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Home -> 5779 -> Metzora

וצוה הכהן ולקח למטהר שתי צפרים חיות טהרות ועץ ארז ושני תולעת ואזב

Sruly Schnair
In Metzora, 5779

The Kohen shall command to take for the person undergoing purification two live, pure birds (kosher), cedar wood, crimson thread, and hyssop. (14:4)

The commentators explain that the purification process is all about infusing the metzora with a sense of humility. The cedar wood represents his arrogant nature prior to his sin, with the crimson thread (crimson is the product of a dye taken from a lowly worm), hyssop, a lowly bush, atoning for his previous haughtiness (when these substances are dipped into the blood of the birds). Horav Shimon Schwab, zl (cited by his son in Rav Schwab on Chumash), suggests that these three items: cedar wood, crimson thread and hyssop represent three types of people who need to focus on the…

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Home -> 5779 -> Metzora

ונתתי נגע צרעת בבית ארץ אחזתכם

Sruly Schnair
In Metzora, 5779

And I will place a tzaraas affliction upon the house in the land of your possession. (14:34)

Parashas Tazria/Metzora describe the laws of tzaraas, a form of spiritual leprosy, that struck a person as a result of deficient, slanderous, maligning speech. Obviously, deficient speech is rooted in a deficient character. Chazal teach that prior to tzaraas being afflicted on one’s body, Hashem conveys subtle messages, such as plagues appearing on his clothing or on the walls of his home. It is only after the slanderer has chosen to ignore His messages that the plagues appear on his body. It would, thus, make sense that the Torah would teach the laws of tzaraas affecting all three locations in…

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Home -> 5779 -> Metzora

זאת תהיה תורת המצרע ביום טהרתו והובא אל הכהן

Sruly Schnair
In Metzora, 5779

This shall be the law of the metzora on the day of his purifications: He shall be brought to the Kohen. (14:2)

Modesty, privacy, hatznea leches, is a principle to which we should all adhere. The Navi Michah exhorts us to “walk modestly with Hashem” (Michah 6:8). When a person acts modestly in public, it is easier to feel a sense of pride and have ulterior motives (even) when serving Hashem. When a person acts modestly in private, these ulterior motives are not an issue, since no one sees him. The Noam Elimelech observes that this is true only when one wishes to come close to Hashem via his service. He must walk on the path of modesty. The baal teshuvah, penitent,…

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Home -> 5779 -> Metzora

זאת תהיה תורת המצרע ביום טהרתו והובא אל הכהן

Sruly Schnair
In Metzora, 5779

This shall be the law of the metzora on the day of his purification: He shall be brought to the Kohen. (14:2)

Chazal (Arachin 15) Reish Lakish said: “What is the meaning of that which is written, ‘This shall be the law of the motzi shem ra (slanderer)?’” Chazal equate the affliction of tzaraas with the prohibition against motzi shem ra, slander. One who resorts to evil/defamatory speech will deservedly become afflicted with tzaraas, spiritual leprosy (for lack of a better term). Certain aspects of tzaraas/motzi shem ra should be addressed. Shlomo Hamelech says (Mishlei 18:21), Ha’ma’ves v’ha’chaim b’yad ha’lashon; “Death and life are in the hand (power) of the tongue.” This often – quoted pasuk is most identified with lashon hora,…

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Home -> 5778 -> Metzora

זאת תהיה תורת המצורע

Moshe Marcovich
In Metzora, 5778

This shall be the law of the metzora. (14:2)

The term metzora is comprised of the construct motzi-ra, brings out bad (about his fellow). This is a baal lashon hora. The Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh teaches that one who speaks negatively about his fellow is still called a baal lashon hora, even if what he says is the truth. When one sins, he is called a baal aveirah, baal lashon hora; the word baal means husband of. Why is this? Furthermore, when a boy reaches the age of thirteen, he is called a bar-mitzvah, bar, meaning son of. With regard to mitzvos, one is called a son, while concerning one’s relationship…

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Home -> 5778 -> Metzora

זאת תהיה תורת המצרע ביום טהרתו

Moshe Marcovich
In Metzora, 5778

This shall be the law of the metzora on the day of his purification. (14:2)

We no longer have the affliction/purification process of tzaraas, spiritual leprosy. This is the consequence of a degraded spiritual condition. Degradation applies at a time and circumstance in which our people are on an elevated moral standing, so that the failing is noticeable in contrast to the spiritual status we are expected to maintain. Since we lost our Bais Hamikdash and our spirituality plummeted, we have no longer been on the spiritual plateau deserving of such a manifestation. To put it in simple terms, the term “sick” applies to one who is otherwise healthy. Likewise, in spiritual health, one must…

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Home -> 5778 -> Metzora

וצוה הכהן ולקח למטהר שתי צפרים חיות טהרות

Moshe Marcovich
In Metzora, 5778

The Kohen shall command; and for the person being purified, there shall be taken two live, clean birds. (14:4)

Rashi explains why fowl are used as the korbanos, sacrifices, to effect atonement for the metzora. Negaim, afflictions/plagues, are the punishment meted out against one who speaks lashon hora, slanderous speech, which is the result of pitputei devarim, verbal twittering. Thus, one who “twitters” around, talking about people and their activities, inevitably ends up speaking ill of others. Veritably, the one safe way to guarantee that one not speak lashon hora is to refrain from speaking altogether! People get sucked into saying something negative – even when their original intent had been to speak positively. Shlomo Hamelech says (Koheles 9:12),…

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Home -> 5777 -> Metzora

זאת תהיה תורת המצרע

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Metzora, 5777

This shall be the law of the metzora. (14:2)

Tzaraas is a punishment visited upon a person whose morally-flawed character has caused him to slander a fellow Jew. It often begins with gossip and wratches up to full-fledged slander and character assassination. A spike in one’s self-esteem can catalyze an unbecoming arrogance, which allows a person to think – to actually believe – that he is better than others, that he can decide who is worthy and who is not. This self-generated haughtiness allows him to speak callously of others, to lord over them to the point that they become miserable. He is punished with tzaraas, an affliction which…

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Home -> 5777 -> Metzora

ואם דל הוא ואין ידו משגת ולקח כבש אחד אשם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Metzora, 5777

If he is poor and his means are not sufficient, then he shall take one male lamb as a guilt-offering. (14:21)

The Korban Asham, guilt-offering, of the metzora is the same regardless of the financial status of the individual who offers it. Both the wealthy metzora and the poor metzora bring a male lamb as a guilt-offering. This is unlike the Korban Chatas, sin-offering, and Olah, elevation-offering, which are descending (olah v’yoreid) commensurate with the poor man’s ability to pay. Horav Shmuel Rosenberg, zl, Rav in Unsdorf, offers an illuminating but practical insight. The Chatas and Olah are korbanos which are brought for various sins. While a sin is a sin – and a sinner is a sinner, regardless of his…

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Home -> 5777 -> Metzora

כנגע נראה לי בבית

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Metzora, 5777

Something like an affliction has appeared to me in the house. (14:35)

Toras Kohanim comments: Li v’lo l’ori, “To me – and not to my light.” This teaches that in a dark house, one does not open the windows (to allow sunlight to penetrate) in order to see the affliction (to determine its status of purity). Damesek Eliezer suggests that the approach taken by the Torah with regard to the sins committed by man should serve as a paradigm for us in our approach towards the sins of our fellow man. In other words, the Torah     is adopting a compassionate and understanding approach to the failings of our fellow man. As we…

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