Weekly Sidra: Tazria (she conceived)
Shabbat: Shabbat HaChodesh
Torah Portion: Vayikra / Leviticus 12:1-13:59 
Special Maftir: Shemot / Exodus 12:1-20
Haftorah: Yechezkel / Ezekiel 45:18- 46:15

“Thus said the Lord God: On the first day of the first month, you shall take a bull of the herd without blemish, and you shall cleanse the Sanctuary. 19 The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and apply it to the doorposts of the Temple, to the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and to the doorposts of the gate of the inner court. 20 You shall do the same on the seventh day of the month to purge the Temple from uncleanness caused by unwitting or ignorant persons.” (Ezekiel 45:18-20)

This week marks the last of the four special Shabbat.  This week is Shabbat HaChodesh (The Month).  This month represents the first official month on the Jewish calendar.  This is the month of Aviv or Nissan as it is now known.  This year the corresponding Torah portion is Tazria (She Gives Birth).  This Torah portion is normally read together with the portion called Metzorah (Tzarat), loosely translated as Leper.  However, this year the two Parashiot (readings) are separated.

Once again I will try, with the help of the Holy One, Blessed be He, to link Parasha Tazria with Shabbat HaChodesh.

Blood has always been synonymous with life.  That is why Jews are commanded not to eat blood. (Gen. 9:4; Lev. 17:10-14; Deut. 12:23) 

This week’s reading deals with the ritual purity of a woman after she gives birth.  The process of giving birth is obviously also linked to life.  In the Torah portion we read: 6 On the completion of her period of purification, for either son or daughter, she shall bring to the priest, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. 7 He shall offer it before the Lord and make expiation on her behalf; she shall then be clean from her flow of blood. Such are the rituals concerning her who bears a child, male or female. 8 If, however, her means do not suffice for a sheep, she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. The priest shall make expiation on her behalf, and she shall be clean. (Lev. 12:6-8)

We see this pattern repeated in the Besorah HaTovah (The Good News) when Miriam presents Yeshua in the Temple. 

“When the time came for their purification according to the Torah of Moshe, they took him up to Yerushalayim to present him to HaShem (as it is written in the Torah of HaShem, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to HaShem") and also to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons as required by the Torah of HaShem.” (Luke 2:22-24)

How does this all relate to Shabbat HaChodesh?  We see that on the first day of the first month blood was required to cleanse the Temple.  Thus, Israel could not bring in a New Year without the blood of life being shed.

We also require blood to live, both physically and spiritually.  This is true since our bodies are indeed the Temple of HaShem “Or don’t you know that your body is a temple for the Divine Presence who lives inside you, whom you received from God? The fact is, you don’t belong to yourselves; (Korintim Aleph 6:19).

Rav Shaul (Paul) goes on to say: “Therefore, if anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation – the old has passed; look; what has come is fresh and new!” (Korintim Beit 5:17)

Therefore, since blood was required in the Temple on the first of the year for cleansing.  We too require the blood of Yeshua to cleanse our Temples, birthing us into a new life.