Weekly Reading Insights:
 Tazriya 5771

 

Overview of the Weekly Reading

To be read on Shabbat Tazriya, 27 Adar II 5771/April 2, 2011

Torah: Leviticus 9:1-11:47; Maftir Num. 19:1-22 (Parah), Haftorah: Ezekiel 36:16-38 (Parah)

Shemini is the 4th Reading out of 10 in Leviticus and it contains 3667 letters, in 1010 words, in 67 verses.

Tazriya opens with childbirth laws, followed by a long discussion of the distinguishing signs of tzara’at on skin, hair, and garments. Tzara’at is a discoloration appearing on skin, hair, garments, and houses, and is sometimes (inaccurately) translated as 'leprosy'


An essay from
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(L2771/Tazriya)

(for a free weekly email subscription, click here)

In this week's Torah portion that we are given the commandment of circumcision. "On the 8th day, you must circumcise the flesh of the foreskin". (12/3)

In 1951, just a year after his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Shneerson, (the Rebbe Rayatz) passed away, The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, spoke about his memories of the Rebbe Rayatz at a Brit Milah (circumcision ceremony) for the child of one of his Chassidim at which he was invited to be sandek, (holding the baby during the brit). Even though he had worn his own tallis (prayer shawl) during prayers earlier in the day, when he put it on for the brit, he did not make a blessing.

The Rayatz became very pale, and even turned his head during the cutting, even though he was a trained schochet (slaughterer), certainly used to seeing blood. During the entire event the Rayatz never stopped whispering, even though it was not known what he was saying.

(Each of these anecdotes were related for their interest sake, not as a direction for how we should behave.)

After the ceremony, during the meal, the Rebbe Rayatz said: "From the time the Torah was given (more than 3300 years ago), the order for serving G-d in a person's life was as follows: First you must remove the foreskin that covers the body (as in the brit) - the principle of controlling our action. This is followed by the removal of the foreskin that covers the tongue - the principle of controlling our speech. After this is the removal of the foreskin that covers our hearts - the principle of thought. (This is connected to the Jewish idea that it is easier to change what goes on inside of us i.e. thoughts and feelings, by first changing our exterior i.e. our actions and speech.) Interestingly, before the Torah was given, the order was reversed, as we find in the case of our forefather, Avraham. At the age of 3 he already recognized that there was a Creator (thought). Afterwards his mission was to publicize G-d to the world (speech). Only later as an elderly man, was his circumcision (action). Nevertheless", the Rebbe reiterated, "for us, everything begins with action because it is primary."

Later, at the same meal, the Rebbe shared the following: At the bris of one of the grandchildren of the Tzemach Tzedek (3rd Lubavitcher Rebbe) there was a choice between two mohelim (circumcisers). One was very expert but not so able to direct the intention of his actions through high spiritual thoughts (kavanot). The other was very focused spiritually but not as much of an expert. The Tzemach Tzedek instructed them to take the more expert mohel, saying that a bris is a 'supernal action', so high that an 'address' (from where to draw the energy) is not needed. The Rayatz concluded that one might think that the reason you should take the greater expert is because the second mohel could simultaneously intend the intentions, since there are situations where this sharing of tasks works. But from the language of the Tzemach Tzedek, 'a supernal action' means that the action is itself enough and the intentions are not needed. Again, action is primary.

Shabbat Shalom, Shaul

P.S. Please also read my weekly Shabbat Law, below.

(for a free weekly email subscription, click here)

For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's Reading, see the archive.


FROM THE CHASSIDIC REBBES

"If....the mark appears to have penetrated the skin, then it is the tsora'at affliction" (13:3)

As long as the affliction has penetrated only the skin of the person--in the substance of the body and the lust of physicality--the damage is not so great and there is hope for healing; but when the affliction goes deeper and penetrates till the thoughts and attitudes of a person, his healing will be very difficult.

(from Rabbi Josef Shaul Natanson -translated from Sichat HaShavuah #121)

For more than a decade of "From the Chasidic Rebbes" on this Weekly Reading, see our archives


MASHIACH THIS WEEK

"When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male…" (12:2)

It is written, "Tzion bears her sons," and the birth of a son alludes to the strength and fortitude (male) of the True and Complete Redemption, an eternal redemption through our Righteous Mashiach, not to be followed by exile. That is, the bearing of a son alludes to the birth (revelation) of the soul of Mashiach, which is on the most supernal level, from the higher world.

(The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Translated by Michoel Lieb Dobry)

For the previous five years of "Mashiach This Week" on this Weekly Reading, see our archives


A MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE

from the Chabad Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for

www.ascentofsafed.com and www.kabbalaonline.org

For a free email subscription to the Chabad Master series, click here.


FROM THE SAGES OF KABBALAH

See our brand new Kabbalah site, KabbalaOnline.org

Specifically, for precious articles on the Weekly Parsha in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary Kabbalists, and more,click to

Tazriya

One Sample:


The Holy Ari

Healing Swollen Ego

From the Writings of the Ari as recorded by Rabbi Chaim Vital; translated and edited by Moshe Yakov Wisnefsky

This parasha begins with three seemingly unrelated topics: the ritual impurity acquired by a woman through giving birth, the commandment of circumcision on the eighth day after birth, and the ritual impurity imparted by the condition known as tzara'at. All are purely spiritual conditions, and must not be confused with medical or hygienic conditions. In order to resume a life of active spirituality, one must be "purified" from this mentality.

To continue, click here.
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For another sample of recommended Kabbalah articles on a variety of subjects,
click to the
our weekly Kabbalah magazine

this week's:

KOL Magazine, Vol. 7, No.30

This Shabbat we unroll a second Torah scroll to read about the first two mitzvot of the Jewish people as an entity:
Sanctifying the New Moon and the slaughtering and eating of the Passover lamb.
The first three articles each discuss one of these major themes.
The next four articles touch a variety of topics; all they have in common is that each one is very interesting!


Sample:

The Original New Moon

By Avraham Arieh Trugman

The new moon of Nisan is a very important day for many reasons. Indeed, Jewish tradition cites ten. Among them:

It was on this day that Israel received their first mitzvah as a people in preparation for leaving Egypt - the instructions regarding Nisan being the first of the months of the year, as well as the entire system of the Jewish calendar with all its secrets regarding how we can become the masters of time.
It was the day we dedicated the Tabernacle in the desert, the future prototype of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
it was this day that God actually created the world, according to Rabbi Yehoshua in the Talmud.

To continue, click here

 

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