Daily Chumash Tazria Metzora Sunday: The laws of a woman who gives birth & The laws of Tzaraas

Parshas Tazria

Pesukim:67 [Siman: בניה]

Haftorah: Melachim 2 4:42-5:19

Rishon

1. The laws of a woman who gives birth:

• A male child: If a woman gives birth to a male child, she is impure for seven days. On the eighth day the child is to be circumcised. She remains with Demei Tohar [blood of Purity] for 33 day. She may not enter the Mikdash or touch Kodshim during this time.
• A female child: If a woman gives birth to a girl she is to remain a Niddah for 14 days. She remains with Demei Tohar for 66 days.
• The Karbanos: At the completion of her pure days for a male and female she is to bring to the Kohen a year-old sheep as a Chatas offering and a bird for an Olah offering. The Kohen offers the sacrifice on her behalf and purifies her. If she cannot afford a sheep, she is to bring two birds, one for an Olah and the second for a Chatas.

2. The laws of Tzaraas:

• Showing it to the Kohen: One who has a lesion of Tzaraas on his skin is to be brought to the Kohen for examination. The Kohen is to view the ailment and if its hair is white and deeper than the skin, it is Tzaraas, and he is declared impure by the Kohen.
• Confinement: If its hair is not white and it is not deeper than the skin, the Kohen is to confine him for seven days. The Kohen is to re-examine the Tzaraas on the 7^th day, and if it has not changed, and has not spread, he is to re-confine him for a further seven days.

Sheiyni

• The Kohen is to again examine the Tzaraas on the 7^th day [of the second week], and if it has lightened in color, and has not spread, he is to purify it. The Metzora is to clean his clothing and he is then purified.
• Respreads: If the Tzaraas re-spreads after the purification, it is to be reshown to the Kohen and he is to be deemed impure.

3. Tzaraas that has healthy skin:

• If the white lesion has a white hair but contains an area of healthy skin, it is in truth an old Tzaraas. The Kohen is to deem him impure. He is not to be secluded, as he is impure.

4. Tzaraas that covers the entire body:

• If the Tzaraas covers the entire body from head to toe, he is to be deemed pure by the Kohen. If fresh skin ever appears on the body, he is to be deemed impure.

Shelishi

5. Tzaraas on a blister:
   • If a skin lesion appears on a blister and resembles the signs of Tzaraas, it is to be shown to the Kohen. If it appears lower than the skin and has white hair it is Tzaraas that has grown on the blister. He is to be declared impure by the Kohen. If it does not have these signs, the Kohen is to segregate him for seven days. If the lesion spreads, then he is impure. If the lesion does not spread, it is not Tzaraas but rather a skin ailment on the blister and he is pure.