Tazria–Metzurah: Why Demolish the Houses?

based on a Dvar Torah by Rav David Davidkavitz, rabbi of the community of Yitzhar, Rosh Yeshiva “Ro’eh Yisrael”, and director of the Kashrut Department of the Samaria Religious Council.

Parashat Tazria–Metzurah serves as a preparation for the month of Iyar and all its special days. There is a unique mitzvah in the Torah that is not only a commandment but also a kind of gift: the demolition of houses in the Land of your inheritance that are afflicted with tzara’at — “And I will place a plague of tzara’at upon a house in the land of your inheritance” (Leviticus 14:34). This mitzvah exists nowhere else in the world; it is unique to the Land of Israel.

Our Sages explain that this is actually a gift: when one finds in the Land of Israel a house that belonged to a non-Jew that is afflicted with tzara’at, it is considered a blessing, because treasures are sometimes hidden within its walls — valuables that the Canaanites concealed. Through demolishing the house, these treasures are revealed — Rashi on Leviticus 14:34 (based on Vayikra Rabbah 17:6) — and therefore it is a great gift, “when you come into the land of your inheritance.”

One might say that in recent times, much discussion has revolved around the demolition of enemy houses that served as infrastructure for terror. There is a profound dimension to this, as explained by the Zohar (Tazria–Metzora): the primary purpose is not the physical treasure hidden in the walls, but rather the destruction of houses of idolatry that existed in the Land of Israel. The Creator placed treasures within them in order to bring about their destruction, but the ultimate goal is the removal of evil from the land.

The Land of Israel is not suited for houses of idolatry, nor for homes associated with bloodshed — places where weapons are hidden, even in children’s rooms, bedrooms, and institutions of education and healthcare. The essence of the Land is to increase goodness in the world — it is a “land of life” (based on Deuteronomy 30:20). Therefore, there is no place within it for homes built upon corrupt values.

As we approach the month of Iyar and read Parashat Tazria–Metzora, we come to understand the importance of purity — the purity of the home, the purity of clothing, and how a Jew appears both externally and internally. What kind of light does he radiate? Originally, a person was clothed in “garments of light” (Bereishit Rabbah 20:12), which over time became “garments of skin” (Genesis 3:21). Yet the inner light of a Jew still exists — “A person’s wisdom illuminates his face” (Ecclesiastes 8:1). One’s appearance and entire being should reflect the Name of God.

Therefore, “You are children to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1) — but this must be expressed with grace, so that “all the peoples of the earth shall see that the Name of the Lord is called upon you, and they shall fear you” (Deuteronomy 28:10).

Tazria-Metzurah: The True, Shining Face of Humbleness

by Rav Naim Ben-Eliyahu ZT"L, Former Rosh Yeshivat Ben Ish Chai, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

One of this week's two Torah portions, Tazria (Vayikra 12-13), begins with the sacrificial offering that a birthing mother must offer, but then continues with the laws of various bodily impurities.

The Torah tells us here that the purity or impurity of a leprosy-like lesion is determined exclusively by a Priest, based on his on-site examination. This is because of the Priest's high spiritual level; he is able to see a superficial phenomenon and understand its depth, for he is like a Divine angel – as is written, "For the lips of a Priest will guard knowledge, and teaching should be sought from his mouth - for he is a messenger [angel] of the Lord of Hosts" (Malachi 2,7).

In Torah law it is clear that the color of a skin that is touched with leprosy is evidence of an inner and deep problem, and only a Priest graced with deep vision can uncover and diagnose the issue and its solution.

We might well ask: This entire matter of lesions and leprosy appears to be rather sordid; why does the Torah give so much attention and space to this matter? And how is it that the Priests must leave their holy priestly duties in the Holy Temple to deal with it?

King Shlomo describes the beauty of the "beloved" with these words: "His head is as the finest gold; his locks are curled, as black as a raven [Heb.: orev] (5,11)." And the Medrash explains that even these matters - discharges, afflictions, and the laws of menstruation and childbirth, which are considered “dark” and unpleasant, are like an orev before the Holy One, blessed be He – from the same root as arev, meaning pleasantness and sweetness. These matters are actually pleasing and sweet before G-d, as written: “Then shall the offering of Yehuda and Yerushalayim be pleasing [arvah, from the same root] to the Lord…” (Malachi 3,4).

