Tzaraath - The Purification Process

The Purification Process

"וצוה הכהן ולקח למטהר שתי צפרים חיות טהורות ועץ ארז ושני תולעת ואזב"

"The kohen shall command to take for the person undergoing purification (the metzorah) two live kosher birds, cedarwood, red string and hyssop."

The items used in the purification ritual were specifically included to deliver a message to the metzorah. Although many sins may lead to this punishment, the most predominant sin to cause tzaraath is lashon hara; (an "evil tongue", see Interpretations below) to speak derogatorily about others consistently to one's friends is likened to birds, who chatter endlessly (Talmud Arachin 16b). In a similar vein, the one who speaks ill of others is haughty, holding himself or herself high above others and is likened to the tall cedar. To be healed, the metzorah must erase arrogance, making themselves lowly like a worm. This is a play on words—the word tola'as (תולעת) means both "red" and "worm" - as well as hyssop.

Spring water is placed in an earthenware vessel, over which one of the birds is slaughtered and into which the blood is allowed to run. The kohen then dips the remaining bird and other items into the bloodied water and sprinkles the metzorah seven times on the back of the hand. Some say the sprinkling was done onto his or her forehead. The identical procedure was performed for a house struck by tzaraath, with the sprinkling done on the lintel. The slaughtered bird was buried in the presence of the metzorah and the live bird was freed into the open field.

The metzorah washes their garments from impurity and shaves off all their hair, save for that located in places similar to those in which nega'im are not subject to impurity (Mishnah Nega'im 2:4) The metzorah then waits for seven days to begin the final steps of his or her purification ceremony (Leviticus 14:8-9). On the seventh day, the metzorah again washes the garments he or she had been wearing from impurity and again shaves off all of his or her hair. (Mishnah Nega'im 14:3) On the eighth day, the metzorah brings three animal sacrifices to the Temple in Jerusalem: a sin offering of a female lamb and a guilt offering and a burnt offering, both of male lambs (Leviticus 14:10).

Blood from the slaughtered guilt offering was placed on the right ear, right thumb and right big toe of the metzorah (Leviticus 14:14) The need for this to be done was cause for some complication, because the metzorah was not allowed into Temple grounds prior to his purification process and the blood of the offering was not allowed out of the Temple grounds. To reconcile this dilemma, the metzorah stuck these body parts through the gateway one at a time to receive the blood. The same was done with the oil from the flour offerings of the metzorah. If the metzorah lost any of these body parts after he was ready for purification, he could never obtain purification (Mishnah Nega'im 14:9).