Like all Torah portions, Parshat Taz’ria has been commented upon extensively by rabbis and scholars. Those who are more contemporary and equality focused tend to speak about the inherent inequality of the first chapter which outlines the period of “uncleanliness” that a woman faces after giving birth, which is 30 days if she gives birth to a son, and twice as long if she gives birth to a daughter. Others have focused on the issues of skin and body diseases being representations of the way we behave… skin eruptions coming from lashon hara – the evil tongue or those “eruptions from our mouths.” Different rabbis have looked at the role of the priests as medical diagnosticians, some commenting on how our tradition has never separated everyday life from the ritual; seeing Judaism encompassing it all; others noting how rabbis can still be seen as healers.
Well, as someone who likes to pave new ground, I won’t focus on any of that. Instead, I want to share with you what happened at the synagogue at which I worked a few years ago. I need to be clear at the outset that I am not saying this to show my dismay at any individual; rather because it struck me as a symptom of a far greater societal problem.
When I returned to the office at the end of Pesach, I walked in to find both of our office staff members sick. One was coughing up a storm; the other complaining of a severe stomach bug that had been plaguing her. I asked why they didn’t stay home; both felt too pressured by work they needed to do. We were off on Thursday; both returned Friday with the same illnesses. Later in the day, our temple president walked in and was concerned, but, did he send them home? No, instead he grabbed a can of Lysol and, without asking anyone, sprayed throughout the office. A spraying which ultimately impacted my allergies and forced me to head home not feeling well.
I know that the answer of “How can I stay home; I have too much work to do” is not unique to this staff. It is the prevalent attitude of our American society today. Stay home and you are considered weak; that you have lost your edge. We are all expected to do more with less, to work harder, faster and more. Mom’s chicken soup and a few days in bed seem to be long forgotten fantasies. So, we work and stay sick longer. Worried about getting someone else sick? Just get some drugs or spray some chemicals to keep the germs away; never mind that we are creating new, super resistant germs in the process.
Even children today feel too pressured to stay home, and for the most part, parents find it too difficult to juggle their own schedules to keep them home, anyway. When I worked in the public schools I was always saddened when kids came to school sick. Often when we needed to call a parent to come and pick up a child who had gotten sick during the day, the parent was upset with us. At the same time, as a parent, I well knew about the juggling and bargaining that happened whenever one of my children got sick. And, whichever parent stayed home, no matter what work they may have done from home, we knew we would be buried upon our return to the office.
What does this all have to do with parshat Tazria? Leviticus, chapter 13, lines 1-3 states, “The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling, a rash, or a discoloration, and it develops into a scaly affection on the skin of his body, it shall be reported to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons, the priests. The priest shall examine the affection on the skin of his body: if hair in the affected patch has turned white and the affection appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a t’zarat – a leprous affection; when the priest sees it, he shall pronounce him unclean.”(JPS translation)
The text goes on to say that a person with a t’zarat needs to be isolated from others until their infection clears. Who makes the decision as to whether the infection is indeed contagious? The priest – one of the people “in charge” gives permission for someone to “stay off the job” and take the time needed to heal. Only when the priest determined the person was healed was s/he welcomed back into the community.
It is not quite the same welcoming back that we do in our offices today. When we return we are typically greeted by a huge pile of work and colleagues commenting on how much they were burdened or stalled by our not being at work.
In Torah, the individual is welcomed back by the priest with a ritual of sanctification, a ritual very similar to the one that was used to ordain the priests. Instead of feeling “less than” for taking time to heal, the person is elevated, made to feel holy. Why were they celebrated? We can only guess… perhaps because they survived; perhaps because they took time away so that others would not get sick; perhaps because we need rituals to help us re-orient after time away.
Whatever the reason, I think there is much we can learn. We can learn to make the choice to stay home when we are sick – for our sake, to keep others healthy, and to begin to stem the tide on the growth of super bugs. We can learn to welcome back and celebrate those who make this healthier choice, instead of piling their work and making them feel weak or guilty for not being there when they were “needed.” We can advocate for more supportive sick leave policies and laws that will allow all to take needed time for themselves and for family members. We can bring enough people together to say that this lifestyle of “more and faster” is not what we need. Life needs to slow down; we need time to rest, to absorb what we have learned; and to appreciate what we have. And, always, we can remember that when we do these seemingly ordinary things we are being G-d’s partners in our holy job of making this world a better place.
May your week be filled with health – and the time to enjoy it. Shabbat shalom
Prior to her position with the Grinspoon Foundation, Iris served as a synagogue educator in Syracuse NY, the Central New York PJ Library Program Coordinator and as a national consultant for PJ Library.
Iris holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education, a master’s degree in Special Education and Reading, and Advanced Certification in School Leadership and Administration. Her experience as a secular educator and educational leader in congregational and community settings spans over 20 years. She is also a lay leader in Jewish organizations on the local and national levels. Iris served as the President of CAJE – the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education, which was the largest member organization for Jewish educators in the country.
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