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Shabbat starts on Friday at 5:13pm and ends on Saturday at 6:11pm. The weekly Torah portion is Tazria-Metzora.
Mincha continues at 1pm at A-P GF/459 Collins Mon-Wed, and Thu 1.45pm at L1 Capital using the WhatsApp group to confirm numbers.
Weekly sushi & shiur continues on Wed at 1.10pm (after mincha) at A-P GF/459 Collins – and via zoom. Current topic: fencing law. Details here and on the WhatsApp group.
Thought of the Week with thanks to Levi Rosenbaum.
The words we use are important, and strategic wording delivers deep meaning and power. This week’s Torah readings teach us this lesson through tzara’as, the punishment for lashon hora—malicious gossip. The names of both portions add to this message. At first glance, they seem to be opposite: Tazria has a positive connotation, referring to birth and growth, while Metzora seems negative, referring to an illness and the loneliness from forced excommunication. To overcome this negativity, some have the custom to call the portion “zos tihiye” instead, using the first words of the verse. These names, however, both teach us about growth through adversity.
Tzara’as is an entirely spiritual affliction; it is a sign from above to repent and work on oneself. The punishment includes excommunication for at least seven days to “dwell alone,” allowing time for introspection and character refinement. Another characteristic of tzara’as is that it only affects the outer layer of a person—the skin. This reflects the need to improve the outermost aspects of one’s personality and provides the opportunity to purify one’s entire being, including the more superficial matters. For this reason, tzara’as is compared to the era preceding Moshiach, indicating that the world is mostly ready, but a few final parts still need refining.
“Metzora” also shows the ability for growth. The portion starts not with the affliction itself, but rather the purification process. Yet, it is still labelled Metzora because it represents an opportunity to elevate oneself to a higher spiritual level. Here, the tzara’as acts as a catalyst to bring out the refinement that the person was always capable of.
When we read the two portions together, the lesson is amplified. The exile we are currently experiencing, along with the darkness, opposition, and hardships, isn’t necessarily a punishment. Instead, our situation can be seen as an opportunity. Our mission in life is to make the world a better place through learning Torah and doing mitzvot. These times provide the chance to be a shining light of morality and just values despite the chaos. Like using words strategically, a slight change in mindset can transform a seemingly negative situation into an opportunity to refine ourselves and the world, paving the way for the ultimate redemption.