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Holiness and Tsara’at
13: 1-46

Biblical doctrine teaches that sin entered the world through the disobedience of one man, and as a result death by sin (see the commentary on Romans, to see link click Bm – The Consequences of Adam). Thus, to speak of a fallen world is to speak of the human condition and its environment controlled by death with all the defilements and diseases as part of it. But the prophets and the apostles hold out the promise of a new creation in which such things no longer exist; and in that hope, this world groans, waiting for the day of redemption (see the commentary on Romans Ck – The Creation and Redemption).

Leviticus 13:1-46 continues the theme of holiness before ADONAI in every aspect of physical life. The contents of this section of Scripture are set out in parallel order; Holiness and Tsara’at (Bw) parallels the Treatment of Tsara’at Clothing (Cf). In fact the whole issue of general skin diseases (see Bv – The Test of Tsara’at) and leprosy (see Cg – The Test of M’tsora) and is bracketed by discussions of defilement related to bodily discharges at childbirth (see Bt – Women After Childbirth) and other bodily discharges (see Cl – Personal Discharge and Defilement). Although these were not regular problems for all the people, the priests dealt with them every day. Occurrence of these signs was evidence that wholeness was lacking, so ritual uncleanness (see Bj – The Mitzvot of Purification) had to be declared. It is important to state from the outset that Leviticus 13 is more interested in the ritual than the medical significance of the diseases. They are diseases and disorders, of course; but the chapter focuses on them as impurities that compromises the holiness of the Israelite and needed to be corrected before the ritually unclean person could once again worship at the Tabernacle and be able to offer sacrifices to ADONAI (see Ah – The Offerings from the People’s Perspective).204