Ki savo’u el Eretz Canaan asher Ani nosein lachem l’achuza v’nasati nega tzara’as b’veis eretz achuzaschem (14:34)

            Parshas Tazria introduced us to the laws governing the different types of tzara’as which can afflict a person’s body. Parshas Metzora begins by teaching the elaborate procedure which a stricken person must go through to purify himself. Afterward, we are introduced to a new type of tzara’as, one which afflicts a person’s home.

            Curiously, Rashi comments that in warning the people about the possibility of tzara’as striking their homes, Hashem was conveying good news. Because the previous Canaanite inhabitants hid their treasures in the walls of their homes, the process of scraping a house with tzara’as would reveal to them valuable items. This concept seems difficult to understand. Although discovering the hidden treasures would certainly lessen their pain, why did Hashem choose to give them reward in this peculiar manner?

            Rav Mordechai Kamenetzky offers an inspiring answer to our question based on the following story. After the conclusion of World War 2, Rav Eliezer Silver was active in visiting DP camps to give physical and emotional support to the survivors of the Holocaust. One day Rav Silver was organizing a minyan for Mincha, but one man refused to join.

The man explained that when he was in a concentration camp, there was a religious Jew who managed to smuggle in a siddur. He “rented out” his siddur in exchange for a person’s food rations. When this man saw how a religious Jew could take advantage of his siddur at such a time, he resolved that he would never pray again. Rav Silver gently suggested that instead of focusing on the actions of the man with the siddur, perhaps it would be more appropriate to recognize how many Jews were willing to give up their precious food rations in order to be able to pour out their hearts to Hashem in prayer.

            Rav Kamenetzky notes that one of the primary causes of tzara’as is lashon hara, which comes from focusing on the shortcomings of others. To the gossiper whose house is afflicted with tzara’as, the Torah hints to the importance of digging beneath the surface and not focusing on superficial deficiencies. Although the house may appear at first glance to be stricken with tzara’as, a deeper look will uncover the presence of valuable gems waiting to be discovered just beneath the surface. Upon contemplating this, he will come to understand that his fellow Jews are just the same.  If he only takes the time to adjust his perspective, he will be able to dig deeper and discover the beauty which lies beneath the surface.

Rashi writes (Shemos 1:1) that the Jewish people are compared to stars. The Baal Shem Tov explains that to a person looking up into the night sky, each star appears very small. However, if he could approach a star, he would find that the closer he gets to it, the larger it appears. Similarly, when viewed from a distance, it is easy to dismiss another Jew as invaluable and worthless. At times when we are tempted to do so, we should remember the lesson of Parshas Metzora and the stars: if we allow ourselves to get a little closer and look under the surface, there are valuable treasures waiting to be discovered.

Ki savo’u el Eretz Canaan asher Ani nosein lachem l’achuza v’nasati nega tzara’as b’veis eretz achuzaschem (14:34)

            After learning the laws governing tzara’as which afflicts a person’s body, Parshas Metzora introduces us to a new type of tzara’as, one which afflicts a person’s home. This concept is difficult to understand. Although a person’s body may be stricken to punish him for his actions, why is a house afflicted with tzara’as and destroyed if it is an inanimate object that lacks free will and never sinned?

The Beis HaLevi explains that a person’s actions influence his physical surroundings. If a person does mitzvos, his environs are uplifted, and if he sins, his surroundings are negatively affected. Conversely, a person is also influenced by his environment. Noach’s generation became so wicked that they corrupted the entire world, leaving Hashem with no choice but to obliterate it and begin again anew.

In the case of the house, its owner spoke so much lashon hara that it permeated the very walls and foundation of the home, rendering it impure to its core. As if that weren’t bad enough, the house has become transformed into a place with the potential to corrupt even pure and innocent people who enter its doors. As a result, just as in the times of Noach, there is no choice but to seal it off and destroy to prevent any further damage from occurring.

