Daily Chumash Tazria Metzora Friday: The laws of Tzaraas on a house

Revi’i (Shishi when connected to Tazria)

1.      The laws of Tzaraas on a house:

·         Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aaron saying that when they come to Eretz Canaan, Hashem will place Tzaraas in houses. One who has Tzaraas in his house is to approach the Kohen and tell him that there is a Tzaraas like lesion in his house. The Kohen is to have the entire house cleared of all its belongings prior to him coming to examine the lesion. This is done to prevent the belongings from becoming impure.

·         The examination: If the lesion on the wall is green or red and it is lower than the rest of the wall then the following is done: The Kohen leaves the house and seals it for seven days. The Kohen is to return on the seventh day and see if the lesion has spread.

·         The Tzaraas spread-The purification process-stage 1: If the lesion spread, the Kohen is to have the stones of the wall that have the lesion, removed and taken outside the camp, to an impure place. The area around the lesion is to have a layer of its material removed and have that material thrown outside of the camp, to an impure place. New stones are to be placed into the wall, and the peeled area of the wall is to be filled in.

·         If the Tzaras returns: If the Tzaraas returns after this, then the house is impure. The entire house is to be destroyed and all of its material is to be removed outside of the camp. [The examination to check whether the Tzaraas returned takes place seven days after the purification process.] Whoever enters the house during this time becomes impure.

·         If the Tzaras does not return-Purification process-stage 2: If the Tzaraas does not return, then the house is to be purified. Two birds, cedar wood and crimson wool string are taken. One bird is to be slaughtered and have its blood poured into an earthenware vessel that is filled with water. The cedar wood, a wool string, and hyssop are to be bound and dipped into the water and blood. The bird is also to be dipped into the vessel. The above items are then to be sprinkled seven times onto the house. The bird is then to be let free to outside of the city.

Chamishi

·         This concludes the laws of all the types of Tzaraas.

2.      The Zav impurity:

·         Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aaron telling them to speak to Bnei Yisrael regarding the laws of Zav. A man who has a flow of semen like fluid is to be declared impure.

·         Contact with the Zav: Whatever bed he lies on and whatever seat he sits on becomes impure. One who touches his bed becomes impure until the night. Whoever sits on his seat becomes impure until the night. Whoever touches the skin of the Zav is impure until the night. If the Zav spits on a person he is impure until the night. Whatever ride the Zav rides on becomes impure and whoever touches it is impure. Whoever the Zav touches becomes impure. An earthenware vessel that is touched by the Zav becomes impure and is to be destroyed. A wood vessel is to be immersed in water.

·         Purification process of Zav: The Zav is to count seven days and immerse his clothing and body in water. On the eighth day he is to take two birds and bring them to the Ohel Moed to the Kohen. The Kohen is to offer one as a Chatas and one as an Olah.