Take Initiative – Dvar Torah on Parshat Metzora 5776 2016

Metzora is mentioned in the Torah and is described as a skin infection which renders a person Tammey or spiritually defiled. A Kohen, and not a doctor, is instructed to determine if the person is truly infected. When the infection seems to be gone the Torah states that the individual is to be brought to the Kohen: וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן, (Lev. 14,2) to determine if indeed the person has recovered and to instruct him about the method of purification. The very next verse states: וְיָצָא הַכֹּהֵן, “the Kohen shall go forth…” to the individual.

First it stated the infected person is to be brought to the Kohen. The next verse states that the Kohen is to go to the person. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein points out the contradiction and gives a very potent explanation. He maintains that the person should come to the Kohen but if he doesn’t than the Kohen should go to him. He then adds that “every teacher or person who can influence others must keep this mind and do so.”

This is extremely important for everyone to take heed. We often see how we can help someone but wait for that person to ask and hesitate to offer. Not all people will ask. We must extend ourselves and make the first move.

—

As Passover approaches – check out the latest Torah videos at RBSTorah.com

Dvar Torah Tazria-Metzora 5775 2015

The Portion of Metzora relates to a person who is afflicted with a particular rash the Torah calls a Nega. In our time we are not aware of what this affliction is. Chazal, however, tell us that it comes as a punishment for speaking לשון הרע, slander.

The story is told about Rabban Gamliel that he once sent his Shamash to the market to bring him that which is the best thing. He brought him a tongue. He sent him again to bring the worst thing. Again he brought a tongue. He asked him is it possible that the tongue is both the best and the worst thing? “Yes”, he answered, “there is nothing better than a tongue that speaks honestly and nothing worse than a tongue that speaks slander and gossip”.

Today we do not have the disease of Metzora but the wrong of speaking לשון הרע, slander, is still with us. The Chafetz Chaim, the author of the “Mishna Brurah” wrote an entire book on the subject to direct us on how we must act in speaking about others and in treating them in order to avoid slander. לשון הרע slander is considered one of the most serious wrongdoings of which we can be guilty and one of the most difficult transgressions to avoid.

Dvar Torah Parshat Metzora 5774 2014

The Torah tells us: זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצֹרָע, “This shall be the law of the Metzora…”.(Lev.14,2) The word מְּצֹרָע is rendered in most English translations as “leper”. This we know is not the correct meaning. The root of the word is צרע which means to strike and hence it implies some form of infection.

The Midrash tells us the word stands for: המוציא שם רע, as if it is an abbreviated form and stands for: מוציא רע, speak out evil or gossip. (Med. Rabba Lev. Metzora 16) The accepted teaching of Chazal is that one is afflicted with this disease as a punishment for לשון הרע, evil gossip.

Rabbi Moshe Alshech was one of the great Biblical scholars of the 16th century, and a member of the Rabbinic court of Rabbi Yosef Karo, the author of the Shulchan Aruch.

This great Rabbi asks why we don’t have people today (in his time) stricken with this disease. Does this indicate that there are no more Jews guilty of evil gossip? He concludes, on the contrary. There are so many people guilty of this wrong that if this punishment would be carried out almost everyone would be walking around distressed with this horrible infection.

This, of course, does not pardon us of this transgression. We are still warned against it and may, Heaven forbid, be dealt with by a different punishment.

Dvar Torah Parshat Tazria – Metzora 5773 2013

A Metzora is one who has developed a rash on his body. Chazal tell us this was mainly a divine punishment for speaking לשון הרע, evil talk against his fellow man. He was sent out of the camp of the Israelites and had to remain there until the illness disappeared. It is only a Kohen who can examine him and declare that he has been healed.

The Torah tells us that on the day the infection disappears וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן, “…he shall be brought to the Kohen.” (Lev 14,2) The very next verse states: וְיָצָא הַכֹּהֵן אֶל מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה, “The Kohen shall go to the outside of the camp…”. He is to go to the Metzora who is outside of the Israelite camp to check him and declare his recovery. This seems to be contradictory. First we are told the Metzora is to be brought to the Kohen and then we are told the Kohen comes to him.

The obvious explanation is that the Metzora goes to the edge of the camp and the Kohen comes there to meet him. However, The Midrash Torat Kohanim extracts an additional teaching from this seeming contradiction. It tells us that the Metzora must make contact with the Kohan to receive all the instructions about the ritual he must follow on the day of his purification as a thanks to the Almighty for curing him. Then the Kohen can declare him cured.

Today when a person has suffered an illness and recovered he must be ever grateful to Hashem and must surely express his appreciation in a meaningful fashion. If the sickness was a very serious one there is a special Beracha of thanks known as הגומל which is recited in the presence of a Minyan of ten men.

