Parshat Tzaria-Metzora: Leviticus 12:1 – 15:33 / Yom HaShoah

This double portion is often one of the most difficult for contemporary Jews to deal with. It speaks such a foreign language to us: the language of spiritual uncleanliness. Mentioned in this portion is spiritual/ritual uncleanliness caused by a certain kind of disease of the skin, a kind of mildew in fabric, and in houses; the spiritual defilement in the messiness of childbirth, the spiritual defilement that comes from sexual discharge.

For the ancients and their limited scientific understandings of the body, anatomy, medicine and even mold perhaps their theology makes sense. These were signs and portents to be interpreted by the priesthood. Offerings to God had to come from sacrifices without blemish. Thus it would make sense to ensure that those offering the sacrifices also were without blemish. That old phrase, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” takes on meaning in this context since the sacrifices were meant to draw one nearer to God. The root of the word korban which means sacrifice comes from karov — to bring close, or draw near.

But are there times that we are in a state of spiritual uncleanliness? Are there times we cannot draw close to God? Even though we do not offer sacrifices, we do still assert that we can draw close to the Holy One of Blessing. Through mitzvoth, through social justice, through prayer and meditation and importantly, Torah study — we Jews draw close to our God. But are there times and moments in our lives when our spirits are fouled? Are there times or moments in our lives when we can’t open our hearts and minds and souls to the possibility that God reaches out to us?

For those who have been or are in an addiction recovery program, they know full well that while using whatever drug or modality that their spirits are unclean. That is why a 12 step program of recovery includes figuring out and affirming a Higher Power. Because until that moment happens, our spirits are unclean and we cannot move toward integrating the sections of ourselves or our worlds without drawing near to something bigger than ourselves.

For those not working a 12 step program of recovery — are there other moments when our spirits might be unclean? Are we so angry at someone or the world at large that we cannot forgive? Cannot open our hearts to another? Are we so fearful or anxious about our lives that we cannot even see ahead to a future that our spirits are damaged?

The sacrifices and remedies though primitive in Leviticus, try to help the individual re-integrate into society and heal the spiritual deficits represented by these moments. We too need a way to help us re-integrate into society and heal our spiritual deficits.

This week, we Jews observe Yom HaShoah, Holocaust memorial day. This holy day of commemoration speaks to us of the need to integrate the story of our people’s peril at the hands of the Nazis into our lives. It is a time to mourn, a time to gather, a time to try to make sense of the horror of the years of imprisonment, torture and murder that befell the Jewish people in the mid-20th century. Even as many survivors are nearing the end of their lives and hate-mongers in the world continue to try to erase the memory of the Holocaust, Yom HaShoah ritualizes this remembrance and teaches all of us that we must continue to tell the stories. So too by observing this holy day of commemoration through kindling our yarhzeit candles we help to keep the flame of hope alive that God’s rescuing hand will always be there for us.

Posted by Eric at April 20, 2009 03:30 PM