Torah 101-Tazria-Metzora Double Parsha

I.

ANSWERS TO STUDY QUESTIONS (from Shemini)

1) Question for Leviticus 9:

Some rabbis think that Aarons sons died on Yom Kippur. Is this idea supported
by the details in the Torah here?
No. Moshe erected the Tabernacle and began the ordination process on 1 Abib
(Exodus 40:1,17) so this would be Abib 8 when the parsha for Leviticus 9 opens
up. The continuous narrative from 9 and into 10 indicates no passage of time
between the ordination and the deaths, so they died about a week before Pesach.
2) Question for Leviticus 10:
Of Aarons two surviving sons, one of them shares a name with a person who had
a major miracle of Yshua done to himalthough you wouldnt know it by the
way the Greek NT changes the name. Who is this man and what is the changed
name in the NT?
Eliezars name became mangled in Greek as LAZAROS. It happened because the
original Aramaic had aspirate the E so it sounded like LAZAR. The Greek
remembers LAZAR but found it harsh so it added the OS to make it easier on the
Greek ear.
3) Question for Leviticus 11:
What are three modern reasons for avoiding eating pork?
First, pigs have no sweat glands, so their toxins go into the meat. Second pigs
have a great deal of intelligence, which means they know they are about to die
and it is believed by many that such fear poisons the meat. Third, pigs skin is
most like human skin which is why CSIs use pig skin when human skin is not
available. So to eat pig flesh is very close to eating human flesh. They also
wallow in mud and dont clean it off. Bon appetit!
4) Haftorah Question of the Week: 2 Samuel 6:1-7:17
What clue in this portion tells us when the Ark of the Covenant left Israel?
The phrase YHWH Who dwells between the cherubim can be last traced to
king Hezekiah in 700 BCE who said it while in the Kadosh Kadoshim in front of
the Ark and that saying is only said in front of the ark. This means the Ark was in
the Temple in 700 BCE. It was taken subsequently during the reign of Manasseh
who wanted to put an idol next to it, which would have been disastrous. Then

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Josiah in 2 Chronicles 35 calls for the Ark to be put back in its rightful place but
the order is never carried out because the Ark has disappeared.

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II.

QUESTIONS FOR THIS TORAH PORTION (Tazria-Metzora)

Please NOTE:

For clarity and time constraints, if I elect to not read the whole parsha (which
is the case this week) I may still ask questions relating to the portions I did not
read!
5) Question for Leviticus 12 (Tazria):
Are the rules of niddah (separation) of women after pregnancy still binding
today?
6) Question for Leviticus 13 (Tazria):
What do these rules about leprosy teach us about one of Yshuas specific roles?
7) Question for Leviticus 14 (Metzora):
Where in the Scriptures are lepers used to make a very cutting political point?
8) Question for Leviticus 15 (Metzora):
Where in this chapter do we see proof that sometimes Yshuas legal rulings are
even stricter than those in the Torah?
9) Haftorah Question of the Week (Tazria): 2 Kings 4:42-5:19
What is the most ironic thing about the man who is cured of leprosy in this
portion?
10) Haftorah Question of the Week (Metzora): 2 Kings 7:3-20
How is a detail in this Haftorah portion related to Pesach?
11) Renewed Covenant Commentary (Tazria): Matthew 8:1-4 and Luke 17:11-19
ETDEKA = be cleansed. Imperative from derived from DAKA, to clean or be
ritually pure, cognate of Hebrew TAHOR. So this is referencing the highest form
of purity in the Torah, physically and spiritually. It is also very closely associated
with bathing, washing and immersion. Interesting use is in Yochanan 13:10 when
Yshua says, He who has bathed does not need to wash only his feet for all of
him is clean (ritually). Every one of you is also clean (spiritually), but not all of
you!
TISHBOKHTA = praise in v. 18, but actually derived from SHUBKHA (glory).
The lepers did not give GLORY to YHWH for their healing. This word is used in
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the Slotha dMaran (Masters Prayer): met-il ddlakh-hay (for Yours is)
malkootha (the kingdom) wuh-hai-lah (and the power) wuh-TISHBOAKHTA
(and the GLORY), lah-lam, all-meen aw mayn (forever and ever amen).
PERYSH = separate. Will explain when reading the footnote for Luke.
Luke 17:14
By calling upon Y'shua as their "Master" in advance of the healing, the lepers
earned their new lives. The Ruach haKodesh puts belief within us, but then we
are required to "act upon" or exercise faith in what we believe. See Mat_9:29.
Luke 17:18
Y'shua asks about the nine who did not return, "For what did they separate...?"
The word perysh, is the same root word for the name of the "Pharisees" who
claim to be "separated" unto YHWH. In one way, Y'shua is not referring only to
the lepers, but points out that a Samaritan (Gentile) chose to "be separate" and
give thanks to YHWH, even while the Pharisees claim to be "separate" but reject
Mashiyach! Nine men did not return to give thanks to YHWH; they were one
short of a Pharisee "minyan" required for prayer. The action of the one Samaritan
showed himself as one who is truly "separate!"
Luke 17:19
Not "made you well" as most Greek translations read, instead faith has given you
"life"; the healing was not the goal, just a bonus.
12) Renewed Covenant Commentary: Mark 5:24-34
The woman who has a flow of blood (MARDIYTA) for 12 years would have,
according to our Torah portion this week, been considered unclean the whole time, as
if added to her menstrual period.
MEINYA (Mark 5:29) means both flow and fountain. It is related to the
FOUNTAIN of life connections we taught last week. The Hebrew cognate is
EINYA/AYIN (see Genesis 33:28).
Thematically, Daughter, your faith has given you Life is related to the fact that
FLOWING waters are called alive. She is cleansed from a flow of death (blood)
into a flow of life (eternal life).
The same root- ayin-yodh-noon- means in Hebrew and Aramaic eye, as if to
suggest she could now SEE with the EYES of faith after her healing from the BAD
FLOW.

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