Dvar Torah Parshat Tazria-Metzora 5772 2012

The Torah tells us that a house can have a נֶגַע, an affliction, and the wall upon which it is found has to be destroyed. Chazal give us many reasons why a house can have a נֶגַע. All the reasons are based on the one belief that the owner has committed Lashon Harah, slander, or some similar transgression.

The one who has to declare it a נֶגַע can only be a Kohen who is an expert in this field. The procedure prescribed in the Torah is that the individual who has a נֶגַע on the wall in his house must go to the Kohen and say: כְּנֶגַע נִרְאָה לִי בַּבָּיִת, “…Something like an affliction has appeared to me in the house.” (Lev. 14,35)

Why doesn’t the owner of the house simply say, “נֶגַע נִרְאָה לִי בַּבָּיִת, I see a נֶגַע in my house; come and check it out”?

There is an Halachic rule that a person may not admit that he is a Rasha, or an evil person. Hence, if he came and said he has a נֶגַע in his house he would be admitting that he has transgressed by speaking slander. He thus says that it appears to be like a נֶגַע and the Kohen should check it out. The Kohen determines if it is indeed a נֶגַע and only then the home owner must atone for his wrongdoing.

Dvar Torah Parshat Metzora 5771 2011

It is a well known fact that our Sages of the Talmud recognized that the affliction of METZORA is due to a spiritual deficiency, mainly evil gossip. The person suffering from this malady is to be sent out of the camp of the Israelites until he recovers. The opening verses of this week’s Portion deals with the time that the symptoms’ disappear and the person is ready to return to the community.

The Torah says: VEHUVA EL HAKOHEN, “…he shall be brought to the Kohen.” (Lev. 14,2) This, of course, is for the Kohen to examine him since the Kohen was given the responsibility of determining whether the person is still afflicted or cured.

The very next verse creates a problem. It states: VEYATZA HAKOHEN EL MICHUTZ LAMACHANEH, “The Kohen shall go forth out of the camp…”. One verse tells us that the afflicted one is to be brought to the Kohen and the next few words tell us the Kohen goes to him.

Implied here is a serious teaching for every Rabbi, teacher or leader. If the person who suffers from the spiritual deficiency comes on his own to the Kohen for help, then good and well. If he has not reached that stage through his own initiative, then the Kohen must go to him. Every leader who deals with people must reach out to help those people who need help. The good leader is one who can help the needy individual to find his way. One must not always wait for someone to come and seek your help but often we must volunteer and extend a helping hand where we see it is warranted.

Dvar Torah Parshat Tazria – Metzora 2009 5769 דבר תורה פרשת תזריע מצורע

One of the duties of the Kohanim, we read in today’s Sidra, is to examine what appears as a NEGA or an affliction on the skin of an individual. This is obviously a menial task. Moshe realized this and according to the Midrash said to Hashem, “Is this an honorable task for my brother Aharon, to inspect the NEGA of people?” (Lev. Rab. 15;8)

The response he received from Hashem was that as a Kohen he also receives all the gifts from the people. In effect what Moshe was being told is that there is good and bad in everything. All benefits carry with them drawbacks.

When a person is appointed or elected to a high position it is indeed an honor. He must realize, however, that with this honor come responsibilities. Often we seek a job or position that seems to be a most desirable and attractive status only to find that with it comes many unwanted and boring and monotonous tasks.

The point is that there is good and not so good in everything and it is up to us to make the best of every situation.

Dvar Torah Metzora 2008 – 5768 – דבר תורה מצורע תשס”ח

The Torah teaches about a disease that was prevalent in ancient times known as Tzara’at. According to Chazal this disease befell a person as a punishment for speaking Lashon Harah, slander. Miriam was so afflicted when she spoke against Moshe. When the person recovered from this misfortune the Torah proscribes in this week’s Portion that he is to bring a sacrifice which included two birds: VE’ETZ EREZ USHNI TOLA’AT VE’EZOV, “…cedarwood, and crimson thread, and hyssop”.(Lev. 14,4)

What is the meaning of these latter items? The hyssop is a lowly plant and this is used to teach that a person should hold himself lowly and not try to belittle others as this unfortunate person did. On the other had he also brings a twig from the cedar which contrary to the hyssop is a tall majestic tree. We know the Tanach talks about the cedars of Lebanon, the lofty and mighty trees. There are times when a person must raise himself like the cedar and take a firm stand and talk with authority against wrong that he sees.

The purpose of the crimson thread was to combine the cedar and the hyssop and to strike a balance. It comes to teach that one should be wise enough to be able to balance the two and to know when to use each of these two extremes.

Dvar Torah Tazria – Metzora 7 2007 – 5767 דבר תורה תזריע – מצורע

These portions speak about one who has a NEGA TZARA’AT on his body. The words NEGA TZARA’AT are translated in the English Bibles as “a plague or affliction of leprosy”. This we know is a wrong meaning of the words because of the description of the malady in the Torah and the fact that the Torah speaks of its healing, which at this time we know cannot happen.

