Discovering Derivation
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
The laws of tzora'as, inaccurately but unavoidably translated as leprosy, take up almost two full parshiot in the Torah. They begin in Parshat Tazria with the kohein [not a doctor] identifying the symptom of a spiritual affliction, and continue in our parshah, Metzora, with the purification [not medicinal healing] process of this malady. The affliction of tzora'as is most often attributed to being the consequence of loshon horo, of speaking negatively of [or to] others.
The purification process of a metzora is quite complex. The metzora had approached the kohein and been declared impure, and had been quarantined outside the camp. The purification process involves three distinct stages and sacrifices that involve various parts of the body in their performance.
After the kohein determines that the metzora is free of lesions, the kohein brings him two birds together with cedar wood, red thread and hyssop. One of birds will be slaughtered over an earthenware vessel with spring water. The cedar wood, red thread, the hyssop and the live bird will be dipped into the blood drenched water. These will then be sprinkled on the metzora to purify him, and that second bird will then be set free. After then again shaving and immersing in pure water, the metzora may return to the camp, but he must remain outside his tent.
After seven days, he will again shave and bathe in pure water. On the eighth day, he will bring two sheep and one ewe, together with flour and oil to the kohein. While the kohein will take one sheep together with the flour and the oil, he will wave them in all directions as part of the service. Then he will sacrifice the sheep as an asham-chatas, an atonement-sin offering to Hashem.
Further complicating this ritual, the kohein then takes the blood of this offering and places it on the right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. Then the kohein takes the oil and pours it into the his left hand. Taking his finger, the kohein sprinkles the oil seven times before Hashem. The remainder of the oil in his palm, the kohein puts on the sinner's head. Then he offers the guilt sacrifice and declares the metzora pure. Finally, the kohein will bring the olah/elevation offering together with the meal offering [the remaining flour and oil], and the kohein will declare the metzora pure.
This obviously complicated ritual is meant not as a remedy for the physical lesions identified as tzora'as, but as a remedy for the underlying spiritual ailment. As such, each element in the ritual must have symbolic and mystical value.
We begin with questions posed by Rabbi Kanotopsky zt”l in Night of Watching. First, we can count three separate sacrifices here. Why so many? Then, although we have not included it in this summary of the ritual, the Torah emphasizes three times that the offering is lechaper, for atonement. Why is this repetition significant?
Rav Hirsch zt”l cites Rashi in explaining some of the symbolism, such as the inclusion of the stately cedar to counter arrogance, and the thread dyed red from a lowly snail and the moss like hyssop to instill humility in the metzora. Rav Hirsch continues by explaining how the particular body parts involved in the ritual cover all the aspects of human life: The ear represents the mind; the thumb represents action; the toe represents movement. It is in these areas that negative character originates and then manifests itself, and it is therefore these areas that require rectification, explains Rabbi Kestenbaum.
Along this lines, the appellation of metzora/מצורע is significant, writes the Netivot Shalom. Some sins arise in particular moments, perhaps due to circumstances. These can atoned for by resolving not to commit them again. But other sins arise from character flaws like arrogance or jealousy. Unless the underlying personality defect is corrected, no resolution, however sincere, will be effective for long. One must uproot, take out the evil source, one must מוציא רע/motzi ra.
If we are to explore the source of loshon horo, we will often find the tendency to find fault in others, writes Rabbi Asher Weiss. This tendency arises from a sense of arrogance. If one feels himself to be better than others, he will not tolerate faults in the other and indeed even overlook or minimize the qualities in the other. This mindset leads to speaking ill of others. ["You think he's so great?.." CKS] This negative mindset is counter to positive social interaction. Therefore, as part of the healing process, the metzora must move out of the camp, out of the community, away from society, writes Rabbi Pam. Train yourself to look for the good in others and you will have nothing bad to say.
