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Category: Tazria

A Change of Heart is Needed

Vayikra (Leviticus) 9:1-11:47 | Sh'mu'el Bet (2 Samuel) 6:1-7:17

Portion Tazria instructs us concerning the subject of defiling afflictions. Among a host of such afflictions, skin afflictions seem to be dominant. Most English translations of the Hebrew render such afflictions as "leprosy," though this should not be confused with the modern disease by the same name. Accordingly, the subject of "leprosy" plays a major role in the Haftarah for Tazria (2 Kings 4:42-5:19).

Haftarah Tazria centers on the general of the Aramean army, Na'aman. We are told that although he was highly respected and courageous, he was afflicted with leprosy. In addition to this, he was an enemy of Israel. The Arameans were constantly in border disputes with Israel, and Na'aman had probably led several sorties into Israel.

On one of Na'aman's many incursions into northern Israel from Syria, he captured a young Israelite girl (2 Kings 5:2, "little girl, na'arah katannah,) putting her into service in his own home as his wife's helper. In Hebrew this reads. The term na'ara is usually applied to a girl who has just reached puberty. The adjective katannah would indicate that she was young, probably just reaching the age of eleven or twelve. Perhaps the text informs us of her age in order to help us to realize that even the greatest generals or kings do not always have the ways of life figured out. God can reveal His wisdom even to young children. Thus, it was this young Israelite girl who told her master exactly how to receive the cure for his ailment. In her own way, she gave a faithful testimony for her God by pointing Na'aman to God's prophet.

It was obvious to Na'aman that his own society's religious customs did not provide relief for his misery. Nor were the Aramean doctors able to cure him. Even though he had demonstrated his military prowess, God made sure that eventually he would have to depend upon a little Israelite girl to ...

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