Tzara'at/1/en

Tzaraat

Introduction

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A Mysterious Affliction

Vayikra 13-14 speaks at length about the various forms of tzara'at, the impurity caused thereby, and the process by which the afflicted can be purified.  Despite the many details, however, the malady remains very much in the realm of the unknown: 

• What is tzara'at?  Why does a person get afflicted?  Is it a natural disease that anyone can contract, or a supernatural and punitive phenomenon sent by the Divine?
• How do tzara'at of the house, clothing and body relate to each other?  Do they all stem from the same condition, or is one name given to a variety of distinct afflictions? Can the discoloration of clothing and homes have a natural explanation, or is this evidence that the plague as a whole must be miraculous?
• Finally, what about the condition makes it defile?  What does it share with other conditions which cause impurity such as contact with the dead, bodily discharges or child bearing?