Leah at Beit Sefer

Dear Beit Sefer Families, 
How often do we look at our skin to notice bruises, pimples, and wrinkles?   And, how does this awareness of our skin and our appearance relate to the “skin” related sayings in our language?  We call things “skin deep,” say someone has “thick skin” or is “comfortable in her own skin.” At first glance, the details in the Torah portion, of various skin blemishes, how the priest should inspect them and the how to purify someone with unholy skin looks very tedious.   But, if we dwell on the relationship between our skin as the barrier between our physical form and the unformed space around it, between the physical realm and a less tangible realm, it becomes fascinating to see how various nuances of discoloration, blemishes and hair growth were interpreted.  It makes sense to me that in a world without knowledge of the various medical reasons for these things, or that there would one day be a field of medicine, it would seem like a mystical experience.  To me, there is a profundity when imagining my own skin as the barrier between what I know to call myself and everything outside of myself, of my physical form and the expanse of space, intangible and unknown around me.  I read this section of the Torah (okay, I skim it, or read small sections) and remember that I want to live my life “comfortable in my own skin” and cherishing things that are more than “skin deep.”
B’shalom,
Leah