Sedra 5, Metzora
Leviticus 14:1 – 15:33
14:1 VA YEDABER YHVH EL MOSHEH LEMOR
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר
KJ (King James translation): And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
BN (BibleNet translation): Then YHVH spoke to Mosheh, saying:
14:2 ZOT TIHEYEH TORAT HA METSORA BE YOM TAHARATO VE HUVA EL HA KOHEN
זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצֹרָע בְּיוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן
KJ:This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:
BN:This shall be the law of the leper on the day of his cleansing: he shall be brought to the Kohen.
14:3 VE YATSA HA KOHEN EL MI CHUTS LA MACHANEH VE RA'AH HA KOHEN VE HINEH NIRPA NEGA HA TSARA'AT MIN HA TSARU'A
וְיָצָא הַכֹּהֵן אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה וְרָאָה הַכֹּהֵן וְהִנֵּה נִרְפָּא נֶגַע הַצָּרַעַת מִן הַצָּרוּעַ
KJ: And the priest shall go forth out of the camp; and the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper;
BN: And the Kohen shall go out of the camp; and the Kohen shall look, and, behold, if the affliction of leprosy has been healed in the leper;
Clearly whatever it was was neither infectious nor contagious, or the Kohen endlessly going back and forth, in and out of the camp to check for improvements, would be at risk of bringing the disease back in with him, and there is nothing in the text to provide even a hint let alone evidence that this might have been the case.
And anyway, is leprosy curable? Click here for a modern answer that the Kohen would not have had.
And anyway, is leprosy curable? Click here for a modern answer that the Kohen would not have had.
14:4 VE TSIVAH HA KOHEN VE LAKACH LA MITAHER SHETEY TSIPARIM CHAYOT TEHOROT VE ETS EREZ U SHENI TOLA'AT VE EZOV
וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים חַיּוֹת טְהֹרוֹת וְעֵץ אֶרֶז וּשְׁנִי תוֹלַעַת וְאֵזֹב
KJ: Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
BN: Then the Kohen shall give instruction for two clean birds, still alive, and cedar-wood, and scarlet, and hyssop to be taken for he who is to be cleansed.
All the methodology of the previous chapter has apparently worked; both the diagnosis and the quarantine. But now we are being given the prognosis, the methodology of healing. If it were being given by Mosheh, out of his primitive knowledge of medicine, we would have no problem; but this is supposedly being given by YHVH, the Almighty and all-knowing, and given as a law for all time, including that future time when humanity may have made a little bit more progress in the realm of medicine. Are orthodox Jews today really supposed to follow this prescription, rather than the one their medical practitioner at the hospital might have to offer? This is the point at which Torah becomes anachronism and obsolescence.
TSIPARIM: Possibly from the root ASPAR, which gives Aspirin and Disprin? No, sorry, I made that up. Unless dapsone, rifampicin, and clofazimine are extractable from bird-feathers or the incense of smoked hyssop?
Why are they TSIPARIM here, but the bird becomes a TSIPOR in the following verse? The latter is the one with which we are more familiar, with TSIPORIM (צִּפּוֹרִים) as its plural.
Why are they TSIPARIM here, but the bird becomes a TSIPOR in the following verse? The latter is the one with which we are more familiar, with TSIPORIM (צִּפּוֹרִים) as its plural.
14:5 VE TSIVAH HA KOHEN VE SHACHAT ET HA TSIPOR HA ECHAT EL KELI CHERES AL MAYIM CHAYIM
וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְשָׁחַט אֶת הַצִּפּוֹר הָאֶחָת אֶל כְּלִי חֶרֶשׂ עַל מַיִם חַיִּים
KJ: And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:
BN: And the Kohen shall give instruction for one of the birds to be slaughtered in an earthen vessel over running water.
MAYIM CHAYIM: running water, meaning a MIKVEH, not just any water.
14:6 ET HA TSIPOR HA CHAYAH YIKACH OTAH VE ET ETS HA EREZ VE ET SHENI HA TOLA'AT VE ET HA EZOV VE TAVAL OTAM VE ET HA TSIPOR HA CHAYAH BE DAM HA TSIPOR HA SHECHUTAH AL HA MAYIM HA CHAYIM
אֶת הַצִּפֹּר הַחַיָּה יִקַּח אֹתָהּ וְאֶת עֵץ הָאֶרֶז וְאֶת שְׁנִי הַתּוֹלַעַת וְאֶת הָאֵזֹב וְטָבַל אוֹתָם וְאֵת הַצִּפֹּר הַחַיָּה בְּדַם הַצִּפֹּר הַשְּׁחֻטָה עַל הַמַּיִם הַחַיִּים
KJ: As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:
BN: As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar-wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the running water.
Shamanistic magic, the stuff of medicine-men (not that radiology and chemotherapy are any less barbaric).
14:7 VE HIZAH AL HA MITAHER MIN HA TSARA'AT SHEVA PE'AMIM VE TIHARO VE SHILACH ET HA TSIPOR HA CHAYAH AL PENEY HA SADEH
וְהִזָּה עַל הַמִּטַּהֵר מִן הַצָּרַעַת שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים וְטִהֲרוֹ וְשִׁלַּח אֶת הַצִּפֹּר הַחַיָּה עַל פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה
KJ: And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.
BN: And he shall sprinkle it seven times upon he who is to be cleansed of his leprosy, and he shall pronounce him clean, and let the living bird go into the open field.
And not just equally barbaric. To be truthful, this is probably no less ineffective than some of the quack medicines our modern doctors use.
Another addition to our list of sevens.
14:8 VE CHIBES HA MITAHER ET BEGADAV VE GILACH ET KOL SE'ARO VE RACHATS BA MAYIM VE TAHER VE ACHAR YAVO EL HA MACHANEH VA YASHAV MI CHUTS LE AHALO SHIV'AT YAMIM
וְכִבֶּס הַמִּטַּהֵר אֶת בְּגָדָיו וְגִלַּח אֶת כָּל שְׂעָרוֹ וְרָחַץ בַּמַּיִם וְטָהֵר וְאַחַר יָבוֹא אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה וְיָשַׁב מִחוּץ לְאָהֳלוֹ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים
KJ: And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.
BN: And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and bathe himself in water, and he shall be considered clean; after that he may come into the camp, but he must dwell outside his tent for seven days.
And yet another seven; every act of sanctification and purification (the latter is really the same thing as the former) requires the divine number; which is why the bride circumambulates the ka'aba of her husband seven times et cetera.
