Tazria – Page 3 – Peninim on the Torah

כל ימי אשר הנגע בו יטמא טמא הוא בדד ישב מחוץ למחנה מושבו

All the days that the affliction is upon him, he shall remain impure; he is impure. He shall stay in isolation; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. (13:46)

Not only must the metzora be isolated from pure, healthy people, but even those who are also impure are to be isolated from him (Rashi). The commentators debate concerning the identity of these impure ones to whom Rashi refers. Some say this refers to individuals who are in a severe state of impurity, such as those who have been in contact with the dead. They are not banished from all three camps – as are those who are afflicted with tzaraas. Others contend that Rashi refers to other metzoraim, who may not stay together outside all three camps. Rashi explains why…

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וביום השמיני ימול בשר ערלתו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5777

On the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (12:3)

While every mitzvah in the Torah is an obligation to observe, mitzvas Milah, the commandment concerning circumcision, seems to be a mainstay – a mitzvah for which Jews throughout the millennia have sacrificed themselves. What is it about this mitzvah that impacts our lives to such an extent? The first time that this mitzvah is mentioned in the Torah is when Hashem commanded Avraham Avinu to circumcise himself. In his commentary to Parashas Emor, the Ramban teaches that with the execution of Bris Milah on his body, Avraham was transformed from a ben Noach, Noachide, to a ben Yisrael, Jew….

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וביום הראות בו בשר חי וטמא

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5777

On the day healthy flesh appears in it, it shall be contaminated. (13:14)

On some specific days, the Kohen does not view a nega, plague. A chassan, bridegroom, who has a suspicious nega is allowed the Shivas yimei hamishtah, Seven days of celebration following his wedding. Likewise, one whose plague appeared at the onset of Yom Tov is permitted for the seven days of the Festival. Why is this? Horav Chaim Zaitchik, zl, offers a practical explanation. The purpose of the metzora’s punishment is to knock him down a notch in his arrogance and in the way he treats his fellow man. He has an obnoxious manner of treating people, because he has…

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ובמלאת ימי טהרה לבן ולבת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5776

Upon completion of the days of her purity for a son or for a daughter. (12:6)

The term “son” or “daughter” denotes a stronger, more definitive relationship than that implied by referring to a child as either one’s male or female offspring. A son is the product of a viable, strong relationship, part of a legacy, who serves as a link in a generational chain. He identifies with his parent as the product of a relationship forged on the principles of devotion to a Higher Power, to Hashem. “Son” or “daughter” indicates pedigree. Thus, we call attention to the fact that previously, in pesukim 2 and 5, the Torah refers to the woman’s offspring as a…

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וראה הכהן את הנגע בעור הבשר... וטמא אתו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5776

And the Kohen shall look at the mark in the skin… and (he will) pronounce it unclean. (13:3)

One cannot study the laws of tzaraas and the reason for their occurrence and not be filled with pride that he is a Jew. Other religions pay lip service to social graces, human decency, and ethical behavior. Nonetheless, they are not part of their corpus of laws. One is encouraged to be ethical, distance himself from avarice, not commit social sins, but if he does, it is not the end of the world. Imagine censuring a politician for lying! We would have no government! On the other hand, our Torah’s inclusion of Hilchos Negaim, laws concerning plagues, indicates that Hashem…

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נגע צרעת כי תהיה באדם והובא אל הכהן

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5776

If a tzaraas affliction will be in a person, he shall be brought to the Kohen. (13:9)

Someone who lives in the dirt, whose garments are perpetually soiled, does not comprehend the ruckus made over a stain on one’s shirt. Likewise, as Ramban explains, the parsha of negaim, plagues, applies only when Klal Yisrael is shleimim b’Hashem, whole, perfect with the Almighty, when the Ruach Elokim, Spirit of G-d, is always over them. It is then that they must maintain a pristine attitude and appearance in the external semblance of body, apparel and abode. Sforno writes that it is the Kohen, the spiritual mentor and exemplar of the Jewish People, who determines the viability of the plague…

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והצרוע אשר בו הנגע... וטמא טמא יקרא... בדד ישב מחוץ למחנה מושבו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5776

