Torah Portion: Metzora
“וביום השמיני יקח שני כבשים תמימים…” (ויקרא יד י)
It is a positive commandment that every metzora who become healed from his affliction shall bring an offering. This offering includes three animals—a burnt-offering, a sin-offering and a guilt-offering. Or, if he is poor, he brings one sheep as a guilt-offering, a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, a log of oil, two turtledoves or two young doves—one as a sin-offering and the other as a burnt-offering. It is thus written: On the eighth day, he shall take two unblemished male lambs etc. (Vayikra 14:10).
Among the roots of the mitzvah is the idea we have already elaborated on, that offerings are an analogic action to subdue the inclination of the sinner’s body and to elevate the stature of the soul. The metzora is therefore obligated to bring offerings, because tzra’as only comes upon a person because of his attraction to the desires of the body, either through speech or action, and he is therefore worthy of chastisement.
This mitzvah applies when there is a Holy Temple, and it applies to both men and women. One who transgressed this and did not bring his offerings at the correct time, violated a positive commandment.
