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The Kohen shall look at the affliction on the skin of his flesh….and declare him contaminated. (13:3)

The Kohen is the only individual which the Torah authorizes to render a decision regarding a person’s tzaraas. This is consistent with the pasuk in Devarim 21:5, “And according to his word, shall be every grievance and every plague.” Indeed, if for some reason the Kohen is not proficient in the area of negaim, plagues, Chazal state in Toras Kohanim, that a talmid chacham, Torah scholar, should be asked to observe the plague and instruct the Kohen “shoteh” in the decision to be rendered. The Kesef Mishneh notes the use of the word “shoteh,” fool, to describe a Kohen who…

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“When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male.” (12:2)

The Midrash begins its commentary on this parsha by presenting various perspectives on the human condition. Chazal interpret the pasuk in Tehillim 139, hb,rm oseu rujt, “Back and front You have fashioned me,” as being a reference to human life. Rish Lakish says, “back” refers to the last day of creation, while “front” refers to the beginning of creation. If a person is worthy and leads a virtuous life, he is told, “You came before the entire work of creation. If, however, he is not worthy as a result of sin, they tell him, “Even a gnat preceded you; even…

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“And if she bears a female, she shall be in an impure condition for two weeks.” (12:6)

In the case of the birth of a female the days of tumah, impurity, and tohar, cleanliness, are doubled. While the entire period of y’mei tumah v’taharah after a male birth consists of forty days, a female birth requires eighty days. Horav S.R. Hirsch, zl, suggests that the “double” period of time required for a female birth indicates a dual cycle – one for the mother and one for her female child. This extra cycle of tumah v’taharah accomplishes for the female child what the Bris Milah does for a male. The striking characteristic of a Jewish woman, the emblem…

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“He shall be brought to Aharon the Kohen, or to one of his sons, the Kohanim. The kohen shall look at the affliction … and declare him contaminated.” (13:2,3)

The kohen is the only one who is able to render decisions regarding the purity or impurity of negaim, physical afflictions.  Indeed, Chazal teach us that in the event that the kohen is not versed in the laws of negaim — or can not distinguish between the various types of plagues — a Torah scholar should be summoned.  After the scholar considers the situation, he is obligated to relate his decision to the kohen, who, in turn, pronounces the individual tameh or tahor.  The kohen must be the one to articulate the judgment. Describing this uneducated kohen, Chazal use the…

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“If a person will have on the skin of his flesh …” (13:2) – If there shall be a tzaraas affliction in a garment.” (13:47)

The negaim plagues mentioned in the Torah that strike man, his garments, or his home are not physical, communicable diseases. We note that spiritual affliction affects only Jews and not gentiles.  Before the giving of the Torah, negaim, plagues, did not cause tumah.  They are singular punishments for the sin of lashon hara, slander etc. The public castigation which the metzora must undergo seems to be inconsistent with the Torah’s desire to maintain a sense of discretion regarding a Jew’s iniquities.  We find that the Torah creates discreet opportunities for the sinner to return from war, so that the real…

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“And the kohen shall look and behold, the affliction has covered his entire flesh, then he shall declare the affliction to be pure; having turned completely white, it is pure.” (13:13)

The Commentators have offered many explanations in order to rationalize this perplexing halacha.  Indeed, if the white plague area covers as much as ninety-nine percent of the body, the individual is deemed tameh, contaminated. The moment the affliction reaches its climax of one hundred percent coverage of the body, the person becomes tahor, clean. One would venture to say that this law is simply inconsistent with reality. Does one become tahor as soon as he is completely tameh ? Horav Shimon Schwab, z.l., cites the Talmud’s exposition on this pasuk and offers a profound explanation. In Sanhedrin 97a Chazal comment…

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“And the person with tzaraas… his garments shall be torn, the hair of his head shall be unshorn … he is to call out ‘contaminated, contaminated’… He shall dwell in isolation; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.” (13:45,46)

We must endeavor to understand the rationale behind the metzora’s unusual punishment. Why is the Torah so demanding in its insistence that he be excommunicated from the community– punished in a harsher manner than any other individual who has become tameh, spiritually  unclean ? Indeed, he may not be in the presence of any other person who is also tameh. The requirement to wear torn clothes and cry out tameh, tameh, also seems to be out of character with other tema’im. The Baalei Mussar explain this issue with a study in human behavior. The metzora is a “motzi ra,” he…

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When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh an intensely white spot, or one nearly so, or a shiny white one… then he shall be brought to the Kohen. (13:2)

The Netziv. z.l.. cites the Zohar, which states that the word “adam” refers to one who is dignified and respected. This statement seems enigmatic. Tzara’as is an affliction visited upon one who has spoken lashon hara and slandered others. Indeed, Chazal say that the word “Torah” is written five times regarding tzara’as, to teach that one who speaks lashon hora transgresses the five chumashim – or the entire Torah! Why then would the Torah refer to this person as an “adam chashuv”? Horav Nissan Alpert, z.l., suggests the following resolution to this question. The Talmud provides great detail describing the…

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And the Kohen shall look at the plague in the skin of the flesh (13:3)

Tzara’as, which is inappropriately translated as leprosy, was actually a spiritual affliction. One who had transgressed certain sins, such as speaking lashon hora was inflicted with tzaraas. This affliction appeared on one’s body, his clothes, even the walls of his home. One who suspected himself of being a victim of this disease would go to the Kohen in order to be examined. Only after the Kohen declared him a metzora would he be considered tamei and consequently subject to all of the laws of tzara’as. Horav A. H. Lebovitz, Shlita, cites the Midrash which relates a story about an impoverished…

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“When a man will have in the skin of his flesh a rising, or a scab, or a bright spot.” (13:2)

It is a well known fact that these plagues were manifestations of Divine Justice meted out for sins which were either the effect of an evil-tongue or associated with sinful speech. Bearos Yitzchak suggest the following rationale for these plagues constructing the specific form of punishment for sinful speech. Man is distinguished from all other creations by his ability to express himself through the medium of speech. In fact, the term “one who speaks” is used to describe human beings. In contrast to all other creations, man’s power of speech is an inherent part of his essence. This may be…

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