Tazria

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Tazria, Thazria, Thazri’a, Sazria, or Ki Tazria’ (תזריע – Hebrew for "she conceives,” the 13th word, and the first distinctive word, in the parshah) is the 27th weekly parshah or portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fourth in the book of Leviticus. It constitutes Leviticus [12:1–13:59.] Jews in the Diaspora read it the 26th or 27th Sabbath after Simchat Torah, generally in April.

The lunisolar Hebrew calendar contains up to 54 weeks, the exact number varying between leap years and regular years. In years with 54 weeks (for example, 2008), parshah Tazria is read separately. In years with fewer than 54 weeks (for example, 2006, 2007, and 2009), parshah Tazria is combined with the next parshah, Metzora, to help achieve the needed number of weekly readings.

Contents

1 Summary

1.1 Childbirth
1.2 Skin Conditions
1.3 Clothing

2 Commandments
3 Haftarah
4 References in classical sources
5 External links

Summary

Childbirth

God told Moses to tell the Israelites that when a woman at childbirth bore a boy, she was to be unclean 7 days and then remain in a state of blood purification for 33 days, while if she bore a girl, she was to be unclean 14 days and then remain in a state of blood purification for 66 days. [(Lev. 12:1–5.)] Upon completing her period of purification, she was to bring a lamb for a burnt offering and a pigeon or a turtle dove for a sin offering, and the priest was to offer them as sacrifices to make expiation on her behalf. [(Lev. 12:6–7.)] If she could not afford a sheep, she was to take two turtle doves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. [(Lev. 12:8.)]

Skin Conditions

God told Moses (also Moshe) and Aaron that when a person had a swelling, rash, discoloration, scaly affection, inflammation, or burn, it was to be reported to the priest, who was to examine it to determine whether the person was clean or unclean. [(Lev. 13:1–44.)] Unclean persons were to rend their clothes, leave their head bare, cover over their upper lips, call out, "Unclean! Unclean!" and dwell outside the camp. [(Lev. 13:45–46.)]

Clothing

Similarly, when a streaky green or red eruptive affection occurred in wool, linen, or animal skin, it was to be shown to the priest, who was to examine to determine whether it was clean or unclean. [(Lev. 13:47–51.)] If unclean, it was to be burned, but if the affection disappeared from the article upon washing, it was to be washed again and be clean. [(Lev. 13:52–59.)]

Commandments

According to Maimonides and Sefer ha-Chinuch, there are 5 positive and 2 negative commandments in the parshah:

To observe the laws of impurity caused by childbirth [Lev. 12:2]
The unclean person must not eat meat of sacrifices [Lev. 12:4]
A woman who gave birth must bring an offering after she goes to the Mikveh [Lev. 12:6]
To observe the laws of human tzara'at [Lev. 13:12]
The person affected by tzara'at must not shave signs of impurity in his hair [Lev. 13:33]
The person affected by tzara'at must publicize the condition by tearing garments, allowing hair to grow, and covering lips [Lev. 13:45]
To carry out the laws of tzara'at of cloth [Lev. 13:47]

Haftarah

The haftarah for the parshah is 2 Kings [4:42–5:19]

When the parshah coincides with Shabbat HaChodesh, (as it does in 2008), the haftarah is Ezekiel [45:16–46:18.]

When the parshah coincides with Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, (as it does in 2006 and 2009), the haftarah is Isaiah [66:1–24.]

References in classical sources

The parshah has parallels or is discussed in these classical sources:

Sifra 121:1–147:16.
Leviticus Rabbah 14:1–15:9.
Zohar [3:42a–52a.]

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