Tazria – Peninim on the Torah

“All the days wherein the plague is in him, he shall be unclean.” (13:46)

This pasuk seems superfluous. Obviously, if the disease still plagues the individual, he is deemed unclean! The Netziv explains that one might assume that after performing the ritual of cleansing oneself and observing the rites of the metzora (leper), he would now be permitted to return to a state of purity, even though the disease is still in him. Indeed, one is not viewed as a true baal teshuva (penitent) until after he has altered his offending previous habits. Superficial acts of penance, going through the external motions of performing teshuva, are insufficient. True teshuva begins with acknowledgment of one’s…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5752

“Or flesh, when he has in his skin a burning by fire, and the quick flesh, of the burning becomes a bright spot, reddish-white or white.” (13:24)

Rashi notes that the signs of a burn and the signs of a boil are the same, yet the Torah treats them separately in order to indicate that their effect are not to be added to one another. In the event that a mark half the size of a bean of a boil and half the size of a bean of burning appears on the skin, they are not judged as a whole bean. Horav Moshe Feinstein Z”l suggests that a spiritual message may be derived from this halacha, but we must first understand another statement regarding these two plagues….

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5752

“When there is a plague of leprosy on a man, he shall be brought to the Kohen.” (13:9)

The Medrash states, “One sees all plagues except one’s own plagues.” Kohanim were licensed to examine and diagnose the leprosy of all Jews, except their own. This halacha is not meant to imply that a Kohen would deliberately alter his findings in an effort to cover up the truth. There is a valid assumption, however, that despite his most sincere efforts at objectivity, man’s judgment invariably yields to self-interest. This is the implication of the above midrashic dictum. Another message conveyed in this pasuk is that man will perceive other people’s faults, but not his own. Perhaps it is…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5752

“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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“All the days wherein the plague is in him, he shall be unclean.” (13:46)

“Or flesh, when he has in his skin a burning by fire, and the quick flesh, of the burning becomes a bright spot, reddish-white or white.” (13:24)

“When there is a plague of leprosy on a man, he shall be brought to the Kohen.” (13:9)

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

YEARS

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