THE STATUTE CONCERNING LEPROSY If God, caring for the health of the woman who gives birth, commands her to stay a period of time under care; By the statute of Leprosy, God cares for His people for fear that this serious illness would probably spread among them; … He cares even for their clothes, lest the moth would spread from one garment to another. 1- The illness of leprosy 2- When there is on the skin a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot 1 -- 8 3- When leprosy is chronic in the skin 9 -- 17 4- When there is a boil on the skin, and it is healed 18 -- 23 5- When there is a burn on the skin like fire 24 -- 28 6- When there is a sore on the head or the chin 29 -- 37 7- When there are bright spots on the skin (the vitiligo) 38 -- 39 8- When man’s hair fall from his head 40 -- 44 9- The verdict against the leper 45 -- 46 10- The statute concerning leprous garments 47 – 59 1- THE DISEASE OF LEPROSY: In the modern medicine, leprosy is a serious dermal disease that sometimes my reach to the extent of the dissolution of some of the body extremities and the distortion of body shape; beside being serious as a swift contagious disease. What came in the old covenant under the name of ‘leprosy’, might probably not mean a specific disease, but rather all what could cause contagion, not only between humans, but even between garments and between furniture. Man may see in the verdict against the leper in the Mosaic law, as too cruel; isolating him away from the congregation, and counting him as unclean until he is healed. … But, even in the modern societies, despite the exalted progress in medicine in the present century, those with dermal diseases are isolated in hospitals or medical facilities away from where the people dwell; and even the physicians who treat them, tend to fear for their own safety. For the Jews, leprosy was connected to sin, because of the seriousness of the disease concerning the distortion of man’s body, and the swiftness of contagiousness ; Hence God used it in special situations for chastisement, as He did to Miriam the sister of Moses when she talked against her brother (Numbers 12: 10); What happened with Gehazi whose heart led him to go after Naaman the Syrian to seek gold and silver from him, and to lie to his master the prophet Elisha (2 kings 5); And what happened with king Uzziah for his action against priesthood (2 Chronicles 26: 16-21) Like it is in the case of sin, the Jews and the rest of nations, had no possibility of salvation from leprosy by themselves; but all felt the need for a divine intervention to deal with it. Hence being healed from it was counted as purification from uncleanness, or from sin; as it was said about Naaman the Syrian when he was healed from it in the water of the River Jordan (2 kings 5: 10-14); and when the Lord Christ Himself said: “The lepers are cleansed” (Matthew 11: 5); And when a leper appealed to Him saying: “Lord, if you are willing, You can make be clean”, and He answered him, saying: “I am willing, be cleansed” (Matthew 8: 1-3). Now, let us talk about the leprosy, and about some of the symptoms that appear on man’s body and his garments: 2- WHEN THERE IS ON THE SKIN A SWELLING, A SCAB, OR A BRIGHT SPOT: Most probably, by ‘a scab’ is meant a red spot with a cuticle on the skin; and by ‘the bright spot’, a spot different in color on his skin. And lest those symptoms could be just a regular simple dermal disease, it was distinguished between two cases: The first case, “If the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous sore; then the priest shall look at him, and pronounce him unclean” (3)”, and isolate him away from the congregation. The second case, “If the bright spot is white on the skin of the body, and does not appear to be deeper than the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the priest shall isolate the one who has the sore seven days; and the priest shall look at him on the seventh day, and indeed appear to be as it was, and the sore has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him another seven days. Then the priest shall look at him again on the seventh day, and indeed if the sore has darkened, and the sore has not spread on the skin; then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scab, and he shall wash his clothes and be clean”; as a reference to our need to be washed of even the likeness of sin. In a symbolic interpretation of this case, the scholar Origen says: {A wound, even after it is healed, leaves a trace on the body, called ‘a swelling’, Now, crossing over from the shadow of the law to the truth; a soul wounded by sin, even after it is healed, a ‘swelling’ will remain on it as a trace, to be seen, not only by the Lord, but also by those who are given the grace to distinguish the maladies of the soul, and to distinguish between the souls that are completely healed of all painful wounds, from those that still carry traces of them]. There are some people who carry a swelling on their bodies that reveal having a serious spiritual disease that is difficult to cure; according to the prophet Isaiah, saying: “From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. They have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment” (Isaiah 1: 6); and according to the prophet Jeremiah, saying: “For thus says the Lord: ‘Your affliction is incurable; your wound is severe. There is no one to plead your cause, that you may be bound up; you have no healing medicines. All your lovers have forgotten you; they do not seek you; for I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one. For the multitude of your iniquities, because your sins have increased. Why do you cry about your affliction? Your sorrow is incurable, because of the multitude of your iniquities, because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you” (Jeremiah 30: 12-15). Yet, even if God reveals the extent of bitterness to which the soul has reached because of having such an incurable disease; Christ, who is sinless came to carry our sins and to receive our wounds in Himself, providing us with the cure by His precious blood. If