Why? If he's clean, he should be able to go home. If he isn't clean, why let him back in the camp? The inference here is an element of doubt, of uncertainty, which is a lack of perfect faith. Surprising!
LE AHALO: And how unusual to find a reference to a person living in a tent - who knows, maybe this law was given in the Mosaic desert.
LE AHALO: And how unusual to find a reference to a person living in a tent - who knows, maybe this law was given in the Mosaic desert.
14:9 VE HAYAH VA YOM HA SHEVIY'I YEGALACH ET KOL SE'ARO ET ROSHO VE ET ZEKANO VE ET GABOT EYNAV VE ET KOL SE'ARO YEGAL'E'ACH VE CHIBES ET BEGADAV VE RACHATS ET BESARO BA MAYIM VE TAHER
וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי יְגַלַּח אֶת כָּל שְׂעָרוֹ אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ וְאֶת זְקָנוֹ וְאֵת גַּבֹּת עֵינָיו וְאֶת כָּל שְׂעָרוֹ יְגַלֵּחַ וְכִבֶּס אֶת בְּגָדָיו וְרָחַץ אֶת בְּשָׂרוֹ בַּמַּיִם וְטָהֵר
KJ: But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.
BN: And it shall be that, on the seventh day, he shall shave all his hair off his head, and his beard, and his eyebrows, all of his hair he shall shave off; and he shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.
Repeating the instructions in verse 8, but a week apart. This time, however, the eyebrows are also shaved off. Was that a scribal oversight in verse 8, or was the medical requirement added at week 2?
ET KOL SE'ARO: And does this mean "all his facial hair", or does "all" extend to the rest of his anatomy as well?
14:10 U VA YOM HA SHEMIYNI YIKACH SHENEY CHEVASIM TEMIYMIM VE CHAVSAH ACHAT BAT SHENATAH TEMIYMAH U SHELOSHAH ESRONIM SOLET MINCHAH BE LULAH VA SHEMEN VE LOG ECHAD SHAMEN
וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי יִקַּח שְׁנֵי כְבָשִׂים תְּמִימִם וְכַבְשָׂה אַחַת בַּת שְׁנָתָהּ תְּמִימָה וּשְׁלֹשָׁה עֶשְׂרֹנִים סֹלֶת מִנְחָה בְּלוּלָה בַשֶּׁמֶן וְלֹג אֶחָד שָׁמֶן
KJ: And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.
BN: And on the eighth day he shall take two unblemished he-lambs, and one unblemished yearling ewe-lamb, and three tenths of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil.
A log is 0.3 litres (not a piece of wood) - click here for fuller details.
14:11 VE HE'EMID HA KOHEN HA METAHER ET HA ISH HA MITAHER VE OTAM LIPHNEY YHVH PETACH OHEL MO'ED
וְהֶעֱמִיד הַכֹּהֵן הַמְטַהֵר אֵת הָאִישׁ הַמִּטַּהֵר וְאֹתָם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד
KJ: And the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:
BN: And the Kohen who cleanses him shall set them, with the man who is to be cleansed, before YHVH, at the door of the tent of meeting.
14:12 VE LAKACH HA KOHEN ET HA KEVES HA ECHAD VE HIKRIV OTO LE ASHAM VE ET LOG HA SHAMEN VE HENIPH OTAM TENUPHAH LIPHNEY YHVH
וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הַכֶּבֶשׂ הָאֶחָד וְהִקְרִיב אֹתוֹ לְאָשָׁם וְאֶת לֹג הַשָּׁמֶן וְהֵנִיף אֹתָם תְּנוּפָה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
KJ: And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
BN: And the Kohen shall take one of the he-lambs, and offer it as a guilt-offering, and the log of oil, and wave them as a wave-offering before YHVH.
14:13 VE SHACHAT ET HA KEVES BI MEKOM ASHER YISHCHAT ET HA CHATA'T VE ET HA OLAH BI MEKOM HA KODESH KI KA CHATA'T HA ASHAM HU LA KOHEN KODESH KADASHIM HU
וְשָׁחַט אֶת הַכֶּבֶשׂ בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁחַט אֶת הַחַטָּאת וְאֶת הָעֹלָה בִּמְקוֹם הַקֹּדֶשׁ כִּי כַּחַטָּאת הָאָשָׁם הוּא לַכֹּהֵן קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים הוּא
KJ: And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest's, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy:
BN: And he shall kill the he-lamb in the place where they kill the sin-offering and the burnt-offering, in the place of the sanctuary; for as the sin-offering is the Kohen's, so is the guilt-offering; it is most holy.
Effectively this is the way he pays the Kohen for his medical services.
This business of sacrifices is significant because the whole of European medicine until very recently (and in some places still now) was based on the concept that sickness was a punishment for sin; and all the hospitals in the Christian world were run by monks and nuns, initially the Hospitaller Knights, who set them up to care for the wounded knights in the Crusades.
14:14 VE LAKACH HA KOHEN MI DAM HA ASHAM VE NATAN HA KOHEN AL TENUCH OZEN HA MITAHER HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN YADO HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN RAGLO HA YEMANIT
וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן מִדַּם הָאָשָׁם וְנָתַן הַכֹּהֵן עַל תְּנוּךְ אֹזֶן הַמִּטַּהֵר הַיְמָנִית וְעַל בֹּהֶן יָדוֹ הַיְמָנִית וְעַל בֹּהֶן רַגְלוֹ הַיְמָנִית
KJ: And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:
BN: And the Kohen shall take some of the blood from the guilt-offering, and the Kohen shall put it on the tip of the right ear of he who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
The same shamanistic magic used by Mosheh when the Kohanim themselves were anointed (Leviticus 8:23-24); and in a sense the same as the sprinkling of blood around the horns of the altar, with the thumbs and big toes serving as the bodily equivalents of the horns, or maybe the feathers, the tsitsit. In the Catholic world, incense is sprinkled in much the same manner.
14:15 VE LAKACH HA KOHEN MI LOG HA SHAMEN VE YATSAK AL KAPH HA KOHEN HA SMA'LIT
וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן מִלֹּג הַשָּׁמֶן וְיָצַק עַל כַּף הַכֹּהֵן הַשְּׂמָאלִית
KJ: And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand:
BN: And the Kohen shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand.
Why davka the left hand on this occasion? From the ceremony in the next verse, it seems simply to be a matter of pragmatic choreography; it's the finger of his right hand that disperses the blood, so he has to use the left hand. This assumes, of course, that he is right-handed.
