Thus we call it Tazria-Metzora . The titles of the portions for the next couple of weeks are very significant. Next week s is called Ahare Mot Kedoshim . And the week after that, the portion is known as Emor . This assertion reflects a profound observation about the selectiveness of the human memory.
Many ordinary people become saints in death.
When people die, often their faults and shortcomings are forgotten and their virtues and assets are magnified. In death, the philanderer sometimes is remembered as a loving husband and the simpleton becomes a genius. Such has been particularly true of the way that the Jewish community has praised the late King Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan after his death. To give an honest and balanced portrayal of King Hussein s life, however, let us candidly admit that he was not always a champion of peace nor an ardent lover of Jews. From the time of the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 until the Six Day War in 1967, Jordan controlled the West Bank and the Old City of Jerusalem.