Lev. 13:22-23 NIV

Who will judge the priest?

The priest has a great responsibility. The ability to make someone affected by something like tzaraat ritually clean or unclean is in his hands. In the text of the Torah, the word "pronounce", in relation to being clean or unclean, does not appear. The Torah literally says that the priest can make a person clean – tiher, טהר – or make a person unclean – timeh, טמא. Of course he does this through a declaration or announcement, but the Torah only says it to emphasise the enormous authority the priest has to be able to make a person clean or unclean. So it's not the plague itself that makes the person impure or the lack of it which makes that person pure, but the priest. What great authority is found in the hands of the priest regarding this plague!

If he is not a good administrator of that authority he can ruin a person's social life because the one declared impure or unclean due to this plague had to be cast out of the society, living outside the camp as it is written in Leviticus 13:45-46: “The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!' As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.” (NIV) And in Numbers 5:2-3 it is written: “Command the Israelites to send away from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease or a discharge of any kind, or who is ceremonially unclean because of a dead body. Send away male and female alike; send them outside the camp so they will not defile their camp, where I dwell among them." (NIV)

The one with greater responsibility will also have a more severe judgement. In case of a mistake due to negligence, the priest will be responsible before the Heavenly Court for the damage he caused by pronouncing a person clean or unclean by mistake.

If the authorities have treated you unfairly, cry out to the Eternal for justice and leave room for His judgment. Don't take revenge in your hands; you would only do more harm.

Blessings,

Ketriel