Regeneration and Redemption
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
Tzoraas, inaccurately translated as leprosy, is a spiritual disease manifesting itself as spiritual lesions on the skin. [While it may also appear on the walls of one's home, that will not be part of this discussion.] Since tzoraas is a spiritual affliction, when the patches appear, it is the kohain/priest who declares the subject impure. Yet, if the subject's skin from head to toe is completely covered in these lesions, the priest must declare him pure rather than impure. Perhaps because of this apparent illogic, Rabbi Bachaye compares these laws to those of the parah adumah/red heifer, each being a chok, a Divine law beyond human understanding.
The Maharal presents a different analogy from the Gemarra . The Gemarra . says that one of the times Moshiach will come is when the entire generation will experience complete moral bankruptcy, similar to the sinner being completely covered in tzoraas. These laws are counter-intuitive. One would reason that the greater the sin, the greater would be the affliction, and the person completely covered in tzoraas would be declared most impure. Nevertheless, when the moral decay of both the individual and of the generation is total, both are reprieved. How can we try to explain this?
The Sifsei Daas on the Sefas Emes traces the source of tzoraas homiletically to Adam and Eve's original sin in Gan Eden. After the sin, Hashem covered their bodies in kotnot or/leather(skin) tunics. But the Hebrew word for skin/עור, with different vocalization, can be read as eever, blind. [The Torah scroll is written without vocalizing vowels, and the word can legitimately be read either way.] Just as the tunic and all clothing covers and hides the actual body, so does the skin cover the soul and the true inner essence of a person. Before the sin, the godly essence of the human was openly manifest; after the sin it was hidden. The skin becomes a symbolic partition and barrier, and blinds him to his godly essence.
Just as our outer skin covers our inner godliness, so does nature cover the godly essence of the entire world, writes Rabbi Tatz. Our mission is to penetrate that screen and recognize Hashem in everything, that nothing exists save Hashem Himself.
How does the skin symbolically perform this function? The Maharal explains that the skin's many pores allow the inner spiritually to come through. That inner glow was what shone on the face of Moshe Rabbenu when he descended from Sinai [and what my mother a"h would call a hadras panim when she saw a tzadik. CKS]. However, sin clogs the pores so there is less or no access to the spiritual layers beneath. When, we view all of nature, indeed, when we look at another human being, we must look beyond "skin deep" to the godliness below the surface.
All the sins associated with tzoraas involve the ego, closing oneself off from concern for and relationships with others, including with Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Tzoraas is the beginning of the healing process, of opening the pores and letting the godliness emerge. As the Otzrot Hatorah says, citing the Rema, let that full tzoraas be the wake up call to begin opening the pores, to the healing and purification process leading to purification.
Reminding us that the Gemarra . says that Moshiach will come either when the generation is completely meritorious or completely guilty, the Maharal explains this reasoning. While we can easily understand how a meritorious generation would merit the coming of Moshiach, the Maharal suggests that the reverse can also occur in a complete absence of merit, just as the dawn comes only after the darkest night. Sometimes, complete destruction must precede renewed life and renewed growth, as a seed must rot completely before a new plant can grow from its remains. Similarly, sometimes, when disease is total, beyond excision, whether in the world or in the individual, there must be total destruction before healthy growth can emerge. [In analyzing the flood, Zvi Grumet interprets the Torah's description of the flood as "uncreation," a reversal of creation, thereby facilitating a new birth, creation and world order. CKS] When repair is impossible, one must start anew from the beginning. The world cycles between darkness and light, between night and day.
How do we go from despair to hope? Rabbi Beyfus, basing his words on the Chofetz Chaim, writes that since the sins that produce tzoraas are all related to ego and arrogance, the antidote is to humble oneself. As proof, Rabbi Frand cites the case of King Ahab. He had sinned egregiously by scheming to kill his neighbor Navot and thereby acquiring his field. When the prophet Eliyahu confronted Ahab and relayed Hashem's sentence, Ahab tore his clothes and humbled himself before God. Hashem acknowledged this humility and delayed the punishment for a generation.
