Posted on April 17, 2026 by Rabbi Noah Diamondstein
Dear friends,
We are deep into the Book of Leviticus right now, learning lots about the Priests and the many and varied rituals they oversaw for our ancient ancestors. This week’s parashah, Tazria-Metzora, highlights perhaps the most poignant of those rituals, in which the Priest was responsible for checking up on anyone who contracted the terrifying supernatural illness of tzara’at, a deadly scale disease often mistaken for leprosy. The Priest’s responsibility was not only to diagnose and check up on the afflicted person, but also to accompany them back into the camp and oversee their purification and re-entry into society. This is the mitzvah of bikur cholim, visiting the sick, exhibited at perhaps its pinnacle in the Torah.
The book of Exodus though, just before we receive the 10 Commandments, instructs that we are to be a “Kingdom of Priests.” All of Israel was meant to act in a manner befitting of such a leader. Thus this model of caring for our neighbors, checking up on them, and keeping our community whole and healed is not something we leave to our religious leaders alone–we all are meant to step up in that way.
This Sunday we have a chance to do that by participating in TBE’s Day of Service! Our Day of Service is an incredible opportunity for you to join with your fellow members to lift up the values that make our sacred community so powerful and special. Through acts of loving-kindness–such as giving blood, supporting HOME, training in emergency first aid, card writing, packing supplies for food banks, and so much more–you can embody that priestly spirit. We will also be hosting a few shlichim, soldiers from the IDF who were wounded in combat, and are touring our area to make connections with Jews here in the U.S. and share about their recent experiences in Israel! There will be something for absolutely everybody, all ages and interests will have a rewarding experience this Sunday!
I hope to see all of you at Temple this Sunday–let’s pack our House of God, and make a real difference together!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Noah Diamondstein