14:16 VE TAVAL HA KOHEN ET ETSBA'O HA YEMANIT MIN HA SHEMEN ASHER AL KAPO HA SMA'LIT VE HIZAH MIN HA SHEMEN BE ETSBA'O SHEVA PE'AMIM LIPHNEY YHVH
וְטָבַל הַכֹּהֵן אֶת אֶצְבָּעוֹ הַיְמָנִית מִן הַשֶּׁמֶן אֲשֶׁר עַל כַּפּוֹ הַשְּׂמָאלִית וְהִזָּה מִן הַשֶּׁמֶן בְּאֶצְבָּעוֹ שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
KJ: And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD:
BN: And the Kohen shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before YHVH.
This explains why the left hand - though it also leaves open the question: does a left-handed Kohen do it the other way around? Or did they not allow left-handed Kohanim? Was left-handedness regarded as a disqualifying blemish (left-handed in Latin was "sinister", which definitely requires exclusion; though in Catholic France left-handed was merely "gauche", which was probably still acceptable)? We are not told. And which finger counts as the "right finger" anyway? We are not told this either. Must it be the right finger of the right hand? It would be more logical to use the left finger of the right hand.
And yet again the number seven.
14:17 U MI YETER HA SHEMEN ASHER AL KAPO YITEN HA KOHEN AL TENUCH OZEN HA MITAHER HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN YADO HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN RAGLO HA YEMANIT AL DAM HA ASHAM
וּמִיֶּתֶר הַשֶּׁמֶן אֲשֶׁר עַל כַּפּוֹ יִתֵּן הַכֹּהֵן עַל תְּנוּךְ אֹזֶן הַמִּטַּהֵר הַיְמָנִית וְעַל בֹּהֶן יָדוֹ הַיְמָנִית וְעַל בֹּהֶן רַגְלוֹ הַיְמָנִית עַל דַּם הָאָשָׁם
KJ: And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering:
BN: And from the remainder of the oil that is in his hand, the Kohen shall put some on the tip of the right ear of he who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, and on the blood of the guilt-offering.
14:18 VE HA NOTAR BA SHEMEN ASHER AL KAPH HA KOHEN YITEN AL ROSH HA MITAHER VE CHIPER ALAV HA KOHEN LIPHNEY YHVH
וְהַנּוֹתָר בַּשֶּׁמֶן אֲשֶׁר עַל כַּף הַכֹּהֵן יִתֵּן עַל רֹאשׁ הַמִּטַּהֵר וְכִפֶּר עָלָיו הַכֹּהֵן לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
KJ: And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed: and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD.
BN: And the rest of the oil that is in the Kohen's hand he shall put on the head of he who is to be cleansed; and the Kohen shall make atonement for him before YHVH.
14:19 VE ASAH HA KOHEN ET HA CHATA'T VE CHIPER AL HA MITAHER MI TUMA'TO VE ACHAR YISHCHAT ET HA OLAH
וְעָשָׂה הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הַחַטָּאת וְכִפֶּר עַל הַמִּטַּהֵר מִטֻּמְאָתוֹ וְאַחַר יִשְׁחַט אֶת הָעֹלָה
KJ: And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering:
BN: And the Kohen shall offer the sin-offering, and make atonement for he who is to be cleansed because of his uncleanness; and afterward he shall slaughter the burnt-offering.
14:20 VE HE'ELAH HA KOHEN ET HA OLAH VE ET HA MINCHAH HA MIZBECHAH VE CHIPER ALAV HA KOHEN VE TAHER
וְהֶעֱלָה הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הָעֹלָה וְאֶת הַמִּנְחָה הַמִּזְבֵּחָה וְכִפֶּר עָלָיו הַכֹּהֵן וְטָהֵר
KJ: And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.
BN: And the Kohen shall offer the burnt-offering and the meal-offering on the altar; and the Kohen shall make atonement for him, and he shall be considered clean.
The Kohen himself shall do the carrying? I suspect he will summon lower-level Levites. (Or would that cause them to become unclean, starting the whole process all over again?)
14:21 VE IM DAL HU VE EYN YADO MASEGET VE LAKACH KEVES ECHAD ASHAM LI TENUPHAH LECHAPER ALAV VE ISARON SOLET ECHAD BA LUL BA SHEMEN LE MINCHAH VE LOG SHAMEN
KJ: And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil;
BN: But if he should be poor, and his means do not suffice, then he shall take one he-lamb for a guilt-offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and one tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering, and a log of oil.
This concession to the poor is another of the splendid examples of liberal humanism which are key to why the Mosaic Code has held such significance in the world, and represents an overt and profound challenge to those exponents and defenders of Flea-Market Force Capitalism and the Barrow Boy Economy who proclaim themselves to be active and practicing Jews, Christians and Moslems, while what they really practice...
Having said which, even providing a lamb will test a poor man's resources and probably require him to beg or borrow.
14:22 U SHETEY TORIM O SHENEY BENEY YONAH ASHER TASIG YADO VE HAYAH ECHAD CHATA'T VE HA ECHAD OLAH
KJ: And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.
BN: And two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, such as his means suffice; and the one shall be a sin-offering, and the other a burnt-offering.
Are these not the very sacrifices that would have been carried out at Egyptian temples? The turtle-doves and the pigeons in particular were sacred to Eshet (Isis), and Astarte would have received sacrifices in the same manner in Kena'an... so many websites deal with this, I shall leave my reader to make your own selection: click here to start.
BENEY YONAH: Literally "sons of the dove"; not to be confused with the BAT HA YA'ANAH (בַּת הַיַּעֲנָה) of Leviticus 11:16, which is spelled with a second-letter Ayin (ע). But see also the Christianly even more significant dove which the Samaritans brought with them from the region of Nin'veh (Nineveh) when theywere resettled in Kena'an at the time of the expulsion of the Yehudim, circa 586 BCE. Their dove was also a Yonah, though we tend to make the Y a J, and the Bible story of Yonah focuses on the original deity's sea-god manifestation, rather than the bird-form of his holy mountain, Ararat. That god's name, Johannes in the Greek, Oannes in the Mesopotamian languages.
14:23 VE HEVIY OTAM BA YOM HA SHEMIYNI LE TAHARATO EL HA KOHEN EL PETACH OHEL MO'ED LIPHNEY YHVH
KJ: And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the LORD.
BN: And on the eighth day he shall bring them to the Kohen, to the door of the tent of meeting, before YHVH, for his cleansing.
The eighth day after he re-enters his tent, which would be the fifteenth day, if he had to sit that extra week outside his tent.
