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Torah Portion -
Metzorah
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Written by d fine
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A most perplexing Midrash features in Rashi 14:34. Commenting closely on the unusual wording of the pasuk, Rashi writes that HaShem promised us that when we go into the Land of Israel we will contract tzara’as on our houses. Why? So that when we have to knock down our houses in the consequent purification process we will find ancient treasure which was buried underneath our houses. Splendid. But how can we understand this - surely the tzara’as only came because we sinned; so why is HaShem rewarding us with treasures for having sinned? The basic idea is found in Da’as Zekeinim (Vayikra 12:8) that these forms of tzara’as actually serve to atone for the sin. Thus, after one has successfully been through the tzara’as purification process and has become a new spiritually-gleaning person, then one is worthy of reward for your spiritual turnabout. And since one of the sins that causes tzara’as is stinginess (a midah which you have now become re-sensitized to after the purification process), what better way to be rewarded than via riches galore!
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Torah Portion -
Metzorah
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Written by d fine
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In downtown perek 14 (pasuk 40), we are told that if bona fide tzara’as is found on a house, the affected stones must be removed and plonked outside of the city. This poses problems when one lives in a detached house; what happens when your neighbour’s house has contracted tzara’as, and the adjoining (corner) stone which both you and your neighbour share has to be removed. Rashi (Sukkah 56b) cites the Midrash which confirms that the shared stones must indeed be removed. But why must poor innocent you (we are always innocent!) suffer? Rashi seems to explain that it was because you had some hand in your neighbour’s sin - the tzara’as was caused by the fact that your neighbour looked at your material bliss with a stingy/greedy/jealous eye (a sin which can cause tzara’as). Had you have taken the time to develop a good, positive, friendly relationship with your neighbour then he would have been happy with your success. In some way or another, you were responsible for your neighbour’s sin, so your suffer the consequences of losing a (shared) brick too.
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Torah Portion -
Metzorah
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Written by d fine
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As part of his purification process outlined at the start of parshas Metzora, the metzora is to bring two birds - see the psukim for what happened [with these birds] next. The Zohar comments that one of the birds is ‘for the lashon hara’ (that the metzora spoke) and the other ‘for the good words.’ What’s the Zohar talking about; where are the good words which the metzora spoke and why does he need atonement for that? The explanation given is that the metzora does not need only to atone for the sin he did in speaking lashon hara; he is also to realise (and gain atonement) for the fact that he missed out on an opportunity. How so? For instead of using those few seconds (and his tongue and voice box) to speak lashon hara, he could have been using his words wisely by speaking positive things; divrei Torah, words of encouragement or compliments to others, etc. These are ‘the good words’ which the Zohar is referring to; the fact that the metzora needs atonement for having failed to open his mouth to speak positive, constructive words. The metzora (and us) is being taught that it’s not enough to avoid sin. We are on this world to positively achieve things too and we must be proactive in this goal. Life is not about not sinning - it’s about perfection!
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Torah Portion -
Metzorah
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Written by Administrator
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We would love to read your vort. Click "Submit your Vort" to send us your vort.
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Torah Portion -
Metzorah
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Written by D Fine
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Rashi (14;34) brings a not-so-easy-to-comprehend medrash that says that HaShem guaranteed Bnei Yisrael that they would have to break down their houses (because of tzara'as of the house form) and would find treasure underneath it. Why are we getting a reward for the tzara'as which was caused by sin in the first place?
The answer is that punishments are not all there to ‘smack us’ for doing bad - they are so that we can grow from them and become better than we were before the sin. This is how Bnei Yisrael could receive reward for punishments; because they are actually receiving reward for having utilised the punishment to grow spiritually from the punishment. In a similar vein, one who has sinned and has done Teshuva for the sin is now in a stronger position than if he did not do the sin at all; for he successfully proved his strength to separate from the sin
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