But why, actually, are these matters so pleasing to G-d?

This can be explained with a parable:

There was once a king’s son who was born with extremely delicate and fair skin. Everyone marveled at his complexion and his skin's pure radiance. One day the child fell ill with chickenpox. All of his skin began to take on a strange color, the sores opened, and blood and pus oozed out. The king immediately summoned a doctor, who applied various kinds of ointments, iodine-based treatments and the like to the skin. Seeing his son in this condition, the king was very happy – because he knew that his beloved son was in the process of healing via the doctor's treatments.

A few days after the prince recovered, the king called him and, with great love and affection, began to teach him the laws of skin afflictions: how they come about and how they are healed, so that his cherished son would know how to guard himself against them.

Precisely in this manner does Hashem teach us the laws that are explained here in Parashat Tazria. "What do they stem from, spiritually? How are they healed? And how can we protect ourselves from them?" And this is why they are pleasant and sweet before Him.

The Torah describes the appearance of the leprous growths as being "deep under the skin" and "not deeper than the skin" (13,3-4), about which even Rashi says that he does not quite understand what it means. The holy Ohr HaChaim, however – R. Chaim ben Atar (early 18^th century, Morocco) – explained it very profoundly, as follows: 

A person's skin reflects his spiritual state, for he was created in G-d's image. If one does good deeds, speaks good things, and is steeped in Torah and mitzvot, his face shines and his skin is radiant. And if he is a sinner, his skin will reflect this as well. And if then repents, G-d Himself will forgive him, erase his sin from his body, and cleanse and polish his skin.

The Ben Ish Chai (R. Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, d. 1909) was asked how it could be that Moshe Rabbeinu did not know that his face shone after he spoke with G-d (Sh'mot 34,29), whereas R. Shimon bar Yochai – who was certainly not greater than Moshe – said about himself that he saw that his countenance shone?

The Ben Ish Chai's answer is very deep – a concept that “no ear has heard and no eye has seen.” He first cites the Talmud (Gittin 36b) which states: “Those who are insulted but do not insult in return, who hear their disgrace but do not respond… Scripture says about them, ‘But those who love Him are like the rising of the sun in its might.’ (Judges 5,31)."

This alludes to Moshe Rabbeinu, the Talmud states, who was humble and did not take offense at or respond to insults. However, this high level is actually not the highest – for it means that he felt insulted, and understood that his honor was impugned, but simply worked on himself not to respond.

An even higher level is one who does not even know that he was insulted! He is so far from feeling arrogance or self-importance that he does not feel there is anything about him that is "good enough" to be insulted. This was the true level of Moshe Rabbeinu, explains the Ben Ish Chai: that he did not even know that his face radiated and shone, felt nothing different, and could not understand why he was being looked at strangely.

This helps us understand what the Holy Ohr HaChaim explained here: One's skin is a testimony to the depth of his character. If he is insulted yet does not even notice it, his character is so profound and deep that it is recognizable on his skin – as with Moshe, to whom we can apply this verse: "A man's wisdom will light up his face" (Kohelet 8,1). 

Tazria: G-d's Love for Israel: Conditional?

by Rav Moshe Tzuriel, of saintly blessed memory, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

In the Torah portion of Metzora (Vayikra 14-15), which is often paired with Tazria (chapter 13), we read (14,34-36) that in the Land of Israel, houses can be afflicted with leprosy. And in such cases, the Cohen must come and order the house to be emptied of the owner's belongings, before it is destroyed. The reason for this, Rashi explains, is to prevent the utensils inside from being defiled – for even though some of them can be purified, clay utensils cannot be purified.

From here we see, Rashi concludes, that the Torah is concerned even for our simplest utensils. And in the Medrash Torat Cohanim on Vayikra, R. Meir derives that if the Torah is so concerned even about a wicked person's meanest possessions, how much more so is He concerned for a righteous person and his special assets!