Having consistently questioned how some of these laws could possibly have been applicable in the historical context of the desert journey, and assumed that they must be later city-laws, applied with retroactive validation through Torah, it is pleasing to note again that this chapter absolutely must have been a desert law, because applying it to sedentary town-dwellers is unimaginable. For seven days a man must leave his home in the city and live outside the walls... where? Sleeping rough in the woods? In a hotel that then has to be cleansed because he might have infected it? Taking a tent with him and camping? But in the nomadic desert, entirely feasible.
And actually, if you go to verses 34ff, the text itself recognises that this solution will not work in the city, and offers a modification.
14:24 VE LAKACH HA KOHEN ET KEVES HA ASHAM VE ET LOG HA SHAMEN VE HENIPH OTAM HA KOHEN TENUPHAH LIPHNEY YHVH
KJ: And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
BN: And the Kohen shall take the lamb of the guilt-offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before YHVH.
How does the waving work? Is it like waving a lulav at Sukot, up, down, left right, front, back? Waving an offering in front of the god does feel a little like the act of an allumeuse or a Tantalus!
14:25 VE SHACHAT ET KEVES HA ASHAM VE LAKACH HA KOHEN MI DAM HA ASHAM VE NATAN AL TENUCH OZEN HA MITAHER HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN YADO HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN RAGLO HA YEMANIT
KJ: And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot:
BN: And he shall slaughter the lamb of the guilt-offering, and the Kohen shall take some of the blood from the guilt-offering, and put it on the tip of the right ear of he who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
14:26 U MIN HA SHEMEN YITSOK HA KOHEN AL KAPH HA KOHEN HA SMA'LIT
KJ: And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand:
BN: And the Kohen shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand.
The same ritual as before. And I go on wondering, what on Earth did they think they would achieve by doing this?
14:27 VE HIZAH HA KOHEN BE ETSBA'O HA YEMANIT MIN HA SHEMEN ASHER AL KAPO HA SMA'LIT SHEVA PE'AMIM LIPHNEY YHVH
KJ: And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD:
BN: And the Kohen shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before YHVH.
14:28 VE NATAN HA KOHEN MIN HA SHEMEN ASHER AL KAPO AL TENUCH OZEN HA MITAHER HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN YADO HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN RAGLO HA YEMANIT AL MEKOM DAM HA ASHAM
KJ: And the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the place of the blood of the trespass offering:
BN: And the Kohen shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of he who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt-offering.
14:29 VE HA NOTAR MIN HA SHEMEN ASHER AL KAPH HA KOHEN YITEN AL ROSH HA MITAHER LECHAPER ALAV LIPHNEY YHVH
KJ: And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the LORD.
BN: And the rest of the oil that is in the Kohen's hand he shall put on the head of he who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before YHVH.
14:30 VE ASAH ET HA ECHAD MIN HA TORIM O MIN BENEY HA YONAH ME ASHER TASIG YADO
KJ: And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get;
BN: And he shall offer one of the turtle-doves, or of the young pigeons, such as his means suffice.
14:31 ET ASHER TASIG YADO ET HA ECHAD CHATA'T VE ET HA ECHAD OLAH AL HA MINCHAH VE CHIPER HA KOHEN AL HA MITAHER LIPHNEY YHVH
וְאִם דַּל הוּא וְאֵין יָדוֹ מַשֶּׂגֶת וְלָקַח כֶּבֶשׂ אֶחָד אָשָׁם לִתְנוּפָה לְכַפֵּר עָלָיו וְעִשָּׂרוֹן סֹלֶת אֶחָד בָּלוּל בַּשֶּׁמֶן לְמִנְחָה וְלֹג שָׁמֶן
KJ: And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil;
BN: But if he should be poor, and his means do not suffice, then he shall take one he-lamb for a guilt-offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and one tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering, and a log of oil.
This concession to the poor is another of the splendid examples of liberal humanism which are key to why the Mosaic Code has held such significance in the world, and represents an overt and profound challenge to those exponents and defenders of Flea-Market Force Capitalism and the Barrow Boy Economy who proclaim themselves to be active and practicing Jews, Christians and Moslems, while what they really practice...
Having said which, even providing a lamb will test a poor man's resources and probably require him to beg or borrow.
14:22 U SHETEY TORIM O SHENEY BENEY YONAH ASHER TASIG YADO VE HAYAH ECHAD CHATA'T VE HA ECHAD OLAH
וּשְׁתֵּי תֹרִים אוֹ שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי יוֹנָה אֲשֶׁר תַּשִּׂיג יָדוֹ וְהָיָה אֶחָד חַטָּאת וְהָאֶחָד עֹלָה
KJ: And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering.
BN: And two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, such as his means suffice; and the one shall be a sin-offering, and the other a burnt-offering.
Are these not the very sacrifices that would have been carried out at Egyptian temples? The turtle-doves and the pigeons in particular were sacred to Eshet (Isis), and Astarte would have received sacrifices in the same manner in Kena'an... so many websites deal with this, I shall leave my reader to make your own selection: click here to start.
BENEY YONAH: Literally "sons of the dove"; not to be confused with the BAT HA YA'ANAH (בַּת הַיַּעֲנָה) of Leviticus 11:16, which is spelled with a second-letter Ayin (ע). But see also the Christianly even more significant dove which the Samaritans brought with them from the region of Nin'veh (Nineveh) when theywere resettled in Kena'an at the time of the expulsion of the Yehudim, circa 586 BCE. Their dove was also a Yonah, though we tend to make the Y a J, and the Bible story of Yonah focuses on the original deity's sea-god manifestation, rather than the bird-form of his holy mountain, Ararat. That god's name, Johannes in the Greek, Oannes in the Mesopotamian languages.
14:23 VE HEVIY OTAM BA YOM HA SHEMIYNI LE TAHARATO EL HA KOHEN EL PETACH OHEL MO'ED LIPHNEY YHVH
וְהֵבִיא אֹתָם בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי לְטָהֳרָתוֹ אֶל הַכֹּהֵן אֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
KJ: And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the LORD.
BN: And on the eighth day he shall bring them to the Kohen, to the door of the tent of meeting, before YHVH, for his cleansing.
The eighth day after he re-enters his tent, which would be the fifteenth day, if he had to sit that extra week outside his tent.
Having consistently questioned how some of these laws could possibly have been applicable in the historical context of the desert journey, and assumed that they must be later city-laws, applied with retroactive validation through Torah, it is pleasing to note again that this chapter absolutely must have been a desert law, because applying it to sedentary town-dwellers is unimaginable. For seven days a man must leave his home in the city and live outside the walls... where? Sleeping rough in the woods? In a hotel that then has to be cleansed because he might have infected it? Taking a tent with him and camping? But in the nomadic desert, entirely feasible.
