Leviticus 13:13

וְרָאָ֣ה הַכֹּהֵ֗ן וְהִנֵּ֨ה כִסְּתָ֤ה הַצָּרַ֙עַת֙ אֶת־כׇּל־בְּשָׂר֔וֹ וְטִהַ֖ר אֶת־הַנָּ֑גַע כֻּלּ֛וֹ הָפַ֥ךְ לָבָ֖ן טָה֥וֹר הֽוּא׃

then the priest shall look; and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague; it is all turned white: he is clean.

Skin afflictions are the last thing anyone wants to read about on a Saturday morning. All the more so the last thing one wants to deal with on a personal level. For the biblical Metzora, the “leper,” the experience must have been devastating. Upon noticing a skin discoloration, they check it with the Kohen. If declared ill, they quarantine outside of the camp. There, the Kohen visits again after seven days, and continues to do so until the affliction is healed. Once healed, the Kohen leads this person through a series of rituals that help them slowly integrate back into the community. 

As this person confronts this disease, the greatest comfort they have is knowing that the Kohen will check in regularly. Even at the tail end of the illness, there is the Kohen by the side of this person until they are better not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. 

A Dear teacher of mine, Rabbi Elliot Dorff, taught us in rabbinical school that reaching out to the sick – even a phone call – can provide real healing. Though we may not have the right words to say, a phone call may mean everything to someone who needs it. It is true that we no longer live in an age of leprosy. We do however live in a world where people seek a friend as they face the uncertainty, fear, and suffering that comes with fighting a disease. This weekend, as we read about diseases we’d rather ignore, we remember that there are those who do not have the luxury to ignore illness. It’s on us to reach out to them, to be that friend, that conduit for continued healing, and to remind them they are not facing illness alone.