Parashat Tazria: Purity

Judaism divides up the Torah (5 books of Moses in the Bible) into sections or parasha. Jews study these parsha throughout the Jewish year beginning at Rosh Hashanah. This weeks parshat speaks about the laws of impurity.  A woman who gives birth is considered unclean and must bring an offering to the temple. 

Like the Red Heifer whose ashes cleanse from coming into contact with death, it seems that coming into contact with the boundaries of life makes one unclean.  Many Jewish scholars (eg Chaim Richman) think the words unclean or contaminated may express the wrong idea.  The word maybe better interpreted spiritually unbalanced. 

Death is nothing to God, who is immortal and eternal, but a transition from state of being to another. Experiencing or focusing on death can deviate our attention away from the reality and truth of God.  Our fear of death may distract us from the eternal perspective we are meant to have and which represents the only true reality. Likewise, experiencing the pain and anxiety of childbirth may likewise distract from an eternal perspective. 

I am sure any new mother feels a new devotion to give all her energy into nurturing and raising her new baby. The laws of the Torah may serve to remind us that there are countless blessings for us and our children, for always putting God first in our lives.  Our Heavenly Father put our well-being first before that of His only begotten son Jesus Christ. Abraham was tested to see if he would put God before his only son Isaac.  If God Himself and  Abraham put truth before family, can we be expected to do less?  No mother's attention could bless her child more that a mother who puts God first in her life.