Ki savo’u el Eretz Canaan asher Ani nosein lachem l’achuza v’nasati nega tzara’as b’veis eretz achuzaschem (14:34)

            Upon their return from examining the land of Israel the spies gave a negative report which was full of details intended to scare the people and incite them to rebel against the idea of entering and conquering the land. One of the facts they related is that the cities were heavily fortified (Bamidbar 13:28). Rashi curiously explains that their intention was to stress the fact that the walls of the cities were round. This is difficult to understand. Why was the shape of the city walls relevant, and what could have been their negative intention in relating such a seemingly trivial detail?

Rashi writes that in warning the people about the possibility of tzara’as striking their homes, Hashem was actually conveying good news. Because the previous Canaanite inhabitants hid their treasures in the walls of their houses, the process of scraping a house with tzara’as would actually reveal to them valuable items. However, Rav Moshe Yitzchok Segal notes that the Mishnah in Nega’im (12:1) derives from the twofold repetition (14:37, 39) of the phrase “kiros ha’bayis” – walls of the house – that the laws of tzara’as in houses are only applicable in homes which have four walls, as each phrase refers to a minimum of two walls and the phrase is repeated twice.

The spies feared that upon hearing their negative report, the Jewish people would respond with inspired faith that although the inhabitants of Israel may be strong and the battle would be difficult, it would be well worth it, as they would subsequently be able to discover the valuable possessions which were left behind in the walls. The spies therefore dashed their hopes by emphasizing that the walls were round and therefore not subject to the laws governing tzara’as in houses, which would mean that the people would never know where to look in order to uncover any hidden treasures!

Answers to the weekly Points to Ponder are now available!
To receive the full version with answers email the author at parshapotpourri@optonline.net.

Parsha Points to Ponder (and sources which discuss them):

1)     The Torah mentions (14:4) that part of the process of purifying the metzora involves cedar wood, crimson thread, and hyssop. Rashi explains that because one of the causes of tzara’as is a haughty spirit, the Torah hints that the cure for a person who has made himself arrogant like the mighty cedar is to lower himself and become humble. As the hyssop bush is taller than the animal from which the wool thread is dyed crimson (Niddah 26a), wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to list them in order from tallest to shortest, which is indeed the order in which they are listed in reference to their use in preparing the parah adumah (Bamidbar 19:6)? (Taima D’Kra)

2)     The Torah mentions that part of the process of purifying the metzora involves cedar wood, crimson thread, and hyssop (14:4). Rashi explains that because one of the causes of tzara’as is a haughty spirit, the Torah is hinting that the cure for a person who has made himself arrogant like the mighty cedar is to lower himself and become humble. Why are cedar wood, crimson thread, and hyssop used when purifying a house which was stricken with tzara’as (14:49) when it is impossible for a house to be arrogant or humble? (Biurei Mahara”i quoted in Sifsei Chochomim)

3)     According to one opinion in the Gemora (Sanhedrin 71a), no house was or ever will be stricken by tzara’as. The Gemora explains that this opinion maintains that a house can only be ruled impure as a result of tzara’as which occurs in a corner of the house in a very precise and unlikely formation. Because this scenario is so improbable, the Gemora concludes that it will never occur. As the entire concept of tzara’as is miraculous, why is it so difficult for Hashem to make it occur in this particular manner in order to render the house impure? (Eebay’ei L’hu)

4)     May a Kohen examine tzara’as while wearing glasses, or must he see it directly with his eyes? (Yachin Nega’im 2:18, Shevus Yaakov 1:126, Shu”t Tzafnas Paneiach 13, K’motzei Shalal Rav)

5)     The Gemora refers to pious individuals who ate chullin – regular, non-holy food – in a state of purity, even though they weren’t required to do so. The Shulchan Aruch rules (Orach Chaim 240:1) that Torah scholars are required to have relations with their wives on Shabbos night, an action which renders them impure at least until the end of Shabbos (15:16). On other days when they were impure, they could simply not eat until sundown, but on Shabbos day a person is required to eat two meals with bread. How did they do so while keeping the food pure? (Nachal Kedumim, Magen Avrohom 280:1, Pardes Yosef, M’rafsin Igri)