ושלשים יום ושלשת ימים תשב . She may remain (without becoming a menstruant) in a state of purification for thirty-three days." The Zohar (Sullam edition Tazria page 10) explains that the soul which descends from the Celestial Regions does not "settle down" in the body until thirty-three days have elapsed. Although thirty days normally are considered adequate for acclimatization, in this case the three days of pain experienced by the male after circumcision are also allowed for. When the body is in pain the spirit is not as dominant as usual. During the first seven days the soul is considered like a tourist, exploring the body, looking for a suitable place to establish its residence. This is analogous to the first seven days of an animal's life when it is not yet fit to be offered as a sacrifice (22,27), and has to remain under the care of its mother. After the foreskin, symbolic of the כחות חצוניות or קליפות has been removed, and the baby has suffered three days of pain, these forces have lost their influence over him. The Torah first refers to these days as תשב בדמי טהרה, she experiences purity even whilst she is bleeding. In verse 6, the Torah speaks of "after completion of the days of her purity." The first reference is to the bleeding for three days after the circumcision. In that instance the word טהרה does not conclude with a מפיק ה, which would indicate that this purity is specifically hers, whereas in verse 6 the מפיק ה indicates that the Torah speaks about a period of thirty days which is specifically accounted for as days of purity for this mother.

ענין מצורע . The affliction of a body with צרעת reflects that the soul has first been infected with spiritual blemishes. We know from the Zohar that the usual cause is abuse of one's power of speech.

טמא טמא יקרא . He shall call out (13,45) "Unclean! Unclean!" This is an allusion to the statement by our sages (Kidushin 70a) that כל הפוסל במומו פוסל, "When someone declares someone else as unfit, this usually reflects upon himself," i.e. that he suffers from a similar imperfection. When the Torah says in 21,18: כל איש אשר בו מום לא יקרב, "any person who is blemished must not draw near (the Tabernacle to perform sacrificial service)," this is because in principle the priest is to offer himself when he offers a sacrifice on someone else's behalf.

Onkelos translates the words נגע צרעת as מכתש סגירותא, a plague of leprosy (requiring conduits to be shut off). This is an allusion to the conduits from Heaven which have been shut off to such a person. This is how the Zohar explains the meaning of the word.

טומאת הגוף והבגדים והבתים . The fact that this type of affliction can manifest itself in any one of our bodies, our clothing or our houses may indicate that we have to observe a standard of purity in our deeds, our speech, and even in our thoughts.