Tazria-Metzora is one of the least favorite portions in the whole Torah, because it’s about bodily emissions, leprosy, and other taboo subjects. But, it’s a bum rap. If we read it as the rabbis did and we should, the portion urges us to find the sacred and Godly in what is admittedly unfamiliar and unseemly. In this portion in Leviticus, scaly skin afflictions, bodily emissions, and “tzara’at”, commonly translated to mean leprosy, were examined by the priest. His observations rendered a person clean or unclean. If he or she was unclean, then the person would call out, “Unclean, unclean!” and be exempt from the community for a prescribed amount of time. Only until the priest found that the person was clean could re-entry be allowed and with proper gifts and offerings. The goal wasn’t condemnation or exile; the goal was maintenance of a sacred community that aimed for God’s blessing through ritual and ethical deeds.

Today, it goes without saying that we understand vastly more about such ancient taboos. But, can it also be said that we’ve done as much as our ancient ancestors not to condemn or exile those who, temporarily or permanently, cannot meet the highest standards of human participation physically, emotionally, or mentally? In Texas, we rank 49 out of 50 states in support for severely mentally retarded children and adults who are living in State Supported Living Centers (SSLC’s). Some children who are otherwise born in love and blessing, nevertheless, fail to thrive as their parents hoped they would, and can’t live at home because their parents don’t possess skills and resources to provide 24/7 care. Their children will never live independently of the SSLC where they currently reside. But, funding in Texas is threatened; SSLC’s are being reduced in number. Residents will be forced to move to other locations sometimes farther from parents and relatives who visit regularly. In other cases, there is no family to visit: their parents are unable or unwilling to visit, or they’re deceased. Reducing care means reducing compassion for children and adults who need it most.

If birth is a blessing from God, then we are in no position to judge which births are greater blessings than others. As moral advocates, we must urge our representatives in Austin to act in two significant ways: oppose Senate Bill 602; and, support Senate Bill 547.

We oppose SB602, because:

• We don’t support the consolidation and/or closure of any SSLC’s

• We don’t support displacing our most vulnerable and innocent loved ones from their homes and communities

• We don’t support forcing our medically fragile/behaviorally challenged and easily disoriented citizens into a totally inadequate system of group homes

• We don’t support taking away countless jobs for many hardworking and valued members of the Texas State Employee Union

• We don’t support a small governor-appointed and agency member “restructuring commission” to usurp or remove the state legislature’s currently held power to affect and/or appeal these very devastating and often deadly decisions

We support SB 547 (companion HB3409) because:

• We support extending highly specialized services at the SSLC’s to those living in the community with similar complex needs

• We wish for the Health and Human services executive commissioner to ascertain and establish a list of all applicable SSLC services, and to determine the fees and reimbursement rates for these critical Medicaid programs

• We feel confident about the prospect of offering many services, which are often only available at SSLC campuses, to the intellectually/developmentally disabled citizens in the community

In Leviticus, the Israelite community didn’t continue its wilderness journey until every member of the community was able to re-enter. Imagine that the highest and holiest deed was to enable a person to mend and be repaired so that the community could remain intact in God’s presence. We’re aware that not every citizen can perform their duties as we do; but, every citizen is a human being whose life depends on us. God’s blessing wasn’t meant for the most fit, alone; it was also meant for the most fit to extend it to those who knew they could count on us to do the right thing with it.

Call or write your representatives in Austin, today. Tell them that you advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves. Our community can’t move on until everyone is accounted for, and everyone has a fighting chance to know what it means to live in a State that says it values every life.

ASK YOUR SENATOR TO VOTE NO on SB 602 and YES on SB547