Metzora Answers

Tazria-Metzora 5720

(תלמוד בבלי מסכת חולין דף צא עמוד א

+בראשית ל"ב+ ויותר יעקב לבדו - אמר רבי אלעזר: שנשתייר על פכין קטנים, מכאן לצדיקים שחביב עליהם ממונם יותר מגופם וכל כך למה - לפי שאין פושטין ידיהן בגזל.)

Alef.

1. The problem in 14:36 is why should the house be emptied prior to the Kohen’s visit? If in fact Tzora’at is present, then everything in the house is contaminated and needs to be purified. By emptying the house before the Kohen has a chance to make a pronouncement, you may be sparing certain articles the ritual of purification when in fact they are in need of it.

2.  RaMBaM states in all three citations that Tzora’at is a supernatural malady brought about as a punishment for someone who has engaged in improper speech.

3.  Peirush HaMishnayot:

   a) Quarantine to protect others from being exposed to evil language of transgressor.

     Mishneh Tora:

   a) Quarantine intended to prevent sinner from continuing to transgress by evil speech.

   b) A discussion of Miriam’s sin.

   c) What people who are scoffers talk about.

   d) What those who are God-fearing should talk about.

     Moreh Nevuchim:

   a) The reason why there are so many forms of Tuma in general.

   b) Just as people are revolted by “real” Tzora’at disease, they come to be revolted by “spiritual” Tzora’at as well.

4.  Peirush HaMishnayot:

   a) Cloth and houses are inert, inanimate and therefore any sort of “disease” that affects them would have to be of supernatural origin.

   b) When the entire body is affected by Tzora’at, the individual is declared Tahor, which would not be the case if this was a natural disease. In the latter case, the more area covered, the more severe the sickness is assumed to be.

   Mishneh Tora:

   a) According to the sequence that RaMBaM posits (which is not the sequence that appears in the Tora) the fact that it first affects the house, then the leather furniture or hangings, then the clothing and finally the person’s body demonstrates that this is some sort of supernatural message to the person at whom all of these signs are directed.

   b) Miriam’s being afflicted with this malady, immediately following her speaking negatively about her brother Moshe suggests that Tzora’at has something to do with Divine Punishment.

   Moreh Nevuchim:

   a) Everyone knows that Tzora’at is parallel to the physical affects of the drinking of the Mai Sota (the waters that a woman accused of being unfaithful to her husband is made to drink publicly in the Temple, with the assumption that if the charges are true, her stomach will swell up leading to her death. Just as that is clearly supernatural, so too Tumat Tzora’at.

5.  Peirush HaMishnayot:

         קריאת התורה על הדמיון    - The Tora calls the spiritual malady Tzora’at, the same name as the actual natural disease, but this is only a loose comparison, not an actual equation of the two.

ואמנם הם עניינים תוריים, לפי מה שזכרנו, ולזה השורש נקרא "רשע".     – The Tzora’at that the Tora refers to are supernatural, as opposed to being a natural illness, based upon what we have already stated (e.g., when the disease covers the entire body, the individual is declared ritually pure rather than extremely ill), and for this reason part of the root of מצורע is רע, connecting it to a רשע, evil doer.

   Mishneh Tora:

שם האמור בשותפות     --Tzora’at is a noun that is used in “partnership”, I.e., for both natural and supernatural maladies.

שמרבים לדבר גדולות ונפלאות    --If Miriam is punished for speaking about her brother Moshe, what can be said for those who are foolish and evil and who speak against great things and miraculous things?

   Moreh Nevuchim:

   ובאלו הפעולות תתמיד היראה ויגיע ההתפעלות המביא לכניעה המכוונת—Due to the restrictions on entering the Mikdash as a result of ritual impurity, a greater sense of awe and fear of the Divine will be preserved and will lead to the inspiration that will result in the sense of subservience that was intended.

Beit.

1.  Beraishit: (3:5) The Serpent says about God that all He Wishes by restricting man from eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is to assure that He will Remain superior to man.

   Shemot: (4:1, 2-5, 6-8) Moshe speaks LaShon HaRa about the Jewish people when he says “They will not believe me.” Consequently, among the signs that he is shown is a serpent (see above for Beraishit) as well as his hand becoming afflicted with Tzora’at.

   VaYikra: (19:16) “Do not go around as a talebearer amongst your people…”

   BaMidbar: (12) The story of Miriam speaking to Aharon against Moshe.

   Devarim: (24:9) “Remember what HaShem Did to Miriam…”

2.  The author of the Midrash was interested in the word “Metzora” as a Notrikon for Motzee Shem Ra, which is a more severe form of Lashon HaRa. (MS”R—is an unflattering untruth about someone else; LH”R—is the truth, but one that casts unfavorable light upon an individual or group of individuals.) Since the other verses did not contain this word, he preferred to cite the verse that did mention Metzora.

3.  Commentators like MaLBIM see Tehillim 34:13

(יג) מי האיש החפץ חיים אהב ימים לראות טוב:

   Who is the man that desireth life, and loveth days, that he may see good therein?

as the continuation of the previous verses, 34:10-12,

(י) יראו את יקוק קדשיו כי אין מחסור ליראיו:

(יא) כפירים רשו ורעבו ודרשי יקוק לא יחסרו כל טוב:

(יב) לכו בנים שמעו לי יראת יקוק אלמדכם:

O fear the LORD, ye His holy ones; for there is no want to them that fear Him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; but they that seek the LORD want not any good thing. Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 

מלבי"ם תהלים פרק לד פסוק יג

(יג) מי האיש, נזירי העכו"ם פרשו א"ע מן העולם, או מצד שמאסו בחיים, או מצד שמאסו בטוב העולם ובחרו לחיות חיי צער, אבל אני אלמד יראת ה' גם להאיש החפץ חיים, וגם להאיש האוהב ימים לראות טוב, שיוכל לחיות עם יראת ה' חיי ההצלחה והטוב, כי יראת ה' לא תבקש מן האדם שיפרוש לגמרי מן הישוב, רק זאת תבקש:

Since “Fearing God”  is so all-encompassing, most might despair from ever reaching such a level.

R. Yanai comes to realize that in fact v. 13 is an introduction to what comes after, which is not as amorphous as “Fearing God”, but rather quite specific.

תהלים פרק לד

(יד) נצר לשונך מרע ושפתיך מדבר מרמה:

(טו) סור מרע ועשה טוב בקש שלום ורדפהו:

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. 

4. 

איוב פרק כ

(ו) אם יעלה לשמים שיאו וראשו לעב יגיע:

(ז) כגללו לנצח יאבד ראיו יאמרו איו:

Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung; they that have seen him shall say: 'Where is he?' 

The Midrash assumes that those who engage in evil speech often do so because of their high opinion of themselves. However, since Tzora’at affects such individuals, not only will they not achieve notability by means of their slanders, but no one will know them, they will be avoided like all disgusting things are avoided. (The last line of the earlier citation of Moreh Nevuchim suggests a similar fate for those who are afflicted with Tzora’at.)

5.  Perhaps, even if a certain Nega does not faze a particular person in terms of discouraging him from refraining from transgression, since there are so many forms, and there could be so many situations that would result in the Kohen declaring the individual Tameh that this would give him pause, particularly because he wishes to be known, and not avoided like the plague.