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Tazria/Metzora tells us how our ancestors dealt with mysterious diseases and reminds us that we too have dreaded diseases whose cause and duration are uncertain. Our ancestors established rules regarding the exclusion and reintegration of afflicted individuals. We learn that an individual with tzara'at (an oozing wound) was placed outside the camp for seven days, after which the priest went to check the afflicted. If the wound was gone, the person could return to the camp; if not, the priest would return in a week's time to repeat the inspection. Separation from the community was seen as a necessary corrective measure at a time when illness was thought to be a divine punishment for a breach in conduct. When one discovered a skin disease in those times, the whole community assumed that it signified a breach in communal norms, the breaking of a commandment, which warranted a minimum seven-day separation from the community. We learn that everyone, from the lowliest member of the community to Miriam the Prophetess, could be in jeopardy of being placed outside the world of personal and social intimacy and support.
The presence of tzara'at also has an impact on the community. When a person is suffering, can the rest go on with the tasks of daily living? Does having someone outside the camp impede the ability of the group to function as a healthy organization? When Miriam is afflicted with tzara'at, the entire community comes to a standstill. Everyone's journey comes to a halt when she is placed outside the camp and only when she returns can the group move forward again. What a wonderful model our ancestors provide for us! The life of the community is compromised when someone is left outside the camp, and forward movement is impossible for the community as long as one individual is outside the camp.
This portion reminds us of essential questions we must ask ourselves as individuals and as a community: Is what we perceive as progress real if it is dependent on removing individuals from our midst? Are we truly moving forward if we walk past those on the margins without extending a hand to them? Do we sometimes act callously to those set apart because we believe that they are different in some way? As Reform Jews, we affirm the importance of inclusion. Our communities extend a welcome to individuals and groups who were once relegated to being “outside the camp,” such as intermarried couples, gay men and lesbian women, children born to Jewish fathers but not Jewish mothers. Our modern-day efforts toward inclusion are a reflection of our ongoing commitment to tikkun olam, to repairing the less-than-perfect world in which we live. We are responsible for affirming that those who stand on the margins are important members of our society, ready to be brought back into the camp so that they are not left forgotten as the rest of the world presses forward.
Having conducted seven BAJC member coffee klatches, meeting with close to half of our membership, I’ve learned that there are two closely-held congregational values: (1) BAJC is a welcoming congregation and (2) BAJC places a high priority on our obligation to visit the sick. Over the past few months we have seen an outpouring of support to members who needed assistance and to the Brattleboro community at large as well. We rely on our Spiritual Leader to visit members confined to their homes or a facility, but others also have made special efforts to provide support. We have a Sunshine Committee of a few dedicated members, but as our congregation grows, we need more members to serve on this important committee, whose mission is to send cards, make calls, visit congregants facing illness and crises, and to recognize simchas and celebrations as well. Like our ancestors in the desert, we must remember that none of us makes progress unless all of us participate together as a community. Please contact me to volunteer for this committee.
Yael, Rachel, Jessica and I would like to wish you a peaceful and joyous Pesach.
B’shalom,
Marty
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