Parsha Tazria-Metzora: Leviticus 12:1-15:33

Parsha Tazria-Metzora: Day 7 (Leviticus 15:16-33)

The final portion of this week’s parsha discusses the various aspects of uncleanness that arise from bodily discharges. The first section discusses discharges from the nose and mouth. These can be understood as those discharges that are expelled when someone coughs or sneezes.

The discharges can be released when someone is healthy or when someone has a cold or other respiratory illness. Either way, the discharges make the person and the things that contact the discharges unclean. Anyone who contacts the person, the discharge, or any bedding or cloth with the discharge on it is declared unclean. They must wash their clothes, bathe in water and remain unclean until evening.

The second half of the final parsha portion discusses male seminal discharges and female discharges of blood. As mentioned previously, both of these types of discharges contain within them the seeds of life. If…

Leviticus 15:16-33

וְאִ֕ישׁ כִּֽי־תֵצֵ֥א מִמֶּ֖נּוּ שִׁכְבַת־זָ֑רַע וְרָחַ֥ץ בַּמַּ֛יִם אֶת־כׇּל־בְּשָׂר֖וֹ וְטָמֵ֥א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃

16 And if the flow of seed go out from a man, then he shall bathe all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even.

וְכׇל־בֶּ֣גֶד וְכׇל־ע֔וֹר אֲשֶׁר־יִהְיֶ֥ה עָלָ֖יו שִׁכְבַת־זָ֑רַע וְכֻבַּ֥ס בַּמַּ֖יִם וְטָמֵ֥א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃

17 And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the flow of seed, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the even.

וְאִשָּׁ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׁכַּ֥ב אִ֛ישׁ אֹתָ֖הּ שִׁכְבַת־זָ֑רַע וְרָחֲצ֣וּ בַמַּ֔יִם וְטָמְא֖וּ עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃ {פ}