Imagine a company in which every single person involved is crystal clear on the company’s vision. From the CEO down to the courier everyone is on the same page and working towards the same exact goal.
Such an enterprise is destined for brilliant success. 3,333 years ago as the Israelites stood at Mt. Sinai and received the Torah, they became conscious of the ultimate goal of creation. Tradition teaches us that the divine revelation was so transformative that they were healed from any physical ailments and became immortal. The entire world was silent as G-d communicated the Ten Commandments and every detail of creation was consumed by the awareness of the creator. That reality did not last very long and the world went back to regular soon afterwards. But the experience was important to give us an idea of what the purpose of Judaism really is: to prepare our world for a time that all illness, hunger, war and strife will cease and every detail of reality will be conscious of its purpose. This is the underlying premise of everything in Judaism and G-d’s ultimate purpose in creation - a perfect world for all which will happen with the arrival of Moshiach. This week we study two Torah portions Tazria and Metzora. The main theme of both portions is the mystical and miraculous condition known as “Tzara’at” which most translate as “leprosy.” It’s a terrible translation because in addition to being a skin condition it also applied to clothing, leather couches and stone walls. Clearly it has nothing to do with dermatology. Maimonides explains that Tzara’at was a punishment for gossip and slander. First the walls of the house change color, then the leather implements change color, and even clothing. If one persists in their wickedness, their skin undergoes changes, which causes them to be isolated; a proper consequence for causing division and animosity between people as a result of their gossip. Interestingly enough this entire discussion of Tzara’at was only practically relevant when there was a Holy Temple functioning in Jerusalem. Jewish mysticism explains that the condition was so miraculous that it was only manifest at a time when our reality was in sync with divine truth and today we are not conditioned to experience these types of spiritual phenomenons. Tzara’at is about stopping people from speaking badly about each other and engendering peace and unity between us all. This ultimate unity will happen in the era of Moshiach, which is what Judaism has been aiming for from the very beginning. It’s crucial that we all have a better understanding and appreciation of how every detail of Judaism points in this direction, and most importantly, how this ultimate goal is not a pipe dream, rather a process unfolding right now in front of our eyes. I invite you to join us for a special six week JLI course all about the imminent redemption. Classes will be held on Zoom on Tuesdays at 7:30pm-8:45pm. Please click here to learn more and to register. Already registered? Invite a friend to discover Judaism’s mission statement and let’s all get on the same page in preparing our world for an era we all so desperately need now!