And actually, if you go to verses 34ff, the text itself recognises that this solution will not work in the city, and offers a modification.
14:24 VE LAKACH HA KOHEN ET KEVES HA ASHAM VE ET LOG HA SHAMEN VE HENIPH OTAM HA KOHEN TENUPHAH LIPHNEY YHVH
וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן אֶת כֶּבֶשׂ הָאָשָׁם וְאֶת לֹג הַשָּׁמֶן וְהֵנִיף אֹתָם הַכֹּהֵן תְּנוּפָה לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
KJ: And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD:
BN: And the Kohen shall take the lamb of the guilt-offering, and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before YHVH.
How does the waving work? Is it like waving a lulav at Sukot, up, down, left right, front, back? Waving an offering in front of the god does feel a little like the act of an allumeuse or a Tantalus!
14:25 VE SHACHAT ET KEVES HA ASHAM VE LAKACH HA KOHEN MI DAM HA ASHAM VE NATAN AL TENUCH OZEN HA MITAHER HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN YADO HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN RAGLO HA YEMANIT
וְשָׁחַט אֶת כֶּבֶשׂ הָאָשָׁם וְלָקַח הַכֹּהֵן מִדַּם הָאָשָׁם וְנָתַן עַל תְּנוּךְ אֹזֶן הַמִּטַּהֵר הַיְמָנִית וְעַל בֹּהֶן יָדוֹ הַיְמָנִית וְעַל בֹּהֶן רַגְלוֹ הַיְמָנִית
BN: And he shall slaughter the lamb of the guilt-offering, and the Kohen shall take some of the blood from the guilt-offering, and put it on the tip of the right ear of he who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot.
14:26 U MIN HA SHEMEN YITSOK HA KOHEN AL KAPH HA KOHEN HA SMA'LIT
וּמִן הַשֶּׁמֶן יִצֹק הַכֹּהֵן עַל כַּף הַכֹּהֵן הַשְּׂמָאלִית
KJ: And the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand:
BN: And the Kohen shall pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand.
The same ritual as before. And I go on wondering, what on Earth did they think they would achieve by doing this?
14:27 VE HIZAH HA KOHEN BE ETSBA'O HA YEMANIT MIN HA SHEMEN ASHER AL KAPO HA SMA'LIT SHEVA PE'AMIM LIPHNEY YHVH
וְהִזָּה הַכֹּהֵן בְּאֶצְבָּעוֹ הַיְמָנִית מִן הַשֶּׁמֶן אֲשֶׁר עַל כַּפּוֹ הַשְּׂמָאלִית שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
KJ: And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD:
BN: And the Kohen shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before YHVH.
14:28 VE NATAN HA KOHEN MIN HA SHEMEN ASHER AL KAPO AL TENUCH OZEN HA MITAHER HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN YADO HA YEMANIT VE AL BOHEN RAGLO HA YEMANIT AL MEKOM DAM HA ASHAM
וְנָתַן הַכֹּהֵן מִן הַשֶּׁמֶן אֲשֶׁר עַל כַּפּוֹ עַל תְּנוּךְ אֹזֶן הַמִּטַּהֵר הַיְמָנִית וְעַל בֹּהֶן יָדוֹ הַיְמָנִית וְעַל בֹּהֶן רַגְלוֹ הַיְמָנִית עַל מְקוֹם דַּם הָאָשָׁם
KJ: And the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the place of the blood of the trespass offering:
BN: And the Kohen shall put some of the oil that is in his hand on the tip of the right ear of he who is to be cleansed, and on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot, on the place of the blood of the guilt-offering.
14:29 VE HA NOTAR MIN HA SHEMEN ASHER AL KAPH HA KOHEN YITEN AL ROSH HA MITAHER LECHAPER ALAV LIPHNEY YHVH
וְהַנּוֹתָר מִן הַשֶּׁמֶן אֲשֶׁר עַל כַּף הַכֹּהֵן יִתֵּן עַל רֹאשׁ הַמִּטַּהֵר לְכַפֵּר עָלָיו לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
KJ: And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the LORD.
BN: And the rest of the oil that is in the Kohen's hand he shall put on the head of he who is to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before YHVH.
14:30 VE ASAH ET HA ECHAD MIN HA TORIM O MIN BENEY HA YONAH ME ASHER TASIG YADO
וְעָשָׂה אֶת הָאֶחָד מִן הַתֹּרִים אוֹ מִן בְּנֵי הַיּוֹנָה מֵאֲשֶׁר תַּשִּׂיג יָדוֹ
KJ: And he shall offer the one of the turtledoves, or of the young pigeons, such as he can get;
BN: And he shall offer one of the turtle-doves, or of the young pigeons, such as his means suffice.
14:31 ET ASHER TASIG YADO ET HA ECHAD CHATA'T VE ET HA ECHAD OLAH AL HA MINCHAH VE CHIPER HA KOHEN AL HA MITAHER LIPHNEY YHVH
אֵת אֲשֶׁר תַּשִּׂיג יָדוֹ אֶת הָאֶחָד חַטָּאת וְאֶת הָאֶחָד עֹלָה עַל הַמִּנְחָה וְכִפֶּר הַכֹּהֵן עַל הַמִּטַּהֵר לִפְנֵי יְהוָה
KJ: Even such as he is able to get, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, with the meat offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed before the LORD.
BN: Even such as his means suffice, the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, with the meal-offering; and the Kohen shall make atonement for he who is to be cleansed before YHVH.
14:32 ZOT TORAT ASHER BO NEGA TSARA'AT ASHER LO TASIG YADO BE TAHARATO
זֹאת תּוֹרַת אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ נֶגַע צָרָעַת אֲשֶׁר לֹא תַשִּׂיג יָדוֹ בְּטָהֳרָתוֹ
KJ: This is the law of him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get that which pertaineth to his cleansing.
BN: This is the law for he who has the affliction of leprosy, whose means do not suffice for that which is due for his cleansing.
pey break
14:33 VA YEDABER YHVH EL MOSHEH VE EL AHARON LEMOR
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל אַהֲרֹן לֵאמֹר
KJ: And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
BN: Then YHVH spoke to Mosheh and Aharon, saying:
14:34 KI TAVO'U EL ERETS KENA'AN ASHER ANI NOTEN LACHEM LA ACHUZAH VE NATATI NEGA TSARA'AT BE VEIT ERETS ACHUZAT'CHEM
כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם לַאֲחֻזָּה וְנָתַתִּי נֶגַע צָרַעַת בְּבֵית אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶם
KJ: When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;
BN: When you come into the land of Kena'an, which I am giving you as an inheritance, and I put the affliction of leprosy in a house in the land that you now possess...
