment/disease that represents a living decomposition.

 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

¹⁹ Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Ruach ha-Kodeshwho is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.^[a]

 

The Machaneh/Camp of the Benei-Yisrael/Children of Israel was considered by YAHUVEH GOD to be holy/set-apart/consecrated and therefore no unclean person or thing was wanted there! The camp was just as important as the Tabernacle of Moses. The Tabernacle was placed right in the middle of the camp thereby making it a focal point for all the Children of Israel. YAHUVEH ELOHIM’S GLORY dwelt in the Tabernacle, thereby making all the surroundings holy before YAHUVEH GOD!

 

 

Tzaraat involves an ongoing, visible progression toward physical corruption.

It is the antithesis of the immortal and incorruptible world represented in YAHUVEH ELOHIM’S Temple

 

 

Leprosy also acts as an archetype for all human sickness.

• Sickness results from the breakdown of the flesh.
• Death follows.

Tzaraat graphically represents that progression.

 

Sickness, death, and decay have no place in YAH’S Divine Presence! HIS Temple on earth reflects that Heavenly Temple!!! 

 

YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH provides the solution to the Tzaraat problem. Spiritually, HE did not suffer the Tzaraat-infection of SIN.

Physically, HIS flesh did not suffer Corruption: “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” Through HIS resurrection from the dead, HIS flesh passed from the MORTAL to the IMMORTAL and from the CORRUPTIBLE to the INCORRUPTIBLE. HIS resurrected body remains real human flesh, regenerated into an imperishable spiritual body. Therefore, HE is the perfect, eternal priest, able to serve forever in the INCORRUPTIBLE Temple. That Temple is the Heavens.

Perhaps this helps explain why the healing of the Metzoraim (a.k.a Lepers) occupied such a central concern in the Ministry of the YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH. Not only did HE heal many Metzoraim HIMSELF, but HE gave HIS twelve disciples authority to heal Tzaraat as evidence of the YAHUVEH ELOHIM’S Kingdom of Heaven (existence and faithfulness).

“Tzaraat” symbolizes the sin-laden human condition, destined for death and decay!

Each time YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH healed a Metzora (a.k.a Leper), it became an indication of a reversal of that corrupted, mortal state to the incorruptible, immortal state in the spiritual sense.

Every Metzora healed of his affliction was a testimony that YAHUVEH ELOHIM’S Kingdom of Heaven was at hand!!!

Praise Praise Praise Praise Praise Praise Praise YAH Almighty!!!

 

Note that:

The Yarden and Samaria/Jordan were places of YAH’S Miracles!

 

It was in Samaria where Naaman met Prophet Elisha and got the instructions that would bring his healing.

It was also in Samaria that YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH  the ten Metzoraim (a.k.a lepers) and gave them instructions which would lead to becoming well again.

 

Romans 7:24-25 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

²⁴ Miserable man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God—it is through Messiah Yeshua our Lord!^[a] So then, with my mind I myself serve the Torah of God; but with my flesh, I serve the law of sin.

 

 

 

Psalm 16:9-11 Names of God Bible (NOG)

⁹         That is why my heart is glad and my soul rejoices.
            My body rests securely
¹⁰ because you do not abandon my soul to the grave
    or allow your holy one to decay.
¹¹ You make the path of life known to me.
    Complete joy is in your presence.
        Pleasures are by your side forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

• https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/tzaraat-a-biblical-affliction/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitiligo
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psoriasis
• https://thetorah.com/tzaraat-as-cancer/
• https://torahportions.ffoz.org/portions-library/weekly-torah/leprosy-in-the-gospels.html