11 (vi) Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, ² “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘These are the living creatures which you may eat among all the land animals: ³ any that has a separate hoof which is completely divided and chews the cud — these animals you may eat. ^4-6 But you are not to eat those that only chew the cud or only have a separate hoof. For example, the camel, the coney and the hare are unclean for you, because they chew the cud but don’t have a separate hoof; ⁷ while the pig is unclean for you, because, although it has a separate and completely divided hoof, it doesn’t chew the cud. ⁸ You are not to eat meat from these or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.

⁹ “‘Of all the things that live in the water, you may eat these: anything in the water that has fins and scales, whether in seas or in rivers — these you may eat. ¹⁰ But everything in the seas and rivers without both fins and scales, of all the small water-creatures and of all the living creatures in the water, is a detestable thing for you. ¹¹ Yes, these will be detestable for you — you are not to eat their meat, and you are to detest their carcasses. ¹² Whatever lacks fins and scales in the water is a detestable thing for you.

¹³ “‘The following creatures of the air are to be detestable for you — they are not to be eaten, they are a detestable thing: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, ¹⁴ the kite, the various kinds of buzzards, ¹⁵ the various kinds of ravens, ¹⁶ the ostrich, the screech-owl, the seagull, the various kinds of hawks, ¹⁷ the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, ¹⁸ the horned owl, the pelican, the barn owl, ¹⁹ the stork, the various kinds of herons, the hoopoe and the bat.

²⁰ “‘All winged swarming creatures that go on all fours are a detestable thing for you; ²¹ except that of all winged swarming creatures that go on all fours, you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, enabling them to jump off the ground. ²² Specifically, of these you may eat the various kinds of locusts, grasshoppers, katydids and crickets. ²³ But other than that, all winged swarming creatures having four feet are a detestable thing for you.

²⁴ “‘The following will make you unclean; whoever touches the carcass of them will be unclean until evening, ²⁵ and whoever picks up any part of their carcass is to wash his clothes and be unclean until evening: ²⁶ every animal that has a separate but incompletely divided hoof or that doesn’t chew the cud is unclean for you; anyone who touches them will become unclean. ²⁷ Whatever goes on its paws, among all animals that go on all fours, is unclean for you; whoever touches its carcass will be unclean until evening; ²⁸ and whoever picks up its carcass is to wash his clothes and be unclean until evening — these are unclean for you.

²⁹ “‘The following are unclean for you among the small creatures that swarm on the ground: the weasel, the mouse, the various kinds of lizards, ³⁰ the gecko, the land crocodile, the skink, the sand-lizard and the chameleon. ³¹ They are unclean crawling creatures; whoever touches them when they are dead will be unclean until evening. ³² Anything on which one of them falls when dead will become unclean — wooden utensil, article of clothing, leather, sacking — any utensil used for work; it must be put in water, and it will be unclean until evening; then it will be clean. (vii) ³³ If one of them falls into a clay pot, whatever is in it will become unclean, and you are to break the pot. ³⁴ Any food permitted to be eaten that water from such a vessel gets on will become unclean, and any permitted liquid in such a vessel will become unclean. ³⁵ Everything on which any carcass-part of theirs falls will become unclean, whether oven or stove; it is to be broken in pieces — they are unclean and will be unclean for you; ³⁶ although a spring or cistern for collecting water remains clean. But anyone who touches one of their carcasses will become unclean. ³⁷ If any carcass-part of theirs falls on any kind of seed to be sown, it is clean; ³⁸ but if water is put on the seed and a carcass-part of theirs falls on it, it is unclean for you.

³⁹ “‘If an animal of a kind that you are permitted to eat dies, whoever touches its carcass will be unclean until evening. ⁴⁰ A person who eats meat from its carcass or carries its carcass is to wash his clothes; he will be unclean until evening.

⁴¹ “‘Any creature that swarms on the ground is a detestable thing; it is not to be eaten — ⁴² whatever moves on its stomach, goes on all fours, or has many legs — all creatures that swarm on the ground; you are not to eat them, because they are a detestable thing. ⁴³ You are not to make yourselves detestable with any of these swarming, crawling creatures; do not make yourselves unclean with them, do not defile yourselves with them. ⁴⁴ For I am Adonai your God; therefore, consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy; and do not defile yourselves with any kind of swarming creature that moves along the ground. (Maftir) ⁴⁵ For I am Adonai, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. Therefore you are to be holy, because I am holy.

⁴⁶ “‘Such, then, is the law concerning animals, flying creatures, all living creatures that move about in the water, and all creatures that swarm on the ground. ⁴⁷ Its purpose is to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.’”

