ON THE PARSHA
          Parshas Tazria and Parshas Metzora

          by Dovid Lipman, Jerusalem


The World Of The Supernatural

     (13:47) If clothing shall contract a plague of tzara'as..."
The Ramban points out that this section, as well as tzara'as in
houses, is totally supernatural. He explains that when the Jews
are in the land of Israel, and become especially close to Hashem,
as is only possible there, their nature becomes so lofty that
a drop in their spiritual level can show up in their skin, their
clothes, or even their houses, as a mark of blemish.

A Time To Laugh

     (14:4) "The Kaohain commands, and has brought for the one
who is to be purified..." Rabbi ShmekTabek called over the one
who was to read from the Torah in parshas Metzora, to remind him
to avoid a mistake he'd made several times the previous year.
"Don't say 'metaheir' instead of 'meetaheir', because 'meetaheir'
means 'the one who is to be purified', and 'metaheir' is the one
who does the purifying." The rabbi looked thoughtful for a moment,
and added, "I think that's why nobody in the congregation listens
to me any more. They can't remember who is the one who purifies and
who is the one to BE purified."

Worthy Of Note

     (13:9) "If a plague of tzara'as ... he shall be brought to
a Kohain." The Rokeach notes that this pasuk, the central pasuk
introducing the laws of tzara'as, begins and ends with the letter
'nun'. In Melachim II, Chapter 5, we find the story of Elisha the
prophet healing Na'aman, the general of Aram, from a terrible form
of tzara'as, by having him immerse in the Jordan river. The Rokeach
says that one clue which prompted Elisha's prescription was the
pasuk in Bamidbar (32:32), "We will go armed ... on this side of
the Jordan." Since Na'aman's name starts and ends with 'nun', and
so does the pasuk here about tzara'as, and the pasuk there about
the Jordan, the cure for Na'aman's tzara'as should be to immerse
in the Jordan. (The clues the Rokeach brings abound, but this is
a taste of the genius which comes with Hashem's spirit.)

From the Gemara

     (12:3) Pesachim 4a - The whole eighth day is appropriate for
circumcision, but those with alacrity always do a mitzvah as early
as possible.
     (13:13) Sanhedrin 97a - Mashiach will come only when
government has turned to atheism. The pasuk hints to this: When
the white of a plague covers ones skin entirely, one becomes pure.
     (13:29) Kiddushin 35b - The pasuk is to be understood simply,
that even the beard of a woman, something unusual, is capable of
contracting tzara'as of the beard.

Rare And Unusual Words

     (13:2) "Adam" Literally, it means a person. Later (13:18) a
plague which HEALS is described as being in the "flesh" ("basar").
The difference is that "adam" has the root "adamah", meaning earth,
which is tough, while flesh is soft. The gemara (Sota 5a) says that
for a person's prayers to be answered, he must make his ego soft as
flesh, as the p'sukim here show (only then is it healed), not tough
like earth.

Mitzvah Digest

166) One must consider a woman who has just given birth
     impure, according to the halacha.
167) One who has been impure may not eat sanctified food until one has
     immersed, waited until sundown, and brought any korbanos needed.
168) When a woman has given birth, she must bring a special korban
     when her 'days of purity' (40 or 80) are over.
169) One who has the tzara'as plague must come to a kohain to
     determine his status definitively.

170) One may not shave the hair off the "nessek" spot on the body
     of one who has "nessek" tzara'as.
171) A metzora must follow the special halachos for such a person.
172) One must deal with tzara'as of clothes acc. to the halacha.
173) The purification of someone with tzara'as must be done
     according to the halacha.
174) The one with tzara'as must, at the proper time, shave off all
     of his or her hair.
175) One must immerse in a mikvah, when proper, before eating
     sanctified food or entering the sanctified areas.
176) One who recovers from tzara'as must bring a special korban.
177) One must deal with a house with tzara'as as impure,
     according to the halacha.
178) One must deal with the impurity of a man with abnormal
     emissions, according to the halacha.
179) A man who recovers from the above "zav" condition must
     bring a special korban.
180) one must deal with the impurity of semen acc. to the halacha.
181) One must deal with the impurity of a woman with normal
     blood flow ("niddah"), according to the halacha.
182) One must deal with the impurity of a woman with abnormal
     emissions, according to the halacha.
183) A woman who recovers from the above "zava" condition must
     bring a special korban.