we, because of our sin have been afflicted with a spiritual leprosy; have been counted as unclean; and were driven out of the camp, He, Himself, was driven out of the camp carrying the cross of our reproach. That is why, after revealing on the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah, the wounds that afflicted us, He instantly added: “’I will restore health to you, and heal you of your wounds’, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 30: 17); And again He says: “Behold, I will heal them and bring to them the abundance of peace and truth; and I will cause the captives of Judah and the captives of Israel to return” (Jeremiah 33: 6, 7). We may notice in the statute of the leper, in general, that the priest is committed to be very particulate before pronouncing his verdict; to take his time so as not to cause harm to anybody. It is befitting of every priest and everyone in the position of responsibility not to hasten to make decisions, but to do it with the spirit of wisdom and prudence, yet without slothfulness at the expense of the truth. And we may also notice the repetition of the words “deeper than” (3, 4, 20, 21, 25, 26, etc.), concerning the sore in the skin of the one with the disease. According to the scholar Origen: [Every iniquity of the soul is actually in a lower in level than all virtues]. In other words, A thermometer of the spiritual life that reveals the strike of sin, is that it brings the soul down to the dust, makes it low, and like the dust in thoughts and longings; whereas the true virtue in Christ Jesus would lift the soul up high to heaven to truly say: “For our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3: 20). 3- WHEN LEPROSY IS CHRONIC IN THE SKIN: In the previous case, it was necessary to isolate the one who has the sore to investigate the extent of his disease, but in the present case there is no need for this, as the patient obviously and positively carries the disease; for he has a white swelling with white hairs; and there is a spot of raw (healthy-colored) flesh in the swelling (10); namely, the normal color of the skin appears in the midst of the white spots. The priest shall not isolate the patient, but will instantly pronounce him as unclean (11). But if the skin on the whole body, from his head to his feet, is white, he will not be pronounced as unclean but clean. This is to distinguish between a leper and who has some normal non-leprous skin disease. The former has white spots that turn the hair inside it white; but the later, even if the skin on his whole body is white without including a spot of raw flesh in the swellings, the patient is not a leper. What does this law spiritually mean? The one who positively and obviously carries the symptoms of the disease; whom the priest pronounces as unclean, refers to the sinner who, daringly and publicly commits sin; he would be counted as a leper, and would be derived out of the camp. Yet not to remain forever as such, but to let him perceive his true position concerning faith, and feel the need for the physician, who anticipates his call to heal him and to bring him back into the holy camp after purifying him. That patient who carries on parts of his body obvious symptoms of the disease, together with spots of raw (healthy-colored) flesh; refers to him who “falters between two opinions”; who delivers himself to the sin to work freely in him with its full authority; but, at the same time, he attempts to calm down his conscience by some formalities of worship or giving; and would accordingly lose his goal of having the purity of heart. As to the second man who has his whole body, from his head to his feet, covered with white spots, yet without any spot of raw (healthy-colored) flesh; would refer, according to some, to him who, realizing his true position as a sinner, felt that his nature has become completely corrupt. By such confession, and by returning to God with repentance, he would find our Lord Jesus Christ, the Highest Priest, waiting for to cure him, put him on His shoulders, and not cast him out of the camp. According to the scholar Origen, the one who is completely covered with white spots, from head to feet, may be likened to someone who is inflicted with a mental disease that deprives him of every ability to think and behave rationally. Such a person is not counted responsible for any sin he may commit. But in case any spot of raw (health-colored) flesh appear on him; namely, if he is healed of his mental disease and becomes normal; in case he commits something wrong, we should give him counsel about repentance to help him get rid of his uncleanness. 4- WHEN THE RE IS A BOIL ON THE SKIN, AND IT IS HEALED: This is similar to the first case where some traces of healed wounds remain on the body as swellings, scabs, or white spots. It will be shown to the priest; if it appears deeper than the skin, and its hair turned white, he shall pronounce him unclean; it is a leprous sore which has broken out of the boil. But it is not deeper than the skin, and there are no white hair in it, and has faded, the priest shall isolate him seven days, then pronounce him clean (23) According to the scholar Origen, the boils that inflict the soul are the defiled desires that make the soul lose its spiritual health. In case they go away, it is necessary to search the soul, lest some traces of them may be still hidden inside without treatment, and would eventually return to the soul. 5- WHEN THERE IS A BURN ON THE SKIN LIKE FIRE: According to the scholar Origen: [Beware, lest the soul is inflicted by burns caused by the fiery darts of the wicked one (Ephesians 6: 16); or it may be burnt by your having the fire of human carnal love in your bosom. What is more serious is to have the fire of the desire of human glory; or of anger]. 