And the person with tzaraas in whom there is the affliction… he is to call out: “Contaminated, contaminated…” “He shall dwell in isolation; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. (13:45,46)

Horav Yehoshua Shklar, Shlita, writes that he heard from one of the contemporary Mashgichim an explanation why lashon hora is different than all other sins. When a person sins, it affects a certain part of his body. When a person slanders his fellowman, regardless of the nature of the slander, it affects the entire human being. The entire subject of the lashon hora has been transformed, diminished by the slander. For instance, if one were to allege that an individual was guilty of a sin – ie, theft, moral turpitude, ethical impairment – it is not just one specific point…

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אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו שאת או ספחת או בהרת. והיה בעור בשרו לנגע צרעת.

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5775

If a person will have on the skin of his flesh a s’eis or a sapachas, or a baheres, and it will become a tzaraas affliction on the skin of his flesh. (13:2)

Lashon hora, slanderous speech, which is the cause of tzaraas, is most often the result of envy and controversy in their various states. In the scheme of things, for every dispute among people, every point of contention which catalyzes animus towards one another and the resulting inevitable lashon hora, there is one simple point, one solitary position, that would make the controversy dissolve, if the individual would opt for it. If so, the envy dissipates and harmony continues to reign. What has the power to mitigate dispute, to put an end to contention between people? Vitur, acquiescence, submissiveness. One who…

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אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר... אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו שאת או ספחת

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5774

When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male… if a person will have on the skin of his flesh a seis, or a sapachas. (12:2) (13:2)

As happens often, I received a call from a father who was celebrating his son’s bar-mitzvah on Parashas Tazria, and he wanted something to say for a Dvar Torah. Obviously, I had written Parashas Tazria a few weeks ahead of time. After giving it some thought, I began to wonder: What is the connection between Parashas Tazria and bar-mitzvah? The question actually goes deeper. Tazria begins with the laws concerning a woman who gives birth, the korbanos she should offer after a period of time and other laws connected with birth. The Torah then moves on to the laws of…

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אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5774

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

Many people travel the road of life, remaining clueless about what is happening around them. We do not stop to think, to ask ourselves: What just happened? Why did it occur? What does it have to do with me? If nothing actually “bad” happens to us, we continue in our life with business as usual. Isha ki sazria – v’yalda zachar. We take so many things for granted. Chazal quote the pasuk in Tehillim 139:5, Achor vakedem tzartani, “Back and front, You have formed me.” This pasuk refers to the initial creation of man as an androgynous being, as male…

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כל ימי אשר הנגע בו יטמא טמא הוא בדד ישב מחוץ למחנה מושבו

All the days that the affliction is upon him, he shall remain impure; he is impure. He shall stay in isolation; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. (13:46)

וביום השמיני ימול בשר ערלתו

On the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (12:3)

וביום הראות בו בשר חי וטמא

On the day healthy flesh appears in it, it shall be contaminated. (13:14)

ובמלאת ימי טהרה לבן ולבת

Upon completion of the days of her purity for a son or for a daughter. (12:6)

וראה הכהן את הנגע בעור הבשר... וטמא אתו

And the Kohen shall look at the mark in the skin… and (he will) pronounce it unclean. (13:3)

נגע צרעת כי תהיה באדם והובא אל הכהן

If a tzaraas affliction will be in a person, he shall be brought to the Kohen. (13:9)

והצרוע אשר בו הנגע... וטמא טמא יקרא... בדד ישב מחוץ למחנה מושבו

And the person with tzaraas in whom there is the affliction… he is to call out: “Contaminated, contaminated…” “He shall dwell in isolation; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. (13:45,46)

אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו שאת או ספחת או בהרת. והיה בעור בשרו לנגע צרעת.

If a person will have on the skin of his flesh a s’eis or a sapachas, or a baheres, and it will become a tzaraas affliction on the skin of his flesh. (13:2)

אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר... אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו שאת או ספחת

When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male… if a person will have on the skin of his flesh a seis, or a sapachas. (12:2) (13:2)

אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר

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

YEARS

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