What kind of a compassionate, merciful, benevolent deity is it that puts something so nasty as leprosy into the world? To which the answer, of course, is any god who is a metaphorical explanation of Life itself, because Life itself must include the multiple means by which it is supposed to come to an eventual end. And this is the Unity of the Jewish god, manifesting both the good and the bad, where Christianity is a dualistic religion, attributing only the good to God (German Gott = "goodness"), and such things as plague to the Devil (or, sadly, for most of Christian history, to the Jews, it being hard, for them, to differentiate between the two).
14:35 U VA ASHER LO HA BAYIT VE HIGID LA KOHEN LEMOR KE NEGA NIR'AH LI BA BAYIT
וּבָא אֲשֶׁר לוֹ הַבַּיִת וְהִגִּיד לַכֹּהֵן לֵאמֹר כְּנֶגַע נִרְאָה לִי בַּבָּיִת
KJ: And he that owneth the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, It seemeth to me there is as it were a plague in the house:
BN: When the owner of the house shall come and tell the Kohen, saying: "It seems to me that there is plague in the house"...
14:36 VE TSIVAH HA KOHEN U PHINU ET HA BAYIT BE TEREM YAVO HA KOHEN LIROT ET HA NEGA VE LO YITMA KOL ASHER BA BAYIT VE ACHAR KEN YAVO HA KOHEN LIROT ET HA BAYIT
וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וּפִנּוּ אֶת הַבַּיִת בְּטֶרֶם יָבֹא הַכֹּהֵן לִרְאוֹת אֶת הַנֶּגַע וְלֹא יִטְמָא כָּל אֲשֶׁר בַּבָּיִת וְאַחַר כֵּן יָבֹא הַכֹּהֵן לִרְאוֹת אֶת הַבָּיִת
KJ: Then the priest shall command that they empty the house, before the priest go into it to see the plague, that all that is in the house be not made unclean: and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house:
BN: Then the Kohen shall require the evacuation of the house, before the Kohen goes in to see the affliction, to ensure that nothing that is in the house is made unclean; and afterwards the Kohen shall go in to see the house.
This doesn't make sense - at least, not in the English translation. If there is plague, the house is already rendered unclean; his arrival, or the residents' evacuation, isn't going to make any difference to that. So the Yehudit must mean something different - perhaps it isn't just human evacuation that is needed, but the removal of any of those items referred to in Leviticus 13:48, items which might be responsible for the leprosy because they have it "in the warp or in the woof, whether they be of linen or of wool; or on the skin, or on anything made of skin...". See also my note to verse 47, and from it we can now correct the translation to: "to ensure that no one and nothing in the house might render him unclean; and afterwards..."
14:37 VE RA'AH ET HA NEGA VE HINEH HA NEGA BE KIYROT HA BAYIT SHEKA'ARUROT YERAKRAKOT OR ADAMDAMOT O MAR'EYHEN SHAPHAL MIN HA KIR
וְרָאָה אֶת הַנֶּגַע וְהִנֵּה הַנֶּגַע בְּקִירֹת הַבַּיִת שְׁקַעֲרוּרֹת יְרַקְרַקֹּת אוֹ אֲדַמְדַּמֹּת וּמַרְאֵיהֶן שָׁפָל מִן הַקִּיר
KJ: And he shall look on the plague, and, behold, if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow strakes, greenish or reddish, which in sight are lower than the wall;
BN: And he shall examine the affliction, and, behold, if the affliction in the walls of the house shows itself to have hollow streaks, either greenish or reddish, and if it appears to be embedded inside the wall...
How does leprosy get into a wall? Radio-activity might, or volcanic dust, and obviously mould, but not leprosy. I'm ever more convinced that all this nasty white stuff, with or without its discolorations, is the volcanic lava floating in the air. Either that or, in this verse anyway, we are simply dealing with mould.
14:38 VE YATSA HA KOHEN MIN HA BAYIT EL PETACH HA BAYIT VE HISGIR ET HA BAYIT SHIV'AT YAMIM
וְיָצָא הַכֹּהֵן מִן הַבַּיִת אֶל פֶּתַח הַבָּיִת וְהִסְגִּיר אֶת הַבַּיִת שִׁבְעַת יָמִים
KJ: Then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house, and shut up the house seven days:
BN: Then the Kohen shall go out of the house, to the door of the house, and quarantine the house for seven days.
The opposite of the desert procedure: there, the afflicted person was removed from the camp, here he is "shielded" within the camp.
Closing up the house, like quarantining the sick person, is all very well, but you have to do something active against the malady, besides sacrificing a turtle-dove, which isn't a cure anyway, but at most a recognition of the sin that supposedly caused the malady. I ask this question because, with each of these instructions, remedy appears to be achieved, generally within two weeks; if it were leprosy as we understand the term, it doesn't just disappear like that, treated or untreated. So, once again, what actually are we dealing with here?
Closing up the house, like quarantining the sick person, is all very well, but you have to do something active against the malady, besides sacrificing a turtle-dove, which isn't a cure anyway, but at most a recognition of the sin that supposedly caused the malady. I ask this question because, with each of these instructions, remedy appears to be achieved, generally within two weeks; if it were leprosy as we understand the term, it doesn't just disappear like that, treated or untreated. So, once again, what actually are we dealing with here?
And then there is the theological problem. YHVH is Almighty, sufficiently Almighty that he can give the Torah in written Yehudit, which hasn't even been invented yet, and include practices that won't come into existence until Second Temple times - both of which anomalies are explained by the Rabbis in terms of his Almightyhood including the needs and conditions of a future that he had predetermined; and if that is correct, why not include modern understanding of the nature of the malady, and modern methods of dispersing it?
And yet again seven days.
14:39 VE SHAV HA KOHEN BA YOM HA SHEVIY'I VE RA'AH VE HINEH PASAH HA NEGA BE KIYROT HA BAYIT
וְשָׁב הַכֹּהֵן בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וְרָאָה וְהִנֵּה פָּשָׂה הַנֶּגַע בְּקִירֹת הַבָּיִת
KJ: And the priest shall come again the seventh day, and shall look: and, behold, if the plague be spread in the walls of the house;
BN: And the Kohen shall come again on the seventh day, and shall examine; and, behold, if the affliction has spread through the walls of the house...
