Find your Torah reading

My reading

Haftarat Parashat Tazria

2 Kings 4:40– 5:19

4:42 וְאִ֨ישׁ בָּ֜א מִבַּ֣עַל שָׁלִ֗שָׁה וַיָּבֵא֩ לְאִ֨ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֜ים לֶ֤חֶם בִּכּוּרִים֙ עֶשְׂרִֽים־לֶ֣חֶם שְׂעֹרִ֔ים וְכַרְמֶ֖ל בְּצִקְלֹנ֑וֹ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר תֵּ֥ן לָעָ֖ם וְיֹאכֵֽלוּ׃

4:43 וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ מָ֚ה אֶתֵּ֣ן זֶ֔ה לִפְנֵ֖י מֵ֣אָה אִ֑ישׁ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר תֵּ֤ן לָעָם֙ וְיֹאכֵ֔לוּ כִּ֣י כֹ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֖ה אָכֹ֥ל וְהוֹתֵֽר׃

4:44 וַיִּתֵּ֧ן לִפְנֵיהֶ֛ם וַיֹּאכְל֥וּ וַיּוֹתִ֖רוּ כִּדְבַ֥ר יְהוָֽה׃

5:1 וְ֠נַעֲמָן שַׂר־צְבָ֨א מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָ֜ם הָיָ֣ה אִישׁ֩ גָּד֨וֹל לִפְנֵ֤י אֲדֹנָיו֙ וּנְשֻׂ֣א פָנִ֔ים כִּֽי־ב֛וֹ נָֽתַן־יְהוָ֥ה תְּשׁוּעָ֖ה לַאֲרָ֑ם וְהָאִ֗ישׁ הָיָ֛ה גִּבּ֥וֹר חַ֖יִל מְצֹרָֽע׃

5:2 וַאֲרָם֙ יָצְא֣וּ גְדוּדִ֔ים וַיִּשְׁבּ֛וּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל נַעֲרָ֣ה קְטַנָּ֑ה וַתְּהִ֕י לִפְנֵ֖י אֵ֥שֶׁת נַעֲמָֽן׃

5:3 וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־גְּבִרְתָּ֔הּ אַחֲלֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י לִפְנֵ֥י הַנָּבִ֖יא אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּשֹׁמְר֑וֹן אָ֛ז יֶאֱסֹ֥ף אֹת֖וֹ מִצָּרַעְתּֽוֹ׃

5:4 וַיָּבֹ֕א וַיַּגֵּ֥ד לַאדֹנָ֖יו לֵאמֹ֑ר כָּזֹ֤את וְכָזֹאת֙ דִּבְּרָ֣ה הַֽנַּעֲרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר מֵאֶ֥רֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

5:5 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֶֽלֶךְ־אֲרָם֙ לֶךְ־בֹּ֔א וְאֶשְׁלְחָ֥ה סֵ֖פֶר אֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּלֶךְ֩ וַיִּקַּ֨ח בְּיָד֜וֹ עֶ֣שֶׂר כִּכְּרֵי־כֶ֗סֶף וְשֵׁ֤שֶׁת אֲלָפִים֙ זָהָ֔ב וְעֶ֖שֶׂר חֲלִיפ֥וֹת בְּגָדִֽים׃

5:6 וַיָּבֵ֣א הַסֵּ֔פֶר אֶל־מֶ֥לֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר וְעַתָּ֗ה כְּב֨וֹא הַסֵּ֤פֶר הַזֶּה֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ הִנֵּ֨ה שָׁלַ֤חְתִּי אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ אֶת־נַעֲמָ֣ן עַבְדִּ֔י וַאֲסַפְתּ֖וֹ מִצָּרַעְתּֽוֹ׃

