Leviticus-Chapter-14
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Remember the following truth from our
beloved Torah!
“Ye shall NOT ADD TO
THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL
YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim -
Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).
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Part One..
Verses 1 to 32..
With Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Leviticus Chapter 14 provides the "ritual of return" for the individual who has been healed from the affliction of Tzara’at. If Chapter 13 was about the pain of isolation and diagnosis, Chapter 14 is about the beauty of restoration and reintegration. It describes a bridge between the "outside of the camp" and the heart of the community. This process reminds us that no matter how far a person has drifted—or been pushed due to their spiritual or physical state, the path back to holiness is always open. It is a ceremony of rebirth, involving the elements of earth, water, and blood, signifying a total renewal of the self.
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Let us read Leviticus Chapter 14, verses 1 to 32: (JPS-1917 version of the Torah). Below this chapter you will find my commentary on same.
1 “And יְהוָה - the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 ‘This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his
cleansing: he shall be brought unto the priest. 3 And
the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and,
behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper; 4 then
shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two living
clean birds, and cedar-wood, and scarlet, and hyssop. 5 And
the priest shall command to kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over
running water. 6 As for the living bird, he
shall take it, and the cedar-wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall
dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the
running water. 7 And he shall sprinkle upon him
that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him
clean, and shall let go the living bird into the open field. 8 And
he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair,
and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean; and after that he may come
into the camp, but shall dwell outside his tent seven days. 9 And
it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave
all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he
shall shave off; and he shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in
water, and he shall be clean. 10 And on the
eighth day he shall take two he-lambs without blemish, and one ewe-lamb of the
first year without blemish, and three tenth parts of an ephah
of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil. 11 And the priest that cleanseth
him shall set the man that is to be cleansed, and those things, before יְהוָה - the LORD, at the door of the tent of meeting. 12 And
the priest shall take one of the he-lambs, and offer him for a guilt-offering,
and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave-offering before יְהוָה - the LORD. 13 And he shall kill the
he-lamb in the place where they kill the sin-offering and the burnt-offering,
in the place of the sanctuary; for as the sin-offering is the priest's, so is
the guilt-offering; it is most holy. 14 And the
priest shall take of the blood of the guilt-offering, and the priest shall put
it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the
thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot. 15 And the priest shall take of the log of oil, and
pour it into the palm of his own left hand. 16 And
the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and
shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before יְהוָה - the LORD. 17 And of the rest of the
oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of
him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the
great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the guilt-offering. 18 And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand
he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed; and the priest shall
make atonement for him before יְהוָה - the LORD. 19 And the priest shall
offer the sin-offering, and make atonement for him that is to be cleansed
because of his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the
burnt-offering. 20 And the priest shall offer
the burnt-offering and the meal-offering upon the altar; and the priest shall
make atonement for him, and he shall be clean. 21 And
if he be poor, and his means suffice not, then he shall take one he-lamb for a
guilt-offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and one tenth part of an
ephah of fine flour mingled with oil for a
meal-offering, and a log of oil; 22 and two
turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, such as his means suffice for; and the one
shall be a sin-offering, and the other a burnt-offering. 23 And
on the eighth day he shall bring them for his cleansing unto the priest, unto
the door of the tent of meeting, before יְהוָה - the LORD. 24 And the priest shall
take the lamb of the guilt-offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall
wave them for a wave-offering before יְהוָה - the LORD. 25 And he shall kill the
lamb of the guilt-offering, and the priest shall take of the blood of the
guilt-offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be
cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his
right foot. 26 And the priest shall pour of the
oil into the palm of his own left hand. 27 And
the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his
left hand seven times before יְהוָה - the LORD. 28 And the priest shall
put of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him that is
to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of
his right foot, upon the place of the blood of the guilt-offering. 29 And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand
he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make atonement for
him before יְהוָה - the LORD. 30 And he shall offer one
of the turtle-doves, or of the young pigeons, such as his means suffice
for; 31 even such as his means suffice for, the
one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, with the
meal-offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him that is to be
cleansed before יְהוָה - the LORD. 32 This is the law of him
in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose means suffice not for that which pertaineth to his cleansing”.
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Commentary on Leviticus
14, verses 1-32:
Verses
1-7: (The Birds of Rebirth
and the Living Water). The
ritual begins with two live, clean birds. One is slaughtered over “living water”
(spring water), and the other is dipped in its blood and released into the open
field. This is a profound image of liberation. The bird that flies away
represents the person’s former state of “spiritual death” being carried off,
while the living water signifies the washing away of the past. It teaches us
that true healing requires letting go of the trauma of our isolation so that we
can fly freely back into the life of the community.
Verses
8-9: (The Personal Reset). The healed person must wash their clothes,
shave all their hair, and bathe. This “stripping down” is a return to a state
like that of a newborn. Before we can enter a new chapter of life, we must
often remove the old layers that define us. It is an act of extreme humility,
signaling that the person is ready to start fresh, untainted by the “crust” of
their previous condition.
Verses
10-20: (The Blood and Oil
of Consecration). The Kohen places blood and then oil on the tip of the person’s
right ear, the right thumb, and the right big toe. This mirrors the
inauguration of the Priests. It suggests that the person returning from exile
is being “re-consecrated” to אֱלֹהִים -
Elohim (God). The ear represents what we hear, the
thumb what we do, and the toe where we walk. It is a total dedication of one’s
senses, actions, and path to a higher, more ethical standard of living.
Verses
21-32: (The Compassion of
the Alternative Offering). As
we saw in previous chapters, the Torah provides a “sliding scale” for those who
cannot afford expensive sacrifices. The poor person brings birds instead of
lambs, but the ritual of the blood and oil remains exactly the same. This
reinforces the modern Jewish value of human dignity: the spiritual quality of
your “return” is not measured by your bank account, but by the sincerity of
your transition. In the eyes of the Divine, the “poverty” of the means does not
diminish the “wealth” of the soul’s restoration.
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My Closing Message:
Leviticus 14 reminds us
that healing is not just a biological event; it is a social and spiritual homecoming.
The movement from the “open field” back to the “Tent of Meeting” shows us that
we are never truly lost. By marking the ear, the hand, and
the foot, the Torah challenges us to ensure that our “new life” is lived with
greater purpose. May we always find the strength to cross the bridges of
our own lives, moving from isolation to connection, and from the “living waters”
of renewal to the sacred work of the community.
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beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance, for His love is
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Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the
following via several of our prophets...
“The More Torah, the More Life”,
For Elohim is the One who
gave us our ... “Life!”
May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom = Peace
of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD of hosts, be with
you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as
the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying your daily תְּפִלָּה - Tefeelah’s - Prayers and
regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah’s - blessings before food
and drinks, etc!
שָׁלוֹם
עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom
Aleichem - Peace be with you!
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