(Leviticus 12:1-13:59)
(Parshat Hachodesh)
(Shmot 12:1-20)
(Haftara: Yechezkel 45:16-46:18)
(Siddur)

1. Our tradition tells us that the skin disease of tzara’at is a result of speaking “lashon hara”—saying something bad about someone without any constructive purpose. The sin of “lashon hara” is said to be equal to the sins of idolatry, murder and forbidden sexual relations. Why is this sin considered so bad?

2. A person’s sins are rarely seen in the outward appearance of that person. Why is the punishment for “lashon hara”—tzara’at– recognized on the skin of the sinner?

3. [Yechezkel 46: 8,9] “…and he shall leave the same way that he came in.” The Prince does not have free movement on the Temple Mount, and is, in fact, very restricted. What message is being sent here to the Prince, and what message is being sent to the people?

4. [Shmot 12:7] “And they will take some of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel…” Through this sign the angel of death will know that no-one in this house is to be killed. The lamb was the idolatry of the Egyptians. Why was this sign used to distinguish the Israelites from the Egyptians?

5. [Siddur] “A new light will shine on Zion…” Some versions of the siddur do not have this sentence. Why do some versions of the siddur prefer not to use this line?

Commentary

Every sin—even the lightest of sins—causes hatred for some part of Creation to enter into the sinning person. But through tshuvah love returns and shines.

–Rabbi Avraham Y. H. Kuk, 1865-1935, Lithuania, Israel.
This study page is dedicated to the memory of Gad Eliahu ben David and Kochava—Eli Zucker
And this study page is dedicated to the memory of Sarah Bella bat Yitzchak Kummer, Chaim Yosef Yechiel ben Eliyahu Kummer and Eliyahu and Margaret Kummer