From: JoshHoff@aol.com
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 1:08 AM
To: JoshHoff@aol.com
Subject: Netvort:parshas Metzora,5768
House Cleaning
By
Rabbi Joshua ( gregariously known as The Hoffer) Hoffman
This week's parsha begins with a description of the purification process of the
metzora, or the person afflicted with tzara'as, and then brings the laws of
tzora'as of the house. why did the Torah follow this order, instead of bringing
the laws of tzora'as of the house in the previous parsha, together with the
laws of the metzora and the laws of tzora'as of clothing? I believe that an
understanding of thr purification process, as explained very beautifully by
Rabbi Zvi Dov Kaotopsky in his work, The essence of Simplicity, can provide us
with an answer to this quesrtion.
Rabbi Kanotopsky notes that the metzora must bring three animal sacrifices, a
chatas,an asham,or guilt-offering, or sin-offering, and an olah, or elevation
offering. These three sacrifices, says Rabbi Kanotopsky, correspond to the
three stagers in the sin of the metzora, which is generally identified as
slander, although Tamudic and midrashic sources point to other sins. as well.
Based on the description of the Rambam in his :Laws of the Impurity of
Tzora'as, 16:10, we can discern three stages. first, the slanderer feels a
sense of meaninglessness ain his life. In essence, he develops an
inferiority complex stemming from a lack of self- esteem. Next, he
inflates his ego by developing a superiority complex, denigrated others, until
he denounces the nation's rabbinic leaders, and , ultimately, denies God
Himself . In order to purify himself, he needs to reverse this process. The
three sacrifices that he brings correspond to the three steps in his
process of sin, beginning with the last stage and ending with the core of the
problem.That is why, in describing the metzora's atonement, the Torah uses a
three-fold expression. The kohein " atones for the metzora before
God," "atones for he who is purifying himself,; and :", shall
atone for him, and he becomes pure" ( Vayikra,14:18-20).These three
expressions ot atonement correspond to the three steps that the metzora must go
through.
First, the metzora who is
being purified must bring an asham. The Torah says that by bringing this
sacrifice, he will be atoned before God. This atonement is for the
ultimate denial of God that the slander of the metzora leads to. Next, he
needs atonement for the slander itself, which the Torah refers to when it says
that the kohein " atones for the one who is purifying himself. from his
impurity" This is accomplished by the chatas, the sin offering, which
addresses the actual sin which the metzora did. finally, the root of the problem
must be dealt with, and this is accomplished through the olah, or elevation
offering, and of which the Torah says, " that the kohein " shall
atone for him, and he becomes pure." In this final step, the metzora
attains a sense of self-worth through the elevation sacrifice, and realizes
that he, too, is able to contribute to society,and need not denigrate others in
order to feel that his life has meaning. although Rabbi Kanotopsky does not
mention this, perhaps this is why the three animal sacrifices are preceded by
the bringing of two birds,one of which is slaughtered as a sacrifice to
God,and the other of which is set free on the field. two bird sacrifices.
The Zohar tells us that one of these birds corresponds to evil talk, and the
other one corresponds to good talk. As a number of commentators explain, the
symbolism here is that not only must the metzora rid himself of his previous
addiction to evil talk, but he must now engage in good talk, by involving
himself in the study of Torah, and all that stems from it. Perhaps the message,
on a wider scale, is that the former metzora, who tried to deal with his
feelings of inferiority by speaking evil of others, must now realize ,through
studying Torah, that he, indeed, has great potential, and must actualize
it to benefit the nation.
Based on Rabbi
Kanotopsky's analysis of the purification process of the metzora, perhaps we
can understand why it is followed by the laws of tzora'as of the house. Rashi
mentions a midrash which says that when a house stricken with tzora'as would be
dismantled, the people would find a treasure hidden there by the
earlier, Aramean inhabitants of the house. Why should it be that the
discovery of such a treasure should come about through the
affliction of tzora'as? Perhaps the message is that when one
works on correcting the sin that led to the affliction, and strips down to his
core, he will understand that he has great potential to do good, and
become a productive member of society, Therefore, as part of the process of dealing
with the tzora'as, a hidden treasure is found, corresponding to the hidden
treasure that each Jew carries within himself, but is not always able to see.
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