tazria-metzora-omer

Tazria has 67 verses which is gematria for the word בניה – her children – a reference to the woman who gives birth (at the beginning of the parsha). The word בניה can also be understood to be mean 'builders', since children are also the builders of the future. Metzora has 90 verses which is gematria for the word עידו – his witness – a reference to tzaraas which is witness to someone who tells lashon hara. This week we also start perek aleph (ch.1) of Pirkei Avot, which we say weekly between Pesach and Shavuot. Pirkei Avot begins with discussing how the Torah was received by Moshe at Sinai and then 'passed on' ("Mesora" = tradition) to Joshua, etc.

What's the relationship between the two sidras and Pirkei Avot?

In all 3 cases the relationship revolves around the origin of Torah for the Jewish people.

Tazria: The children (בניה) were the 'guarantee' offered by the Jewish people at Har Sinai in order to receive the Written and Oral Torah. The male child, discussed at the beginning of Tazria, is also the receiver of the Jewish covenant by the law of brit milah – 'circumcision'. The builders of the Torah are the Torah scholars , and Gemara Berachot 64a tells us that children shall be the learners of the Torah.

Metzora: In our system of imposing Torah law in our society, we also have the Jewish Beit Din. The Beit Din when listening to cases needs to have independent witness/es in order to pass their judgement. The judgements of a Beit Din are clarifications of our Written and Oral Torah and therefore carry similar obligations to be observed by Jews. Therefore the Jewish court system is an additional aspect of the origin of Torah for the Jewish People.

Pirkei Avot: So we received the Written and Oral Torah at Sinai (Tazria), and we have rules and judgements by the Beit Din (Metzora), both of which contribute to Torah in our daily life. The last aspect of how Torah is a part of our daily life comes from the way Pirkei Avot begins – traditions. For many Jews, one of the most regular ways that Judaism plays a part in our lives is by the traditions we receive from our parents and our families.

Tazria (67) + Metzora (90) = 157 => 1+5+7 = 13

Gematria for:     13 = אחד (unity)                13 = אהבא (love)

This is the 'antidote' against lashon hara, disunity and baseless hate between Jews.

67 (סז) + 90 (צ) = 157 (קנז)

קנז is a reference to Othniel Ben Kenaz who was the first of the lineage of Judges. He was the first to follow after the end of Joshua's reign.