Tazria – Page 9 – Peninim on the Torah

When a woman who conceives and gives birth to a male…on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (12:2,3)

The commentators, each in his own unique manner, offer various reasons that one is required to perform the bris milah on the eighth day. One of the fundamental reasons is to make sure that the child has lived through a Shabbos. The kedushah, sanctity, of the seventh day/Shabbos infuses a holiness into the child which prepares him for entrance into Klal Yisrael. Horav Mordechai Gifter, Shlita, notes that while on the one hand we infer the remarkable kedushah of Shabbos, we also note that milah bizmanah, a circumcision performed at the designated time, the eighth day, overrides Shabbos. One may…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5757

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

The Midrash comments concerning this pasuk. Chazal cite the pasuk in Tehillim 139:5, “hb,rmh oseu rujt” “Back and front, You fashioned me.” Resh Lakish says “back and front” refers to the first day of Creation. If a person maintains his commitment to Torah and mitzvos, he is told, “You came before the entire work of Creation.” If, in contrast, he lives a life alienated from Torah, he is told, “Even a gnat preceded you; even an earthworm preceded you.” While man was created chronologically last, he is first in importance–if he has earned this honor. If, however, he falls from…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5757

He shall dwell in isolation; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. (13:46)

The metzora receives retribution commensurate with his nefarious deeds. He has spread rumors, slandered people, broken up friendships, and caused the destruction of families. It is, therefore, appropriate that he have the “opportunity” to feel some of the pain of solitude himself. Let him see how it feels to be alone, away from friends and family, a pariah whose seclusion is self-inflicted. He is being compensated for what he has done to others. Sometimes it is necessary for an individual to experience the hurt that he has caused others before he is motivated to expiate his sin. We can infer…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5757

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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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5756

“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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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5756

“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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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5755

“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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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5755

“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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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5755

“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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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Tazria, 5755

“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 woman who conceives and gives birth to a male…on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (12:2,3)

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

He shall dwell in isolation; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. (13:46)

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

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

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

“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)

“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)

“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)

“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)

YEARS

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