Understanding Cleanliness Through the Torah
Welcome to this reflection of the Torah Portion, Tazria-Metzora. This study is about the cycles in life and how they relate to our spiritual and physical cleanliness, a topic that’s deeply rooted in the Book of Leviticus chapters 12-15. The Torah guides you to live a clean life. Whether you’re familiar with the Torah or just curious, I hope to share some insights that might resonate with your heart.
Let’s begin by understanding what cleanliness means from a biblical perspective. It’s important for you to be clean because it affects your relationship with God. The process and significance of staying clean is seen in many of life’s natural events, like childbirth and even your basic bodily functions such as menstruation for women and ejaculation for men. God is holy and clean and requires for you to be holy and clean, too (1 Peter 1:16).
The Unknown Effects of Racism
The significance of cleanliness extends beyond physical health to your spiritual well-being. God doesn’t give laws to restrict us but to guide us towards a more fulfilling path, free from the burdens of unkindness or the injustice of treating others poorly. Think of Miriam, who faced consequences for her unkind words about the wife of Moses because Moses’ wife was black. (Leviticus 12:1). As a result, Miriam suffered from an incurable disease called leprosy due to her racism. Even though God had mercy on Miriam and healed her after seven days, her story teaches us to watch our words and treat others with kindness, which is very relevant in today’s world.
God Bless, Shirah Chante, Relationship Artist