Chazal see in NEGA TZARA’AT a punishment for one who speaks evil gossip against another. The duty to determine whether a person is really afflicted by this disease is relegated to the Kohen. If he suspects a person is inflicted with it but is not certain he quarantines him in his house for a week and then examines him again.

A Chassidic Rabbi once pointed out that a week was prescribed for the quarantine because every week has, of course, a Shabbat and the intention was for the person to spend a Shabbat contemplating on his condition. It is obvious that one who suffers from this malady is very depressed. The Oneg Shabbat has the power to transform a person’s depression to happiness.

To enforce this thought he points out that the Hebrew word NEGA is spelled NUN GIMMEL AYIN and the Hebrew word for Oneg is spelled AYIN NUN GIMMEL, the same letters only juxtaposed.

Dvar Torah Tazria – Metzora 6 2006 – 5766 דבר תורה תזריע – מצורע

The word METZORA is very difficult to define. The truth is that we today do not know its exact meaning. Most translations referred to it as leprosy. We know this is not the correct meaning since the descriptions that follow are not those of leprosy. Furthermore, the Torah talks about a cure which may come about after a week or two. This is not possible in leprosy as we know it. However, there are many important lessons that we may learn from these laws.

In order to determine if the disease is a NEGA or a symptomatic sore, the Kohen must be consulted. That task of labeling the person a METZORA in the first place and later after healing releasing him from this designation is given to the Kohen. Only he can make the declaration of METZORA or release him from this label.

The Talmud discusses the question of what happens when the Kohen is not knowledgeable enough to make the determination. Chazal said that a Rabbi or scholar can go along with the Kohen and tell him what to say. If the scholar is the one who makes the decision, why is the Kohen needed.

There is a very essential message in this law. Formalities are very important. We often like to ignore technical requirement as long as we do the correct thing. We like to by-pass formalities. Here the Torah emphasizes that form is very significant. Whether in dress, in table manners, in speech, in every aspect of our lives, it is important for us to adhere to decorum and custom. That is a sign of a civilized person.

Dvar Torah Tazria – Metzora 4 2004 – 5764 דבר תורה תזריע – מצורע

In the first Sidra we read this week we are commanded the Mitzvah of Brit Milah. It is customary at a Brit for the people standing around to bless the child and say: KESHEM SHNICHNAS LABRIT, KEN YIKANES LETORAH, LECHUPAH ULMA’ASIM TOVIM, “Just as he has entered into the Brit (of Avraham Avinu) so too should he enter into the study of Torah, into marriage and into the performance of good deeds.”

What is the connection between the Brit and the other things mentioned? The fact is that entering into the Covenant of Avraham is not a simple accomplishment. Becoming a Jew means he will have to face the cruel anti-Semitic world. He will have many restrictions on how he behaves, what he eats, how he lives and he will be responsible for adherence to all the Mitzvot that are not too easy to keep.

This is what the blessing means. Just as he enters into the Brit with Hashem and the Jewish people knowing it will not be a trouble-free function, so too when he starts learning Torah it will not be easy and it should be LISHMAH. So too, when he marries and when he starts doing Ma’asim Tovim it is not going to be without drawbacks but he should enter these performances with the attitude that it is the proper thing to do. He should not think that these tasks are easy to carry out. Nevertheless, he should do them willingly and honestly.

Dvar Torah Tazria – Metzora 2 2002 – 5762 דבר תורה תזריע – מצורע

This week we read two portions. In the first we read about one of the most important Mitzvot in Jewish life – the Brit Milah. We are told that on the eighth day after the child’s birth he is to be circumcised. Why are eight days necessary? The Midrash Rabbah (27:10) gives the reason so that the child should first experience a Shabbat, for in every eight days there must be a Shabbat. It is important that the child first live through a Shabbat before undergoing the Mitzva of Brit Milah.

What is the significance of this requirement? As we all know the Shabbat testifies to Jews that Hashem created the world. After six days of creation he rested on Shabbat. We too must rest on that day to indicate that we believe that the world did not just come about by itself or that the world always existed as some believed. We maintain that Hashem created the world and we rest on Shabbat to demonstrate this belief.

When a child is brought into the Jewish fold through the Brit, we symbolically show him through the Shabbat what our belief is. It is true that at that age the child has no concept of what we are trying to show. It really is a lesson for his parents and when he gets older and learns about the Brit and its laws he too will then get the message. Shabbat is one of the great Mitzvot of the Jews. Many Jews gave up their lives when they were being forced to desecrate the Shabbat. It is a fundamental principle in Judaism which underlies all other Mitzvot. We first must believe that Hashem created the world and then we know that we must worship Him and follow His commandments.