Torah Pearls – Tazria – Leviticus 12:1-13:59 – Nehemia Gordon & Keith Johnson
What is the meaning of the term, tazria, and how does a woman “produce seed”? Why is there a difference in the time of uncleanness concerning the birth of a boy or the birth of a girl? Is it a sin to be unclean? Also in this program, regarding leprosy, the stories of Miriam and Naaman.
Join us for this year’s Tanakh Tour of Israel!
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Congratulations, guys. You have managed to bypass all the difficult topics that I have struggled to understand for years. Maybe next year. Be blessed.
I always learn something every session, thanks. Really enjoy the intro music also.
GIVE THE POOR WOMAN A BREAK! AFTER HAVING A BABY! WHO WOULD WANT TO HAVE SEX AFTER 7 OR 14 DAYS! SHEESH!
YOU MEN! GET REAL!
The Book of Jubilees has a possible answer to the days of uncleanness.
Jubilees 3:1-14 And on the six days of the second week we brought, according to the word of God, unto Adam all the beasts, and all the cattle, and all the birds, and everything that moves on the earth, and everything that moves in the water, according to their kinds, and according to their types: the beasts on the first day; the cattle on the second day; the birds on the third day; and all that which moves on the earth on the fourth day; and that which moves in the water on the fifth day. 2 And Adam named them all by their respective names, and as he called them, so was their name. 3 And on these five days Adam saw all these, male and female, according to every kind that was on the earth, but he was alone and found no helpmeet for him. 4 And the Lord said unto us: ‘It is not good that the man should be alone: let us make a helpmeet for him.’ 5 And the Lord our God caused a deep sleep to fall upon him, and he slept, and He took for the woman one rib from amongst his ribs, and this rib was the origin of the woman from amongst his ribs, and He built up the flesh in its stead, and built the woman. 6 And He awaked Adam out of his sleep and on awaking he rose on the sixth day, and He brought her to him, and he knew her, and said unto her: ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called [my] wife; because she was taken from her husband. 7 ‘Therefore shall man and wife be one and therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. 8 In the first week was Adam created, and the rib–his wife: in the second week He showed her unto him: and for this reason the commandment was given to keep in their defilement, for a male seven days, and for a female twice seven days. 9 And after Adam had completed forty days in the land where he had been created, we brought him into the garden of Eden to till and keep it, but his wife they brought in on the eightieth day, and after this she entered into the garden of Eden. 10 And for this reason the commandment is written on the heavenly tablets in regard to her that gives birth: ‘if she bears a male, she shall remain in her uncleanness seven days according to the first week of days, and thirty and three days shall she remain in the blood of her purifying, and she shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor enter into the sanctuary, until she accomplishes these days which (are enjoined) in the case of a male child. 11 But in the case of a female child she shall remain in her uncleanness two weeks of days, according to the first two weeks, and sixty-six days in the blood of her purification, and they will be in all eighty days.’ 12 And when she had completed these eighty days we brought her into the garden of Eden, for it is holier than all the earth besides and every tree that is planted in it is holy. 13 Therefore, there was ordained regarding her who bears a male or a female child the statute of those days that she should touch no hallowed thing, nor enter into the sanctuary until these days for the male or female child are accomplished. 14 This is the law and testimony which was written down for Israel, in order that they should observe (it) all the days.
Although this book is not currently regarded as scriptures, it is thought that some sectarian groups did believe it was scripture and this was how they understood this.
could the woman being in a longer state for a girl vs a boy because the girl she carries is now carrying seed in her too so the mom is 14 days for she and her daughter with 7 days each and then 66 days for 33 days for she and the girl with the generational seed 33 days? Just a thought?
Just a note…
A house that has the plague is very likely MOLD.
Mold is a fungus, and comes in many colors. Mold can make folks very ill, and even to death.
I also think of the plagues of old where the household furnishings, clothing, and bedding had to be burned to get rid of the sickness and keep it from spreading.
Leperacy might refer to any fungal, bacterial, viral infection or any other sickness visible on the skin.
Sharing this listener’s comment from Rico Cortes’ Torah portion teaching (hope that’s ok!). Found it very interesting.
“Possible answer why days of purification are 80 for a girl and 40 for a boy – I am currently in Nursing School so I just happened to have a good reference book available. Concerning a newborn female, in utero she has an increase in estrogen during pregnancy from the mother. After birth, the baby girl experiences a drastic drop in the hormone which results in a mucoid vaginal discharge and even some slight bloody spotting known as pseudomenstruation (Perry, Hockenberry, Lowdermilk, & Wilson, 2010, p.618).
Reference Perry, S., Hockenberry, M., Lowdermilk, D., & Wilson, D., ( 2010). Maternal child nursing care. Maryland Heights, MO: Mosby Elsevier.”
Good thought Teresa. I was thinking of a recovery of some sort carrying a male vs female because of hormones. Even though we don’t always know all the science and spiritual significance in back of it there is a reason and that is why it is always better to obey what He says. He is the great omniscience one!
