Planting Seeds
We left Egypt. We received the Torah. We built the temple. Now, it’s back to real life.
The center of the book of Leviticus discusses various laws of ritual impurity, and devotes no less than two portions to the specific details of the impurity of the Tzaraat. It is therefore surprising that the name of the Parsha introducing the impurity, “Tazria”, which means “to seed”, referring to the opening statement “a woman who will give seed and give birth to a son”. Ritual impurity is the antithesis of life; how can a section dedicated to the intricacies of ritual impurity, particularly the isolating affliction of Tzaraat, be introduced by a word brimming with promise of new life and growth?
The transition from the beginning to the middle of the third book is abrupt. From a place of holiness and joy, we come face to face with the realities of life that include sadness, death, and spiritual, psychological, and physical challenges. We often wonder why G-d would want us to engage with a challenging environment rather than remaining within the spirituality of the temple.
The answer, of course, is planting seeds.
The challenging environment is not meant to destroy the seed; on the contrary, the seed germinates and produces something immeasurably greater: a plant, a flower, a fruit-bearing tree. The purpose of the challenge is the incredible growth it unleashes.
While we don’t always see how the challenge is, in fact, a step in the process of growth, which is why the details of the impurity and the process of the purification are divided into two distinct portions, we believe that this is indeed the case. In some years, including this one, we combine both portions into one Shabbat reading, empowering us to sense, within the planting process, the blossoming of life that is sure to follow.
Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe, Likutei Sichos 22, Tazria Metzora