Metzora: Leper — מצורע

Thoughts on Last Week’s Torah Portion.
 
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Leviticus 12-13
Last weeks Torah portion continues with the theme of uncleanness started in the previous portion.  To some, the concept of being unclean might seem to indicate some sort of nonacceptance of God,  but this is not the intent of the concept of being unclean.  Generally, being unclean is not sin, but relates to the bodily or physical condition of man’s fallen state.  As we will see, all of the uncleanness laws are in some way connected to the fallen nature of man’s physical bodies.  Though no fault of individual action, but is a result of the fall with Adam.  It refers to the corruption in man’s fallen body.

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Mortal Corruption
When Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve separated themselves from God both Spiritual and Physically.  They were not only thrust out of God’s presence – a spiritual death, but their physical bodies became subject to disease, death and the bodily functions of the fallen condition of man, which also became a type of separation from God. Man’s physical bodies became incongruent to God’s immortal condition.  In the previous portion, when we partake of unclean food, these unclean foods contribute to man’s physical fallen condition.  Bodily fluids are another connection to man’s mortal condition as is the disease of leprosy as we see in this portion.  And then finally, death the greatest type of bodily separation from God.  Paul writes:

"And this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood is unable to inherit the reign of Elohim, neither does corruption inherit incorruption."  1 Corinthians 15:50


Holiness
Becoming holy is the primary objective of the Law.  Being holy is required for us to enter the presence of God.  Though man’s fallen mortal body represents a separation from God, the Law provides God’s process to regain holiness with Him.


Millennium
The prophet Isaiah prophesy of the Millennial Age when the Messiah returns and does away with death. Essentially what the Messiah does in the Millennium is to eliminate disease and the grave for those who are born during the Millennium.  The use of veil, shroud and reproach in this prophecy refers to a separation from God  that is connected to man's degenerative mortal body of which death is the ultimate expression. In the Millennium, man is instantaneously changed into an immortal condition - effectively eliminating the consequence of death - the grave.   This condition also alludes to the concept that during the Millennium man becomes clean and that any form of uncleanness comes to an end.
 
“In this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the shroud that shrouds all nations, by abolishing death forever. My Lord Jehovah will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the reproach of his people from throughout the earth.”  Isaiah 25:7,8

Man's Physical Body through Time and Eternity

Our Fallen World	Paradise ​(Millennium)	Heaven
Disease ​Death	No Disease ​No Grave	No Disease ​No Death
Corruption	Incorruption	Eternal Incorruption
Unclean	Clean	Immortality

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​Resurrection Morning and Non-Resurrection
Avraham Gileadi, PhD

​Isaiah’s end-time scenario includes the resurrection of God’s elect who have passed away: “Your dead shall live when their bodies arise. [You will say to them,]‘Awake, and sing for joy, you who abide in the dust: your dew is the dew of sunrise!’ For the earth shall cast up its dead” (Isaiah 26:19). Zion/Jerusalem’s “rising from the dust” similarly includes the idea of resurrection (Isaiah 52:2). Word links between the two passages—“rising” (qwm) from the “dust” (‘apar)—establish the context in which resurrection occurs: at the end-time reversal of circumstances between Zion and Babylon. As the earth regenerates, so do God’s elect (Isaiah 65:17–25).

Death passes from the earth when the wicked are gone and people no longer transgress: “He will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the shroud that shrouds all nations, by abolishing death forever. My Lord Jehovah will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the reproach of his people from throughout the earth” Isaiah 25:7–8). Isaiah’s Perdition category, on the other hand, sees the opposite: “O Jehovah, our God, lords other than you have ruled over us, but you alone we recall by name. They are dead, to live no more, spirits who will not resurrect; you have appointed them to destruction, wiping out all recollection of them” (Isaiah 26:13–14).

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Isaiah 26
Unlike their oppressive rulers, the righteous survive the earth’s desolation while others resurrect.

Hebrew Study

Isaiah 25:7,8

English	Hebrew	Transliteration
And He will destroy	וּבִלַּע֙	u-veel-lah
in the mountain	בָּהָ֣ר	bah-hahr
this	הַזֶּ֔ה	hah-zeh
the face	​פְּנֵֽי־	p-nay
of the veil	הַלּ֥וֹט ׀	hahl-loht
that veils	​הַלּ֖וֹט	hahl-loht
on	​עַל־	ahl
all	​כָּל־	kohl
the people	​הָֽעַמִּ֑ים	hah-ahm-meem
the shroud	​וְהַמַּסֵּכָ֥ה	v-hahm-mahs-seh-cah
that shrouds	​הַנְּסוּכָ֖ה	hahn-nsu-kah
on	עַל־	ahl
all	כָּל־	kohl
the nations	הַגּוֹיִֽם׃	hag-goh-yeem
by abolishing	בִּלַּ֤ע	beel-lah
death	הַמָּ֙וֶת֙	hahm-mah-veht
forever	לָנֶ֔צַח	lah-neh-tsahk

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Resource Links for this Week's Portion

TORAH: Leviticus 14:1-15:33
GOSPELS: Mark 1:35-45

Listen and Read the Portion
First Fruits of Zion

​​Commentary with Nehemia Gordon
​

HAFTARAH: Isaiah Chapter 27

Commentary with Avraham Gileadi, PhD