בּ“ה
Parshas Tazria
Expounds HaRav Yisroel Salanter zt”l: Why is Parshas Tazria, the majority of which is matters of afflictions and dealing with those who have Tzaraas, right next to Parshas Shemini, which speaks a lot about matters of forbidden foods? Because the afflictions of Tzaraas come mainly as a punishment for the sin of Lashon Hara (slander of a fellow-Jew).
Go out and see: While most people are careful about not eating forbidden foods, and they check very well to make sure that they do not, Chas V’Shalom, swallow even a small worm; behold, on the other hand, they are not careful with the respect of others, and a person “swallows their fellow alive” in the jaws of Lashon Hara. Therefore the Torah put the two Parshiyos next to each other, to say: Just like you are careful with forbidden foods, so you should be careful with forbidden speech.
(Peninei HaTorah, quoting Seforim)
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It is brought in Seforim that the letters of נגע (affliction) if rearranged spell ענג (pleasure; delight) -- a word that is connected to Shabbos, like it says, Yeshayahu 58:13: ‘And you will call to the Shabbos “a delight”’. And the letters of צרעת, Tzaraas, rearranged spell עצרת (gathering; restriction) -- a word that is connected with Yom Tov, like it says, Bamidbar 29:35, ‘And on the eighth day [of Sukkos] shall be a restriction/gathering [i.e. a Yontiff] for you’.
Shabbos and Yom Tov are consequently the opposite of the affliction of Tzaraas: For while the affliction of Tzaraas symbolizes the concealment of G-dliness; the coarseness of the “natural world” that covers up the internal part of the creation; Shabbos and Yom Tov are the absolute converse of this, for they open the eyes of people, and open their heart to see and to feel the Maker of the World through His Work. They tear the “skin” that covers up the internal, and bring out the Hidden Light from the midst of the “nature.”
(Quoted in Maayanah Shel Torah)
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TZARAAS: Says HaRav Nosson Scherman shlit”a: For hundreds of years, the popular translation of צרעת [tzaraas] has been “leprosy,” and it was commonly accepted that prevention of the disease’s spread was the reason for the quarantine of a suspected victim of tzaraas and the exclusion from the camp of a confirmed מצרע [metzora], the person smitten with the malady. Rav Hirsch zt”l demonstrates at length and conclusively that both of these notions are completely erroneous. Very briefly; he shows that the symptoms of tzaraas, as outlined in our Parsha, are far different from those of leprosy. Furthermore, if the reason for the metzora’s confinement is to prevent contagion, then some of the laws would be ludicrous. For example, if the malady covers the victim’s entire body (13:13), he is not tamei (ritually impure), but if his skin begins to heal, he becomes tamei. In the case of a house that is afflicted (14:36), the Torah prescribes that before the house is pronounced tamei, all its contents should be removed, because they would become ritually impure if they were left inside at the time of the pronouncement. But if there were a danger of contagion, it would be irrational for the afflicted household items to be excluded from the quarantine! In perhaps the most telling example, the Talmud teaches that if the symptoms of tzaraas appear on a newlywed or during a festival season, the Kohen does not examine the affliction or declare it to be tamei, in order not to interfere with the celebration. But if the purpose of these laws is to prevent the spread of disease, it would be absolutely imperative to enforce the laws at times of great overcrowding and mingling!
Clearly, as the Sages teach, tzaraas is not a bodily disease, but the physical manifestation of a spiritual malaise, a punishment designed to show the malefactor that he must mend his ways. The primary cause of tzaraas is the sin of slander. As the Sages say, the word מצרע is a contraction of מוציא רע, one who spread slander (Arachin 15b). Similarly, the Sages teach (ibid. 16a and various Midrashim) that the affliction is a punishment for the sins of bloodshed, false oaths, immoral relations, pride [i.e. haughtiness], robbery, and selfishness. The pattern that emerges is that it is a Divine retribution for the offender’s failure to feel the needs and share the hurt of others. G-d rebukes this anti-social behavior by isolating him from society, so that he can experience the pain he has imposed on others -- and heal himself through repentance.
(The Stone Edition Chumash)
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As we spoke about above, Tzaraas often came as a punishment for Lashon Hara. It is interesting to note that the different symptoms of Tzaraas correspond to some of the mal-effects caused by Lashon Hara:
1) Often, a sign of impurity of a possible-Tzaraas-affliction was that it spreads on the skin, or whatever it was on. This corresponds to the fact that slander spreads amongst people and circulates.
2) Another sign of certain types of Tzaraas was that the hairs in the area of the affliction would turn white (or goldenish/yellowish, see 13:29-37). This corresponds to the terrible effects slander can, Chas V’Shalom, have on people: It changes them from their usual selves and can make them upset at the subject; Lashon Hara impacts for the worse those in “its wake.”
3) The appearance of a Tzaraas-affliction was deeper than the skin: This, similar to the last thing, corresponds to the fact that slander gets under the surface; even if someone might not show any difference of behavior towards the subject after listening to lashon hara about them, there might still linger some ill feelings towards them in their heart.
Indeed, Tzaraas is a measure-for-measure punishment -- in more ways than even the above points!
(Tal U’Matar)
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Rebbe Uri of Strelisk zt”l said: “When one desires to say something forbidden, and he holds back, it’s as though he fasted eighty-four days.”
Rebbe Aharon of Belz zt”l added: “And I say, nach un nach, un nach,” which means that it’s like fasting for eighty-four days, and much, much more than that.
(Brought in Torah Wellsprings)
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|~Maaseh~| My father and Rebbe, HaRav T. S. Chesler shlit”a related that he was once in some kind of mart, and he bought an item, and of course, brought it to the checkout, paid, and then left the store.
However, as the cameras were set up in the place, it would have appeared, if someone had only looked at the films, that he had just picked up the item -- not paid -- and left.
From this little story, he brought out a lesson in judging others favorably: Sometimes it looks to us like someone has done something wrong, but there is a chance that we are not seeing the whole picture and there is more to it. . .
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Gut and meaningful Shabbos to all!
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