Page 9 - HaMizrachi #29 Yom HaAtzmaut 2021 USA

MIZRACHI EDUCATORS TORAT MIZRACHI

Rabbanit Shani Taragin

Shemini to Acharei Mot,

Yom HaZikaron to Yom HaAtzmaut

his year, the fifth of Iyar coincides he returns to the Mishkan. The cere- the eighth day. Aharon wears the same
with the parshiyot of Tazria and mony of slaughtering a bird over fresh uniform as his sons did and reenacts
TMetzora, in which we learn of the water, dipping a live bird in its blood and their bringing of the ketoret. Every year
laws of tzara’at, a spiritual and physical then sending it away, marks the tran- he dons white garments, symbolizing
malady that renders the inflicted tamei: sition from life to death, the rebirth of the color of death, as he revisits the
limited from access to the Mikdash and the metzora. The metzora, whose dis- deaths of his sons, and all the sons of
removed from the social camp. These ease surfaced on his body with white, Israel that have left the “camp of life,” like
parshiyot are preceded by Shemini, the dead-colored skin, is “brought back to the metzora. Yet every Yom Kippur – as
narrative of the tragic deaths of Nadav life” with crimson-colored water and he sprinkles the blood of the bull and the
and Avihu at the Mishkan’s inauguration. bird’s blood, symbolizing the return to goat, like the sprinkling of the blood of
live, healthy flesh. the bird of the metzora – he reminds us
The Torah charges the metzora to rend
his garments, leave his hair to grow, We may now understand the juxtapo- that kappara may be achieved and the
cover his mouth and publicly declare sition of the respective parshiyot read tumah of death shall be removed.
his state of ritual impurity. Then, as an at this time of year. After the deaths of Every Yom HaZikaron, dressed in blue
independent imperative, the Torah com- Nadav and Avihu on Yom HaShemini – together with our white – we remem-
mands the metzora to live in isolation. (the eighth day following the inaugural ber the tragic deaths of our soldiers and
The first two commandments remind preparations, when the Shechina was terror victims, young sons and daugh-
us of the laws of mourning following the manifest), we encounter laws of defile- ters, who remind us of our own mor-
deaths of Nadav and Avihu, as Moshe ment related to childbirth and then the tality. And the day after, as we read the
had instructed Aharon and his remain- pseudo-death of the metzora. But on parshiyot of transition from death to
ing sons not to let their hair grow and the same Shabbat, we also read of the life, from Shoa to Tekuma, from white
not to rend their clothes in response to process of purification and restoration to gold, crimson, and techelet, we raise
their loss, while the rest of the nation to individual and communal life. The our flags and celebrate the “inaugura-
will “bewail the burning.” following Shabbat, we read parashat tion” of the State of Israel, a modern
Acharei Mot, commanding Aharon to manifestation of the Shechina’s return
In contrast, the metzora is not mourning purify the Mishkan on Yom Kippur, as he
for a relative, but for himself, as if he has dons bigdei haBad, special white linen to our midst.
died. As such, Chazal formulated that garments, and brings ketoret, annually
“a metzora is considered dead” (Rashi, revisiting this sons’ deaths.
Bamidbar 12:12, based on Sifrei). That
is why the last requirement is men- As he wears the white garments, the
tioned separately; it constitutes the very Kohen Gadol detaches himself from his
essence of his “death.” The metzora must gold and crimson priestly vestments and
detach himself from communal life, in wears the garments worn by a Kohen
which the Shechina resides, separating Hedyot, a regular kohen. Every Yom
himself from public partnership in the Kippur, the Kohen Gadol revisits Yom
community, from the life of the nation. HaShemini, the initial consecration
of the Mishkan. The core relationship
The process through which he returns between these two events is to annu-
to “life,” as he makes his way back into ally restore the Mishkan to its earliest Rabbanit Shani Taragin is Educational
society, consists of three stages: 1. He beginnings prior to impurities, when the Director of Mizrachi and the Director of the
returns to the camp by bringing two Shechina was first manifest. Mizrachi Matan Lapidot Educators' Program.
birds. 2. After seven days of residence
in the camp, he returns to his tent. 3. On Simultaneously however, we are A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
the eighth day, with special sacrifices, reminded of the deaths that accompanied mizrachi.org/speakers

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