Oh, I was going to ask, why wasn’t Lev 13 read? I think if you prayed the prayer about ‘opening our eyes so we can see’ that you might have been blessed by new revelation and understanding say nothing for just plain obeying Him for reading the Word.
When reading the Torah portions as a kids, my mom being a nurse instantly explained why a woman should be unclean double after giving birth to a girl. She said that infant girls often times have a small amount of vaginal bleeding after birth. This is because of the high levels of hormones from the mother in the baby’s system. Its is totally normal and explainable.
I have a hard time considering a mother “taking on” the uncleanness of her children, but this might be the reason for her double uncleanness.
Also, its not fair that you guys have to be so worried about children hearing bits of Torah that may make their “Catholic influenced” parents uncomfortable. We don’t have to be perverse but we can teach our children parts of Torah that refer to their anatomy and their reproductive health. Terms like semen, sex, and period is not evil like our Catholic fathers have tried to instill in us. Unfortunately, if we wait to let the world teach our children about those terms…often times they will get a corrupted version of it. So why not teach your kids the truth when they ask where babies come from….its better that they get it while they are young so they don’t think its some mysterious evil thing.
Hey Keith, “Thanks for the ‘shout out’, you have no idea how much that lifted my spirit!”
In regard to ‘TIME’ and the ‘LUNAR CYCLE’ it is interesting to note of the 29.5 days of the Lunar Cycle (originally 30 days) there are 28 days of Lunar illumination of which there are 4 phases which gives reason to believe that in the MOON we have the TIME CLOCK YHWH purposed for the keeping of the WEEK, i.e. 28 divided by 7 = 4 weekly cycles per Lunar cycle.
Ezekiel 46:1 tells us very clearly there are 3 categories of days, i.e. 6 days of work per week, 1 day of Sabbath rest per week and Rosh Chodesh. All of which must fit neatly into the Lunar cycles without ever overlapping, i.e. Rosh Chodesh NEVER falls on either a weekly work day or a weekly Sabbath. 6 + 1 = 7 x 4 = 28 + Rosh Chodesh = The Lunar Cycle of 29.5 days!
Shalom shalom and thanks again for the ‘shout out’ Keith!
Excellent. My Hebrew Roots Rabbi Messer has a great teaching on this subject, using the same references. He identifies Na’aman’s attitude as one of bitter root judgment. Your teaching tonight made me look inside and examine the number of times I have been in “small” rebellion i.e. pushing the time boundaries on Shabbat, missing Counting of the Omer for a day….etc. I am thinking about how often I balk at the boundary markers. I will keep i mind the lesson of the Hebrew woman: “Why not just go do it?’ He is YHWH and it is His Word.
Love all the various aspects brought out concerning the days of purification of the mother after bringing forth a daughter.
My view-as Chavah is the “mother of all living”, and only the women can conceive to bring forth another living person; that she is bringing forth another being like herself, who can conceive, to continue the line of the living, she will need more days of purification/separation for her spiritual wellbeing/protection.
Does that make sense?
Interestingly, Namaan asking for two mules’ burden of earth from Yisrael to build an altar to YHWH, reveals the literal defilement of the land, “when you shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then you shall render their fruit as uncircumcised unto you: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten….” It is a spiritual condition as with the people , so as with he land, both have to be cleansed, and declared clean?
What wonderful instructions on how we are to differentiate beween cleaan and the defiled!
Shalom!
betz – I agree 100% that it is the parents duty to teach the children (as says the Torah). When parents are “afraid” to talk about things with their children – the children will often go to seek it out and get damaging results. I recall as a child watching television with my mother and grandmother. Obviously they would be watching things oriented towards females – so many of the commercials were about “feminine products”. I remember (can’t remember the age) asking “what’s a tampon?”. After silence I was told “you’ll learn when you get older”. Unfortunately that set a trend in life of where I wanted to know something – I’d ask friends…. which was NOT the best way. When my son asks me a question – I try to use wisdom according to his age and answer directly as possible.
I think maybe she has to bring a “sin” offering because she brought sin into the world(not saying at all that giving birth is wrong as that is commanded to be fruitful and multiply ),but…as it states we are sinful from birth since the fall of Adam(Psalm 51:5, Ephesians 2:3, jeremiah 20:14,Job curses his day of birth in chapter 3). Literally brought sin into world 2 ways..physically (another flesh which will be sinful naturally according to flesh until reborn of spirit) and also “she” was first one to disobey bringing sin into the world ….?? just a thought. Also, another thought is that in Old Testament there is a mention of birthday being celebrated and someone was beheaded; same thing in New Testament when it’s mentioned…when you look into the history of birthdays you see it was of pagan origin…maybe this is why we “made up” a birthday (a pagan one at that) for Yeshua and don’t know for certain his day of birth??
Jono, can you share with me the link for the conversaton you had with Nehemia Gordon (mentioned on this Season 1 of Torah Pearls about the Nidah ??
https://truth2u.org/2010/12/nehemia-gordon-that-aztec-festival-with-all-the-skulls-christmas-the-torah-of-niddah-from-leviticus-15.html