What if the malady appears on the Sabbath? Are there any special rules for this? Does it have to wait until the day after (compare Mark 3:1-6)? And do the seven days count from the time of raising the issue (pun intended), or from the time of the Kohanic visit? Of course these things matter!
14:40 VE TSIVAH HA KOHEN VE CHILTSU ET HA AVANIM ASHER BAHEN HA NAGA VE HISHLIYCHU ET'HEN EL MI CHUTS LA IR EL MAKOM TAM'E
וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְחִלְּצוּ אֶת הָאֲבָנִים אֲשֶׁר בָּהֵן הַנָּגַע וְהִשְׁלִיכוּ אֶתְהֶן אֶל מִחוּץ לָעִיר אֶל מָקוֹם טָמֵא
KJ: Then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place without the city:
BN: Then the Kohen shall give instruction for the stones in which the affliction has been found to be taken out and thrown into an unclean place outside the city.
I simply note the inference, that people were building in stone in Yisra-El as early as this (Temple times, not Mosaic). No private homes were built in stone in England until after the Norman conquest, not even by the rulers of the land; and yet these are the homes of ordinary people.
14:41 VE ET HA BAYIT YAKTSI'A MI BAYIT SAVIV VE SHAPHCHU ET HE APHAR ASHER HIKTSU EL MI CHUTS LA IR EL MAKOM TAM'E
וְאֶת הַבַּיִת יַקְצִעַ מִבַּיִת סָבִיב וְשָׁפְכוּ אֶת הֶעָפָר אֲשֶׁר הִקְצוּ אֶל מִחוּץ לָעִיר אֶל מָקוֹם טָמֵא
KJ: And he shall cause the house to be scraped within round about, and they shall pour out the dust that they scrape off without the city into an unclean place:
BN: And he shall have the inside of the house scraped thoroughly, and the mortar that is scraped off shall be poured away outside the city, into an unclean place.
This does rather sound like mould that they are dealing with, the yellowish sort being lichen and the reddish sort either Aspergillus versicolor or the yeast Rhodotorula. Given how much of ancient Yisra-El was swamp, how close it was to the ocean and two lakes, and the desert climate merging with the Mediterranean, mould is practically inevitable.
14:42 VE LAK'CHU AVANIM ACHEROT VE HEVIY'U EL TACHAT HA AVANIM VE APHAR ACHER YIKACH VE TACH ET HA BAYIT
וְלָקְחוּ אֲבָנִים אֲחֵרוֹת וְהֵבִיאוּ אֶל תַּחַת הָאֲבָנִים וְעָפָר אַחֵר יִקַּח וְטָח אֶת הַבָּיִת
KJ: And they shall take other stones, and put them in the place of those stones; and he shall take other morter, and shall plaister the house.
BN: And they shall take other stones, and use them to replace the removed stones; and he shall take other mortar, and shall plaster the house.
Interesting too to learn how they constructed. If you took a single stone out of any modern house, the rest would likely collapse (unless it was just cladding!)
14:43 VE IM YASHUV HA NEGA U PHARACH BA BAYIT ACHAR CHILETS ET HA AVANIM VE ACHAREY HIKTSOT ET HA BAYIT VE ACHAREY HITO'ACH
וְאִם יָשׁוּב הַנֶּגַע וּפָרַח בַּבַּיִת אַחַר חִלֵּץ אֶת הָאֲבָנִים וְאַחֲרֵי הִקְצוֹת אֶת הַבַּיִת וְאַחֲרֵי הִטּוֹחַ
KJ: And if the plague come again, and break out in the house, after that he hath taken away the stones, and after he hath scraped the house, and after it is plaistered;
BN: And if the affliction recurs, and breaks out in the house, after the stones have been taken out, and after the house has been scraped, and after it has been plastered...
14:44 U VA HA KOHEN VE RA'AH VE HINEH PASAH HA NEGA BA BAYIT TSARA'AT MAM'ERET HI BA BAYIT TAM'E HU
וּבָא הַכֹּהֵן וְרָאָה וְהִנֵּה פָּשָׂה הַנֶּגַע בַּבָּיִת צָרַעַת מַמְאֶרֶת הִוא בַּבַּיִת טָמֵא הוּא
KJ: Then the priest shall come and look, and, behold, if the plague be spread in the house, it is a fretting leprosy in the house: it is unclean.
BN: Then the Kohen shall come in and examine; and, behold, if the affliction has spread in the house, it is a malignant leprosy in the house: it is unclean.
14:45 VE NATATS ET HA BAYIT ET AVANAV VE ET ETSAV VE ET KOL APHAR HA BAYIT VE HOTSI EL MI CHUTS LA IR EL MAKOM TAM'E
וְנָתַץ אֶת הַבַּיִת אֶת אֲבָנָיו וְאֶת עֵצָיו וְאֵת כָּל עֲפַר הַבָּיִת וְהוֹצִיא אֶל-מִחוּץ לָעִיר אֶל מָקוֹם טָמֵא
KJ: And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the morter of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place.
BN: And he shall break down the house, its stones, and its timber, and all the mortar used in the house; and he shall carry them out of the city to an unclean place.
The Kohen himself shall do the carrying? I suspect he will summon lower-level Levites. (Or would that cause them to become unclean, starting the whole process all over again?)
14:46 VE HA BA EL HA BAYIT KOL YEMEY HISGIR OTO YITMA AD HA AREV
וְהַבָּא אֶל הַבַּיִת כָּל יְמֵי הִסְגִּיר אֹתוֹ יִטְמָא עַד הָעָרֶב
KJ: Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the even.
BN: And whoever goes into the house during the time that it is being closed up shall be considered unclean until evening.
14:47 VE HA SHOCHEV BA BAYIT YECHABES ET BEGADAV VE HA OCHEL BA BAYIT YECHABES ET BEGADAV
וְהַשֹּׁכֵב בַּבַּיִת יְכַבֵּס אֶת בְּגָדָיו וְהָאֹכֵל בַּבַּיִת יְכַבֵּס אֶת בְּגָדָיו
KJ: And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.
BN: And whoever sleeps in the house shall wash his clothes; and whoever eats in the house shall wash his clothes.
I thought the house had been evacuated! Ah, so now it becomes clear - in addition to the possibility of items containing the contagion, the Kohen also needed the house temporarily evacuated in case there were people in it with impurities, and he therefore became rendered impure by them; this had nothing to do with the leprosy of the house, but was supplementary to it. They went out, he did his check; he left, they moved back in. But at the same time... and now go back to verse 36.