Haftarah Sh’mini: Sh’mu’el Bet (2 Samuel) 6:1–7:17 (A); 6:1–19 (S)

Suggested readings for Parashah Sh’mini from the B’rit Hadashah: Mark 7:1–23; Acts 5:1–11; 10:1–35; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1; Galatians 2:11–16; 1 Kefa (1 Peter) 1:14–16

Parashah 27: Tazria (She conceives) 12:1–13:59

[In regular years read with Parashah 28, in leap years read separately]

12 Adonai said to Moshe, ² “Tell the people of Isra’el: ‘If a woman conceives and gives birth to a boy, she will be unclean for seven days with the same uncleanness as in niddah, when she is having her menstrual period. ³ On the eighth day, the baby’s foreskin is to be circumcised. ⁴ She is to wait an additional thirty-three days to be purified from her blood; she is not to touch any holy thing or come into the sanctuary until the time of her purification is over. ⁵ But if she gives birth to a girl, she will be unclean for two weeks, as in her niddah; and she is to wait another sixty-six days to be purified from her blood.

⁶ “‘When the days of her purification are over, whether for a son or for a daughter, she is to bring a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or dove for a sin offering to the entrance of the tent of meeting, to the cohen. ⁷ He will offer it before Adonai and make atonement for her; thus she will be purified from her discharge of blood. Such is the law for a woman who gives birth, whether to a boy or to a girl. ⁸ If she can’t afford a lamb, she is to take two doves or two young pigeons, the one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; the cohen will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”

13 Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, ² “If someone develops on his skin a swelling, scab or bright spot which could develop into the disease tzara‘at, he is to be brought to Aharon the cohen or to one of his sons who are cohanim. ³ The cohen is to examine the sore on his skin; if the hair in the sore has turned white, and the sore appears to go deep into the skin, it is tzara‘at, and after examining him the cohen is to declare him unclean. ⁴ If the bright spot on his skin is white, but it does not appear to go deep into the skin, and its hair has not turned white, then the cohen is to isolate him for seven days. ⁵ On the seventh day the cohen is to examine him again, and if the sore appears the same as before and has not spread on the skin, then the cohen is to isolate him for seven more days. (LY: ii) ⁶ On the seventh day the cohen is to examine him again, and if the sore has faded and hasn’t spread on the skin, then the cohen is to declare him clean — it is only a scab, so he is to wash his clothes and be clean. ⁷ But if the scab spreads further on the skin after he has been examined by the cohen and declared clean, he is to let himself be examined yet again by the cohen. ⁸ The cohen will examine him, and if he sees that the scab has spread on his skin, then the cohen will declare him unclean; it is tzara‘at.

⁹ “If a person has tzara‘at, he is to be brought to the cohen. ¹⁰ The cohen is to examine him, and if he sees that there is a white swelling in the skin which has turned the hair white and inflamed flesh in the swelling, ¹¹ then it is chronic tzara‘at on his skin, and the cohen is to declare him unclean; he is not to isolate him, because it is already clear that he is unclean. ¹² If the tzara‘at breaks out all over the skin, so that, as far as the cohen can see, the person with tzara‘at has sores everywhere on his body, from his head to his feet; ¹³ then the cohen is to examine him, and if he sees that the tzara‘at has covered his entire body, he is to pronounce the person with the sores clean — it has all turned white, and he is clean. ¹⁴ But if one day inflamed flesh appears on him, he will be unclean. ¹⁵ The cohen will examine the inflamed flesh and declare him unclean; the inflamed flesh is unclean; it is tzara‘at. ¹⁶ However, if the inflamed flesh again turns white, he is to come to the cohen. ¹⁷ The cohen will examine him, and if he sees that the sores have turned white, then the cohen is to declare clean the person with the sores; he is clean.

(LY: iii) ¹⁸ “If a person has on his skin a boil that heals ¹⁹ in such a way that in place of the boil there is a white swelling or a reddish-white bright spot, it is to be shown to the cohen. ²⁰ The cohen is to examine it; if he sees that it appears to be more than skin-deep, and its hair has turned white, then the cohen is to pronounce him unclean — the disease of tzara‘at has broken out in the boil. ²¹ But if the cohen looks at it and doesn’t see any white hairs in it, and it isn’t more than skin-deep but appears faded, the cohen is to isolate him for seven days. ²² If it spreads on the skin, the cohen is to declare him unclean; it is the disease. ²³ But if the bright spot stays where it was and has not spread, it is the scar of the boil; and the cohen is to declare him clean.

(RY: ii, LY: iv) ²⁴ “Or if someone has on his skin a burn caused by fire; and the inflamed flesh where it was burned has become a bright spot, reddish-white or white, ²⁵ then the cohen is to examine it; and if he sees that the hair in the bright spot has turned white and that it appears to be deeper than the skin around it, it is tzara‘at; it has broken out in the burn, and the cohen is to declare him unclean; it is a sore from tzara‘at. ²⁶ But if the cohen examines it and sees no white hair in the bright spot, and it is no lower than the skin around it but looks faded, then the cohen is to isolate him for seven days. ²⁷ On the seventh day the cohen is to examine him; if it has spread on the skin, then the cohen is to declare him unclean; it is a sore from tzara‘at. ²⁸ But if the bright spot stays where it was and has not spread on the skin but appears faded, it is a swelling due to the burn; and the cohen is to declare him clean; because it is only a scar from the burn.

