Don Isaac Abravanel, sometimes spelled Abarbanel (1437-1508) was a probing and penetrating Jewish thinker, as well as a prolific
Biblical commentator. The topic of Biblical leprosy began in Leviticus 13 and continues into Chapter 14.
Here the emphasis is on the cleansing of a Biblical leper, essentially a two-step cathartic process.
Abravanel delves into the sacrifices (step two) a Biblical leper brings to the Tabernacle. From a leper’s
offerings, Abravanel imparts a theological cornerstone of Jewish faith.
“And God spoke unto Moses saying: This shall be the law of the leper in
the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest.”
“And it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave off all his hair from his head and his beard and
his eyebrows, even all his hair shall he shave off. And he shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his
flesh in water and be clean.” This, we may call it, describes the first stage of the cleansing of a Biblical
leper – bathing and laundering.
The second phase of the cleansing of a Biblical leper pertains to sacrifices. It is on this phase that
Abravanel provides Bible students with a pillar of Jewish belief. “And on the eighth day he shall take two
he-lambs without blemish, and one ewe-lamb of the first year without blemish…” The Torah writes
explicitly regarding two male and one female lambs. What were their functions?
The first male lamb served as a guilt offering (“And the priest shall take one of the he-lambs, and offer
him for a guilt offering…”). The second lamb was a female, and it acted as sin offering (“And the priest
shall offer the sin offering…”). Finally, the third of three animals for purposes of cleansing a Biblical
leper was a he-lamb. It functioned as a burnt offering (“And afterward he shall kill the burnt offering.”).
Here, according to Abravanel, is the theological implication of the Biblical lepers three animal sacrifices.
Judaism posits that everything that occurs to the Chosen People, everything that the nation experiences,
stems from divine providence. Put even more succinctly, the Creator painstakingly pays each Hebrew
according to his deeds (or misdeeds).
Let us apply this guiding principle to a Biblical leper. When he is afflicted with the dreadful disorder, he
needs to look inwardly, scrutinizing his conduct and speech. Why am I facing this hardship, he ponders?
Where did I go astray from God’s commandments?
It could be that the fellow’s introspection will jar his memory, and yield insights. Clarity might ensue. He
might even recall his misdeed that triggers an obligation to bring a sin offering to the Tabernacle. If,
however, the man can’t remember his transgression, then he would offer a guilt offering. Bear in mind,
that for a man who senses wrongdoing, but can’t pinpoint his error, a guilt offering is viewed as a
provisional stop-gap measure and sacrifice. Thus, the Torah requires a Biblical leper to bring one sin
offering and one guilt offering. This reflects reality, as wise Solomon teaches: “For there is not a
righteous man upon the earth, who does good and sins not.”
Consequently, a Biblical leper first brings his guilt offering (he-lamb), for he is in the dark about what he
did wrong. Next, the fellow brings a sin offering (ewe-lamb). This covers a sinner in cases of minor Torah
infringements, whereby he asks for atonement. It also garners forgiveness for egregious sins he recalls.
Finally, according to Abravanel, after the two initial sacrifices (guilt and sin offerings) restore a Biblical
leper to a healthier religious place, he brings a burnt offering (he-lamb). This further fosters and
cements closeness with the Almighty.