Other examples abound of G-d's love even for the wicked. Consider, for instance, the case of one who actually worshiped idols: After he is hanged, the Torah bids us to ensure that his corpse is not left there, "because the cursed of G-d is hanging (D'varim 21,23)." Some sages derived from the word "the cursed of G-d" - kil'lat Elokim" – that it indicates kal-let Elokim, meaning "it is not easy for G-d" to see the deaths even of wicked people.

The 18th-century R. Yehonatan Aybeschutz wrote in his classic work Ye'arot Dvash that when we pray for the sick in our daily prayers, we should "pray for all those of Israel, even sinners, who are ill, for our entire nation is one soul and one body – and if one Jew is sick, it is as if one organ of our body is unhealthy… and if a sinner is unhealthy, there is a chance that he will die without repenting – thus leaving our body incomplete."

But certainly this applies only to those whose sins are between man and G-d. But those who sin towards other people, we surely do not pray for them – for by doing so, we are praying that others should continue to suffer at his hands! How can we do a favor by praying for one sinner who is ill, while at the same time we do a disservice to those whom he harms? 

This point is made in the Medrash (Tanna D'vei Eliyahu 18): "If a Jew wishes to be happy at the downfall of wicked people, he may do so regarding those who seek to harm Israel; one is permitted to rejoice at the downfall of such great sinners."

But aside from them, the Gemara in Sanhedrin 46b teaches that G-d is sorrowful when the sinners of Israel die, because He would rather they rectify their deeds so that He need not punish them. And even when and if the judges of the Sanhedrin [the Great Court] ruled that a given idol-worshiper must be executed, they would fast that entire day in order to atone for their souls for having delivered such a verdict.

However: This approach contradicts many other Rabbinic teachings to the effect that G-d is truly happy at the destruction of wicked people. For instance, the Mishna (Sanhedrin 111a) allegorically quotes G-d as saying, "If you carry out the law of the Wayward City [i.e., destroy a city of idolaters], I regard it as if you had brought a perfect Olah sacrifice" in the Holy Temple. 

And in the Medrash Sifri: "There is great joy before G-d when those who anger Him are lost from the world, as is written (Proverbs 11,10): "There is joy when wicked people are lost." And there are other similar sources as well.

How do we resolve such a contradiction? Those who do not delve deeply into the words of the Sages tend to settle on an easy solution by saying that the Sages simply disagreed with each other. However, this approach is almost never true. Rather, as in most cases, both approaches are actually correct – depending on the circumstances. For instance, in this case, G-d is in fact happy when an evil sinner is about to be punished – but then, after the punishment has been meted out and the sin has been atoned for, G-d is sad for him and wishes to bring him close.

This explains why after the idolater is hanged, and his sin has been expunged, it is kal let – not easy for G-d to have him continue to hang there, and commands us to remove him from the tree. 

Similarly, it is forbidden to add even one more whip to the 39 stripes [or fewer, in certain cases] that must be administered to certain sinners – for the Torah states that "your brother must not be shamed [made vile] before you" (D'varim 25,3), calling him "your brother" after he has received his punishment.

And the same is true regarding homes afflicted by leprosy, about which we wrote above: When the homeowner sees the leprosy beginning to spread on his walls, he begins to fear that his home will be razed. And when he calls the Cohen to come, he is already trembling and afraid. Thus, he has already been punished – and therefore G-d has pity even on his cheapest utensils. 

In summation: The examples of joy at the destruction of the wicked apply generally when the sins were between man and man, and the people who rejoice are those who have suffered at the sinners' hands. G-d Himself, however, is not happy after the punishment has been carried out, and He rather waits hopefully for the sinner to repent properly. 

And Rav Kook explains beautifully (in Orot, p. 75) that G-d loves Israel, period – even the sinners:

"The Prophet Malachi says in G-d's name: 'Esav is brother of Yaakov - and I love Yaakov...'  Truly, as we say in our prayers, 'Everlasting love You have loved us… etc.' And even though sometimes we do not see this openly, the clear truth is what the Tribes told their father Yaakov when he suspected them of possibly straying from the true path: 'Just as in your heart there is only one, so too in our heart there is only one.'

"And in Yirmiyahu we read (50,20): 'In those days… the iniquity of Israel shall be sought - but it shall not be there; and the sins of Judah [will be searched for] but they shall not be found, for I will forgive those I leave over.'"