(LY: v) ²⁹ “If a man or woman has a sore on the head or a man in his beard, ³⁰ then the cohen is to examine the sore; if he sees that it appears to be deeper than the skin around it, with yellow, thin hair in it, then the cohen is to declare him unclean; it is a crusted area, a tzara‘at of the head or beard. ³¹ If the cohen examines the diseased crusted area and sees that it appears not to be deeper than the skin around it, and without any black hair in it, then the cohen is to isolate for seven days the person with the diseased crusted area. ³² On the seventh day the cohen is to examine the sore, and if he sees that the crusted area hasn’t spread, that it has no yellow hair in it, and that the crusted area is not deeper than the skin around it; ³³ then the person is to be shaved, except for the crusted area itself, and the cohen is to isolate him for seven more days. ³⁴ On the seventh day the cohen is to examine the crusted area; and if he sees that the crusted area has not spread on the skin and does not appear to be deeper than the skin around it, then the cohen is to declare him clean; he is to wash his clothes and be clean. ³⁵ But if the crusted area spreads after his purification, ³⁶ then the cohen is to examine him; and if he sees that the crusted area has spread on the skin, the cohen is not to look for yellow hair; he is unclean. ³⁷ But if the crusted area’s appearance doesn’t change, and black hair grows up in it, then the crusted area is healed; he is clean; and the cohen is to declare him clean.

(RY: iii, LY: vi) ³⁸ “If a man or woman has bright spots on his skin, bright white spots; ³⁹ then the cohen is to examine them. If he sees that the bright spots on the skin are dull white, it is only a rash that has broken out on the skin; he is clean.

⁴⁰ “If a man’s hair has fallen from his scalp, he is bald; but he is clean. ⁴¹ If his hair has fallen off the front part of his head, he is forehead-bald; but he is clean. ⁴² But if on the bald scalp or forehead there is a reddish-white sore, it is tzara‘at breaking out on his bald scalp or forehead. ⁴³ Then the cohen is to examine him; if he sees that there is a reddish-white swelling on his bald scalp or forehead, appearing like tzara‘at on the rest of the body, ⁴⁴ he is a person with tzara‘at; he is unclean; the cohen must declare him unclean; the sore is on his head.

⁴⁵ “Everyone who has tzara‘at sores is to wear torn clothes and unbound hair, cover his upper lip and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ ⁴⁶ As long as he has sores, he will be unclean; since he is unclean, he must live in isolation; he must live outside the camp.

⁴⁷ “When tzara‘at infects an article of clothing, whether it be a woolen or a linen garment, ⁴⁸ on the threads or the woven-in parts of either linen or wool, or on a hide or item made of leather; ⁴⁹ then if the stain on the garment, hide, threads, woven-in parts or leather item is greenish or reddish, it is an infection of tzara‘at and is to be shown to the cohen. ⁵⁰ The cohen is to examine the stain and isolate the article that has the infection for seven days. ⁵¹ On the seventh day he is to examine the stain; if the stain has spread on the garment, threads, woven-in parts or leather, whatever its use, the infection is a contagious tzara‘at; the garment is unclean. ⁵² He is to burn the garment, threads, woven-in parts of either wool or linen, or item of leather having the infection; for it is a contagious tzara‘at; it must be burned up completely. ⁵³ But if, when the cohen examines it, he sees that the infection has not spread on the garment or in the threads, woven-in parts or leather item, ⁵⁴ then the cohen is to order that the article having the infection be washed and isolated for seven more days. (RY: iv, LY: vii) ⁵⁵ The cohen is to examine it after the stain has been washed, and if he sees that the stain has not changed color, then, even though the stain has not spread, it is unclean; you are to burn it up completely — it is rotten, no matter whether the spot is on the outside or on the inside. ⁵⁶ If the cohen examines it and sees that the stain has faded after being washed, then he is to tear the stain out of the garment, leather, threads or woven-in parts. (LY: Maftir) ⁵⁷ If it appears again in the garment, threads, woven-in parts or leather item, it is contagious, and you are to burn up completely the article that had the stain. ⁵⁸ But if the infection is gone from the garment, threads, woven-in parts or leather item that you washed, then it is to be washed a second time, and it will be clean. ⁵⁹ This is the law concerning infections of tzara‘at in a garment of wool or linen, or in the threads or the woven-in parts, or in any leather item — when to declare it clean and when to declare it unclean.

Haftarah Tazria: M’lakhim Bet (2 Kings) 4:42–5:19

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Tazria: Mattityahu (Matthew) 8:1–4, 11:2–6; Mark 1:40–45; Luke 2:22–24; 5:12–16; 7:18–23