How did Ahab humble himself? According to one opinion in the Yalkut, he postponed his meals by three hours. While this seems an unusual form of humbling oneself, Rabbi Frand explains that for an Ahab to give up instant gratification, he is admitting that there are other considerations in the world besides himself. This realization leaves room for concern for others, and for a relationship with others and with Hakodosh Boruch Hu as well. Rabbi Frand suggests that we too find a small way to internalize that the world is not all about me.
The Chasam Sofer, as cited in Wellsprings of Torah, now explains how a totally evil generation can bring the coming of Moshiach. When the world no longer feels shame or fear of God, the nations will focus attention on torturing the Jews. The Jews will then turn to Hashem in purity and, the nations having accomplished their mission, will be destroyed.
Similarly, when a person is totally covered in tzoraas, there is no hiding it. Facing the embarrassing reality of his evil, the individual is humbled and starts the teshuvah process.
In Aish Tamid, Rabbi Druck brings a unique psychological insight into our discussion. In Hilchot Melachim/Laws of Kings, Rambam records that when a king wages war against another nation, he is to surround the other nation on only three sides, leaving an opening for retreat. When an army faces certain death with no hope of escape, it will fight ferociously for life itself. It is these hopeless underdogs that Hashem seeks out to champion, writes King Solomon in Kohelet/Ecclesiastics. Even when the rasha/evildoer is being chased by the tzadik, Hashem will still help the rasha if he is helpless with no escape rout open to him.
When a person has a localized affliction, he tends to brush it off as inconsequential and therefore he is not moved to improve. On the other hand, when he is completely covered in tzoraas and has nowhere to turn, Hashem Himself provides the escape and declares him to be pure. Similarly, in a case before the Sanhedrin, if a guilty verdict is unanimous with not a single dissenting vote, Hashem declares the accused not guilty.
Based on these examples, we can take personal comfort in the knowledge that when we ourselves feel completely beset by our troubles, Hashem is on our side.
This idea is reflected homiletically in Leah's reason for naming her firstborn Reuben, writes the Oshover Rebbe in Be'er Moshe. Hashem has seen my affliction reu, and given me a ben/son. In this naming, in addition to stating that Hashem has seen her affliction as the less loved wife of Yaakov, she was also alluding to Yaakov himself and the nation that would descend from him, Bnei Yisroel. As Yaakov himself was constantly oppressed by his brother Esau, so would Yaakov's descendants constantly be oppressed by the descendants of Esau. Leah was praying that Hashem always take up the cause of Bnei Yisroel throughout our exiles just as He has constantly protected Yaakov from his brother Esau's evil intentions.
When we are being beset not only with physical danger but also with spiritual and moral decadence, writes Hadrash VeHaEyun in Wellsprings of Torah, and we may feel that all our merits have vanished, that is when Hashem will have mercy on us, declares us pure, and send the Messiah.
But perhaps tzoraas came not as a punishment for the commission of improper speech, but for the omission of proper speech, suggests the Gerrer Rebbe. You may indeed be pure, but perhaps you neglected to speak positively, to take the opportunity to uplift someone who needed it.
The positive energy not only of speech, but of acts of chesed, the trait of Avraham Avinu, will protect us in the final battle, writes Rabbi Leff, based on Rabbi Shimon Shkop. After all, when we call upon the merits of all our forefathers in Shemoneh Esrei, we conclude with the most powerful, the shield of Avraham known for the characteristic of chesed, kindness. As Rabbi Friefeld adds, just as Hashem builds us up, so must we build others up.
In an interesting play on words, Rebbetzin Yemima Mizrachi cites the Bnei Yissaschar in interpreting the omer offerings that were offered in the Beit Hamikdosh at this time of year. Hashem commands, "You shall bring omer hatenufah/the freshly harvested grain offering of the waving/lifting up." Using homiletic license, we can write עומר התנופה as אומר התנו פה. The waved grain offering then becomes, "Give voice to your words and use them to lift up." Count your words, repair your speech, use your voice to lift others up. Not only will we then negate the necessity of tzoraas, but we will bring peace to the world.