5:7 וַיְהִ֡י כִּקְרֹא֩ מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל אֶת־הַסֵּ֜פֶר וַיִּקְרַ֣ע בְּגָדָ֗יו וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַאֱלֹהִ֥ים אָ֙נִי֙ לְהָמִ֣ית וּֽלְהַחֲי֔וֹת כִּֽי־זֶה֙ שֹׁלֵ֣חַ אֵלַ֔י לֶאֱסֹ֥ף אִ֖ישׁ מִצָּֽרַעְתּ֑וֹ כִּ֤י אַךְ־דְּעֽוּ־נָא֙ וּרְא֔וּ כִּֽי־מִתְאַנֶּ֥ה ה֖וּא לִֽי׃

5:8 וַיְהִ֞י כִּשְׁמֹ֣עַ׀ אֱלִישָׁ֣ע אִישׁ־הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים כִּֽי־קָרַ֤ע מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־בְּגָדָ֔יו וַיִּשְׁלַח֙ אֶל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ לֵאמֹ֔ר לָ֥מָּה קָרַ֖עְתָּ בְּגָדֶ֑יךָ יָבֹֽא־נָ֣א אֵלַ֔י וְיֵדַ֕ע כִּ֛י יֵ֥שׁ נָבִ֖יא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

5:9 וַיָּבֹ֥א נַעֲמָ֖ן בסוסו [בְּסוּסָ֣יו] וּבְרִכְבּ֑וֹ וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד פֶּֽתַח־הַבַּ֖יִת לֶאֱלִישָֽׁע׃

5:10 וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֵלָ֛יו אֱלִישָׁ֖ע מַלְאָ֣ךְ לֵאמֹ֑ר הָל֗וֹךְ וְרָחַצְתָּ֤ שֶֽׁבַע־פְּעָמִים֙ בַּיַּרְדֵּ֔ן וְיָשֹׁ֧ב בְּשָׂרְךָ֛ לְךָ֖ וּטְהָֽר׃

5:11 וַיִּקְצֹ֥ף נַעֲמָ֖ן וַיֵּלַ֑ךְ וַיֹּאמֶר֩ הִנֵּ֨ה אָמַ֜רְתִּי אֵלַ֣י׀ יֵצֵ֣א יָצ֗וֹא וְעָמַד֙ וְקָרָא֙ בְּשֵׁם־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔יו וְהֵנִ֥יף יָד֛וֹ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם וְאָסַ֥ף הַמְּצֹרָֽע׃

5:12 הֲלֹ֡א טוֹב֩ אבנה [אֲמָנָ֨ה] וּפַרְפַּ֜ר נַהֲר֣וֹת דַּמֶּ֗שֶׂק מִכֹּל֙ מֵימֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הֲלֹֽא־אֶרְחַ֥ץ בָּהֶ֖ם וְטָהָ֑רְתִּי וַיִּ֖פֶן וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ בְּחֵמָֽה׃

5:13 וַיִּגְּשׁ֣וּ עֲבָדָיו֮ וַיְדַבְּר֣וּ אֵלָיו֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אָבִי֙ דָּבָ֣ר גָּד֗וֹל הַנָּבִ֛יא דִּבֶּ֥ר אֵלֶ֖יךָ הֲל֣וֹא תַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וְאַ֛ף כִּֽי־אָמַ֥ר אֵלֶ֖יךָ רְחַ֥ץ וּטְהָֽר׃

5:14 וַיֵּ֗רֶד וַיִּטְבֹּ֤ל בַּיַּרְדֵּן֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֔ים כִּדְבַ֖ר אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיָּ֣שָׁב בְּשָׂר֗וֹ כִּבְשַׂ֛ר נַ֥עַר קָטֹ֖ן וַיִּטְהָֽר׃

5:15 וַיָּשָׁב֩ אֶל־אִ֨ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֜ים ה֣וּא וְכָֽל־מַחֲנֵ֗הוּ וַיָּבֹא֮ וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד לְפָנָיו֒ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנֵּה־נָ֤א יָדַ֙עְתִּי֙ כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין אֱלֹהִים֙ בְּכָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֖י אִם־בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְעַתָּ֛ה קַח־נָ֥א בְרָכָ֖ה מֵאֵ֥ת עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃

5:16 וַיֹּ֕אמֶר חַי־יְהוָ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־עָמַ֥דְתִּי לְפָנָ֖יו אִם־אֶקָּ֑ח וַיִּפְצַר־בּ֥וֹ לָקַ֖חַת וַיְמָאֵֽן׃

5:17 וַיֹּאמֶר֮ נַעֲמָן֒ וָלֹ֕א יֻתַּן־נָ֣א לְעַבְדְּךָ֔ מַשָּׂ֥א צֶֽמֶד־פְּרָדִ֖ים אֲדָמָ֑ה כִּ֡י לֽוֹא־יַעֲשֶׂה֩ ע֨וֹד עַבְדְּךָ֜ עֹלָ֤ה וָזֶ֙בַח֙ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים כִּ֖י אִם־לַיהוָֽה׃

5:18 לַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה יִסְלַ֥ח יְהוָ֖ה לְעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ בְּב֣וֹא אֲדֹנִ֣י בֵית־רִמּוֹן֩ לְהִשְׁתַּחֲו‍ֹ֨ת שָׁ֜מָּה וְה֣וּא׀ נִשְׁעָ֣ן עַל־יָדִ֗י וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֵ֙יתִי֙ בֵּ֣ית רִמֹּ֔ן בְּהִשְׁתַּחֲוָיָ֙תִי֙ בֵּ֣ית רִמֹּ֔ן יִסְלַח־נא [] יְהוָ֥ה לְעַבְדְּךָ֖ בַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃

5:19 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ לֵ֣ךְ לְשָׁל֑וֹם וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ מֵאִתּ֖וֹ כִּבְרַת־אָֽרֶץ׃

The commentary about the connection between the Haftarah and Torah reading was written by

Leviticus Chapter 13, Verses 1-2
1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:
2 When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it become in the skin of his flesh the plague of leprosy, then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests.
II Kings 5:1
1 Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and held in esteem, because by him the LORD had given victory unto Aram; he was also a mighty man of valour, but he was a leper.

Leprosy afflicted the lesser individuals as well the great and powerful figures of the ancient world. There is truly no connection between the moral character of the leper and the reason the ailment was contracted. It might not have been clear to the ancient Israelites but it should be today. Many troubling conditions are much more than skin deep. Sadly, the cure for many bewildering afflictions is still a mystery.

Gail Shuster-Bouskila

Rabbi Gail Shuster-Bouskila has earned two degrees in education. She made Aliyah to Israel in 1978, and finished her rabbinic studies at Hebrew University. She was ordained at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia in 1979. She was the first women rabbi in Israel. Since making Aliyah, as a free-lance rabbi, she has counseled many people on life cycle events, including women’s issues, marriage and Bar/Bat Mitzvah and has lectured around Israel about modern Midrash, liberal Judaism, women's issues and the philosophy of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan. From 2005 to 2010, she held the position of Chair of the Israel Reconstructionist Foundation. She worked to deepen Israel - Diaspora Jewish relations among Liberal Jews through contact with individuals and groups. Midrash Harabah - Rabbi Gail's Torah musings: https://midrash-harabah.org/

Recorded by

Natalie Barkan

Natalie was the first girl to celebrate a Shabbat morning bat mitzvah at Emmanuel Synagogue in Oklahoma City and the first woman to read Torah at the “upstairs” adult service. She supported herself through graduate school by teaching bar/bat mitzvah students and today still enjoys chanting Torah and serving as shlichat hatzibur at Hod Ve-Hadar congregation in Kfar Saba. Natalie has lived in Israel for over 30 years studying and teaching Judaica in various frameworks. She serves on the executive board of The Abraham Fund Initiatives, working to promote equality and co-existence between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel. She is married to Dani and the mother of three sons. Natalie has known Susie Dvoskin for 20 years, celebrating Rosh Hodesh together and praying at Hod Ve-Hadar. Five years ago, Natalie took the big plunge and did her first women’s triathlon. Susie is her inspiration and mentor, not only in sport, but in the art of positive thinking! She has participated in this project out of a deep love and affection for Susie

Women readers

Recordings