6- WHEN THERE IS A SORE ON THE HEAD OR ON THE CHIN: This refers to some kind of dermal disease that may cause the fall of hair off the head to turn man bald.. As the Lord Christ is the Head of the church (1 Corinthians 11: 3), what inflicts us here concerns our faith in the Lord Christ. While what inflicts man on his beard; according to the scholar Origen, concerns what the priest who, falling into a sin of youth, may cause him to lose the dignity of priesthood, symbolized by the beard. As to a woman inflicted on the head; if “the head of woman is man” (1 Corinthians 11: 3); this would concern her relationship with her man. According to the scholar Origen, it concerns the corrupt teachings related to the marital life, like those of Valentinus, Mercion, and others, who see marriage as uncleanness. 7- WHEN THERE ARE BRIGHT SPOTS ON THE SKIN: (Vitiligo): Then the priest take a look at him, and pronounce him clean, on account of that it is a regular dermal disease, and not leprosy. 8- WHEN MAN’S HAIR FALL FROM HIS HEAD: The law distinguishes between the natural cases of baldness and the dermal contagious diseases that inflict the head. If hair fall from the whole head, man is bald; and if it fall only from the forehead. He is partly bald on the forehead, but both cases are natural; he is clean. But if there is on the bald head or bald forehead reddish-white sores, it is leprosy breaking out; and the priest shall surely pronounce him unclean. 9- THE VERDICT AGAINST THE LEPER: Seeing leprosy as a symbol and a fruit of sin, the verdict against the leper whose uncleanness is proclaimed came cruel; depriving him of the taste of life, and isolating him completely from the holy congregation; it includes: a- Tearing off his clothes: The leper’s clothes shall be torn off (Women are exempted from this and the next item for obvious reasons). The reason behind tearing the clothes off is that there are many who attempt to hide their disease under expensive and beautiful clothes. St. John Chrysostom warns us against hypocrisy, being the adorned garment put on by the sick soul, that keep it from treating the inner disease; And according to the scholar Origen: [He whose is inflicted by a disease, namely by a hidden evil, is committed to tear his clothes off, so as not to cover up the shame of his sin; and he, with accumulated sins, should not cover up his reproach by a veil of words or excuses; so as not to be “like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are filled with dead man’s bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23: 27). Because the garment refers to the body; God did not allow the soldiers to tear the garment of the Lord Christ, but they cast a lot on it; so as to let the church – His body – remain un-torn; Tearing the clothes of the leper declares the result of sin, and refers to the cause of division and dissentions in the church, the body of Christ. Every sin secretly committed by man, even if he assumes that it does no harm to others, actually tears up the garment of Christ; as it tears the soul of the sinner off his true membership in the holy body, in case he persists on his evil. b- Baring his head. If the torn garment proclaims the crime committed by the sinner against the church, tearing her and causeing dissensions; the bared head proclaims the crime he commits against the Lord Christ – the Head of man (1 Corinthians 11: 3). If our repentance, our spiritual growth, and our life with God glorify our Christ; every sin we commit would cause a blasphemy against His name because of us. Commenting on the bare head, the scholar Origen says: [Even if the fault is in the head; namely, if what we commit is an insult to God, or it touches faith in Him, we should not hide it, but expose it to all, so that, through the intercession, supplication, and counsel of all members of the congregation, he would confess and be forgiven. c- Covering his moustache: While seeking the exposure of the sick body by tearing the clothes and baring the head, it seeks, as well, covering the moustache, namely the mouth; For the soul inflicted by the leprosy of sin, is committed to listen to the commandment, rather than to teach others, even if it is of a priest, whom the psalmist rebukes, saying: “What right have you to declare My statutes, or take My covenant in your mouth?!” (Psalm 50: 16). About that the scholar Origen says: [The sinner has to shut his mouth up; for “who teaches another, do you not teach yourself?”(Romans 2: 21). That is why He commands covering the mouth, the speaker of evil]. We are warned by our fathers against ministering by the mouth and not by work; as it is befitting of us to speak to others by our life in the Lord and our fellowship with Him; and not to utter nice words without work. d- Letting him dwell alone outside the camp; and cry “unclean, unclean (45) Jewish Rabbis see the lepers as though dead, and have no right to live among the holy congregation; their habitation would be outside the camp of Israel. According to the Telmud, in the later periods, since the days of Joshua, cities were surrounded by walls as a sign of their holiness. Driving the lepers outside the wall was a sign of their death and deprivation of the fellowship in the holy life. In case they attempt to force their way inside the walls, they would be condemned to 40 stripes; for defiling the city; Or, under certain circumstances they are allowed to enter into the synagogue before the rest of the worshippers, and to leave it after them. Commenting on the dwelling of the leper outside the camp, the scholar Origen says: [Every defilement causes man to be cast out of the congregation of the righteous; to be exiled and isolated away from the place of the saints]. As to crying: “Unclean, unclean”; it refers to his inner and outer defilement; namely to that of the soul and body together. 10-THE STATUTE CONCERNING LEPROUS GARMENTS: God proclaimed His care for His people, even concerning their clothes that may be corrupted by a plague. The priest shall isolate the garment for seven days; after which, If the plague has spread in it, either in the wrap or in the woof, the plague considered like an active leprosy; and the garment shall be burned with fire (52). But in case he sees that it did not spread, he repeats it after having it washed, then leaves it for another period of seven days, to make sure.
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