In the ancient world, the skin affliction of tzara'at was seen as a plague being inflicted upon an individual as a consequence of his or her sins. God had singled that person out for punishment, to be made an example of for the entire community to see. The physical result was temporary quarantine from the camp; the religious result was a status of ritual impurity requiring observation, cleansing, sacrifices, and return to ritual purity facilitated by the High Priest. These consequences and regulations are clearly outlined in the text of the Torah from this and last week's parashiyot. However, what is not included are the social consequences of coming down with a case of tzara'at or any other illness or condition that would cause an individual to be unwelcome and removed from the general population.

How many of us have ever felt like we were not welcome within a group? Back in school, it may have been because we were not "cool" enough, were not wearing the chic brand name of clothing, or were not into the latest fad. As adults, perhaps it is due to socio-economic class, profession, or style of dress. In given generations, entire groups of people become categorized as a society's "lepers": sufferers of HIV/AIDS beginning in the 1970's, just to mention one example. In a world where closeness and a feeling of community is becoming more and more difficult to construct, each of us in our own way seems to find ways to make others feel unwelcome or "quarantined" from the camp.

If there is anything that this week's parasha tries to teach us for this day and age, it is that it is critical for us to find ways to break down the barriers that exclude individuals and groups from the community. The parasha details the rituals necessary to bring a healed leper back into the camp. What "medications" do we have at our disposal to heal those that have been kept at arm's length (or longer) from the general population or from our smaller communities? At his or her core, each and every human being is essentially the same. We are all made up of the same life-giving components and are all made in the image and spirit of God. There is no external characteristic that supersedes this one.

It is my prayer that we all find ways to be inclusive and fulfill our charge to welcome people with open arms, not wave them off with the proverbial "open hand," be it at school, at home, or in the wider community.