14:48 VE IM BO YAVO HA KOHEN VE RA'AH VE HINEH LO PHASAH HA NEGA BA BAYIT ACHAREY HITO'ACH ET HA BAYIT VE TIHAR HA KOHEN ET HA BAYIT KI NIRPHA HA NAGA
וְאִם בֹּא יָבֹא הַכֹּהֵן וְרָאָה וְהִנֵּה לֹא פָשָׂה הַנֶּגַע בַּבַּיִת אַחֲרֵי הִטֹּחַ אֶת הַבָּיִת וְטִהַר הַכֹּהֵן אֶת הַבַּיִת כִּי נִרְפָּא הַנָּגַע
KJ: And if the priest shall come in, and look upon it, and, behold, the plague hath not spread in the house, after the house was plaistered: then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.
BN: And if the Kohen shall come in, and look, and, behold, the affliction has not spread in the house, after the house has been plastered, then the Kohen shall pronounce the house clean, because the affliction has been healed.
14:49 VE LAKACH LECHAT'E ET HA BAYIT SHETEY TSIPARIM VE ETS EREZ U SHENI TOLA'AT VE EZOV
וְלָקַח לְחַטֵּא אֶת הַבַּיִת שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים וְעֵץ אֶרֶז וּשְׁנִי תוֹלַעַת וְאֵזֹב
KJ: And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
BN: And for the cleansing of the house he shall take two birds, and cedar-wood, and scarlet, and hyssop.
"Take" as by way of payment for the cleansing, or take as in "in order to use them to effect the cleansing"? Both probably, because the sacrifice achieves both.
TSIPARIM: See my previous note on this oddity (verse 4).
14:50 VE SHACHAT ET HA TSIPOR HA ECHAT EL KELI CHERES AL MAYIM CHAYIM
וְשָׁחַט אֶת הַצִּפֹּר הָאֶחָת אֶל כְּלִי חֶרֶשׂ עַל מַיִם חַיִּים
KJ: And he shall kill the one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water:
BN: And he shall slaughter one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water.
Throughout these chapters, I find SHACHAT in almost every translation as "kill", but I have insisted on "slaughter"; there is a significant difference between the two, and it is diminished in the false translation. SHACHAT is the root of SHECHITAH, the process of ritual slaughter which is at the heart of both Halal and Kashrut.
14:51 VE LAKACH ET ETS HA EREZ VE ET HA EZOV VE ET SHENI HA TOLA'AT VE ET HA TSIPOR HA CHAYAH VE TAVAL OTAM BE DAM HA TSIPOR HA SHECHUTAH U VA MAYIM HA CHAYIM VE HIZAH EL HA BAYIT SHEVA PE'AMIM
14:51 VE LAKACH ET ETS HA EREZ VE ET HA EZOV VE ET SHENI HA TOLA'AT VE ET HA TSIPOR HA CHAYAH VE TAVAL OTAM BE DAM HA TSIPOR HA SHECHUTAH U VA MAYIM HA CHAYIM VE HIZAH EL HA BAYIT SHEVA PE'AMIM
וְלָקַח אֶת עֵץ הָאֶרֶז וְאֶת הָאֵזֹב וְאֵת שְׁנִי הַתּוֹלַעַת וְאֵת הַצִּפֹּר הַחַיָּה וְטָבַל אֹתָם בְּדַם הַצִּפֹּר הַשְּׁחוּטָה וּבַמַּיִם הַחַיִּים וְהִזָּה אֶל הַבַּיִת שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים
KJ: And he shall take the cedar wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times:
BN: And he shall take the cedar-wood, and the hyssop, and the scarlet, and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird, and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times.
SHECHUTAH: Again here, SHECHUTAH does not mean "slain", which infers unlawful killing, or death in war, or even perhaps the trophy from a hunting or shooting expedition; this is formal, ritual slaughter in the certificated abattoir.
14:52 VE CHIT'E ET HA BAYIT BE DAM HA TSIPOR U VA MAYIM HA CHAYIM U VA TSIPOR HA CHAYAH U VE ETS HA EREZ U VA EZOV U VI SHENI HA TOLA'AT
וְחִטֵּא אֶת הַבַּיִת בְּדַם הַצִּפּוֹר וּבַמַּיִם הַחַיִּים וּבַצִּפֹּר הַחַיָּה וּבְעֵץ הָאֶרֶז וּבָאֵזֹב וּבִשְׁנִי הַתּוֹלָעַת
KJ: And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet:
BN: And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird, and with the running water, and with the living bird, and with the cedar-wood, and with the hyssop, and with the scarlet.
14:53 VE SHILACH ET HA TSIPOR HA CHAYAH EL MI CHUTS LA IR EL PENEY HA SADEH VE CHIPER AL HA BAYIT VE TAHER
וְשִׁלַּח אֶת הַצִּפֹּר הַחַיָּה אֶל מִחוּץ לָעִיר אֶל פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה וְכִפֶּר עַל הַבַּיִת וְטָהֵר
KJ: But he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house: and it shall be clean.
BN: But he shall release the living bird out of the city into the open field; so shall he make atonement for the house; and it shall be clean.
Is the bird another form of Azaz-El, who will carry away the sin that brought the affliction? What exactly do the other magic charms achieve in this process?
14:54 ZOT HA TORAH LE CHOL NEGA HA TSARA'AT VE LA NATEK
זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה לְכָל נֶגַע הַצָּרַעַת וְלַנָּתֶק
KJ: This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and scall,
BN: This is the law for every kind of affliction of leprosy, and for a scall...
14:55 U LE TSARA'AT HA BEGED VE LA BAYIT
וּלְצָרַעַת הַבֶּגֶד וְלַבָּיִת
KJ: And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house,
BN: And for leprosy which affects a garment, and for a house...
14:56 VE LA SE'ET VE LA SAPACHAT VE LA BEHARET
וְלַשְׂאֵת וְלַסַּפַּחַת וְלַבֶּהָרֶת
KJ: And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot:
BN: And for a lump, and for a scab, and for a "bright spot"...
14:57 LEHOROT BE YOM HA TAM'E U VE YOM HA TAHOR ZOT TORAT HA TSARA'AT
לְהוֹרֹת בְּיוֹם הַטָּמֵא וּבְיוֹם הַטָּהֹר זֹאת תּוֹרַת הַצָּרָעַת
KJ: To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.
BN: To provide instruction as to when it is unclean, and when it is clean; this is the law of leprosy.
I can’t help wondering if there wasn’t an ancient book of practical medicine which the Redactor had, and wanted to include, so he retroacted it to Mosheh and made law of it. Either way, this makes clear what I queried earlier, the difference between a teaching manual and a book of laws.
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