When I was a new young mom, my Aunt Lala would always remind me, “When they are crabby, put them in WATER!” Such wise parenting advise. A nice hot bubble bath can cure sibling controversy, a common cold, and a grumpy overstimulated child.
Why? Well, I think it is the experience of being in water that reminds us of the weightlessness of our own inner being. But, there may be multiple explanations. As I ponder this week’s Torah portion I couldn’t help but notice the target audience is a group of desert nomads. How ironic!
Join me as we discuss what the Torah has to teach us about the power of a mikveh.
The Torah reading begins with a description of the purification procedure for a person who contracted tzara'at. After the priest determines that the tzara'at has been healed, a ceremony involving two birds, a cedar plank, a scarlet thread and water from a live stream, is used for the initial stage of the purification. The individual also shaves his entire body. After a seven-day wait, the person shaves again, and brings three animals and an oil offering to the Temple.
The priest processes the offerings in the manner prescribed in this section. With this the purification process is completed.
If the individual suffering from tzara'at cannot afford the above sacrifices, two birds can be substituted for two of the animals. This section describes the slightly different purification process reserved for the impoverished person.
Homes, too, can be afflicted with tzara'at. If stones on a home become discolored — acquiring a strong red or green pigment — a priest is summoned. If indeed the discoloration seems to be tzara'at, the priest quarantines the home for up to three weeks. Depending on the spread of the discoloration, the home is either declared to be pure, or the specific stones are removed from the house, or, in the most extreme situations, the house is demolished. The Torah then describes the purification process for such a home — which is very similar to the initial stage of the purification of the human afflicted with tzara'at.
After concluding the subject of tzara'at, the Torah discusses the ritual impurity of a man who issues a sickly and unnatural seminal discharge, as well as the method by which this person attains purity when the condition passes.
This section discusses the ritual impurity contracted by a man who issues a (normal) seminal discharge, the ritual impurity of a menstruating woman, and of a man who cohabits with her. All such people must immerse in a mikvah (ritual pool) to be purified.
Under certain circumstances, a menstruating woman was required to bring to the Temple two bird offerings to attain purity. These sacrifices are described in this section.
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