Parashat Tazria-Metzora: Leviticus 12:1 to 15:33

      This is one of the seven designated Torah portions that can be read as a combined “parashah,” depending on the lunar cycle of months. Tazria explains the rituals of purification for a woman after childbirth. We also have a description of skin ailments, and the treatment for such illnesses. Metzora is the Hebrew word for leprosy, though most scholars believe that this illness did not exist in ancient Israel. Probably the inflammation described in these chapters was a type of skin ailment, common to the Middle Eastern environment. So this Torah portion speaks about treating such maladies, as well as treating fungus and mildew in the home. The focus was on maintaining the status of cleanliness, and ritual purity.

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