Take the arrogance, symbolized by the cedar, and submit it to the humility of the hyssop and snail-dyed thread, writes the Sifsei Chaim, building on Rashi. The Torah is telling us that the root of loshon horo is arrogance. If you feel you are better than others, you are likely to demean others. It creates a sense of entitlement that never lets you be satisfied. Your "truth" is distorted; you are viewing yourself and others through the twisted mirror of a haunted house.
Teshuvah is necessary for the mindset as well as for the action. The metzora sits in isolation, and must announce to all passersby, "Impure, impure." Drawing attention to his condition not only destroys his arrogance, but also arouses people's sympathy so they will pray for him. He now realizes he is dependent on others.
One of the foundations of teshuvah is humility. You realize how lowly you are and how great Hakodosh Boruch Hu is. After all, man is only a bundle of protoplasm. [It is only the spark of God within him that raises him above other matter. CKS] Forgetting Hashem comes from arrogance, ego- egocentricity. For teshuvah to be effective requires Hashem's help. For the metzora to be cleansed requires the addition of the kohein, Hashem's human agent. No person can exist without other people, and certainly not without Hashem.
We can understand why the metzora must bring a sin offerings for atonement, but why must he also bring an olah/elevation offering at the end of the process? The Netziv suggests that the olah is meant to counter the thought process that led to his sinful conduct.
Interestingly, a similar ritual using the same body parts is used in Parshat Tetzaveh to invest the kohanim in their new role as priests. The Shem MiShmuel notes that this ritual of induction is meant o raise the kohanim above the rest of Bnei Yisroel, to focus them more inwardly. The thumb and toe represent the limbs that are the most external parts of the body, farthest away from the life giving heart yet most visible. The kohein must invest these outermost parts of him with that inner sanctity.
The ear is also symbolic, continues the Shem MiShmuel. The ear is the only part of the body that cannot move independently. It requires the life force of the head to move it. It too needed to be sanctified. The limbs and the ear, by their sanctification, are maintaining an inner sanctity, a holy privacy, in spite of their seemingly total externality.
This is precisely the purpose of the similar process the kohein uses with the metzora. The metzora has spoken loshon horo. He has spoken publicly things that should be kept private. He has been sent out of society where he cannot interact with others and must learn to keep private and silent. It is the kohein who can best judge if the metzora has distanced himself from externals and has learned to turn inward. It is the reason the rituals that sanctify the kohein and that purify the metzora mirror each other.
Preoccupation with externals is a real manifestation of shibud/enslavement, suggests Rabbi Bernstein in Aggadah. We are enslaved to image, to how we may appear on social media, to "do as the Romans do." This attitude distorts truth in general and eats away at the genuine person we are internally as individuals. When we ascribe meaning and importance only to what others think of us, we feel a need to tell everyone everything; otherwise, do we really exist? Are we really significant? [We live in a time of social "influencers" and bloggers. Do we really need to know what you had for breakfast and how you spent every day? And those who post don't think this is invasive! They are proud of the number of their followers. CKS]
We have intrinsic value and importance. The model of this inner life is Rachel Imenu. She could keep secrets. She could do an extraordinary chesed and possibly give up the love of her life to her sister, and tell no one about it. It is this inner authenticity that will counter the external pressures that keep us enslaved.
On the flip side, Rabbi Kestenbaum suggests that loshon horo is behavior that actually stems from low self esteem. If you can feel significant only by putting others down, you will be tempted to speak loshon horo. An emotionally healthy person does not need that crutch to feel significant.
Rabbi Kanotopsky builds on this premise quoting the Rambam. Speaking loshon horo involves a process. It begins by demeaning oneself. If one sees no worth in himself, he will fail to recognize any worth in others. Eventually, he will speak negatively of the righteous and sages, and ultimately speak against God. Therefore, the metzora begins by bringing the atonement offering for speaking against God. This is followed by the sin offering for actual sin of slander against others. Finally, the elevation offering is meant to raise his own self image as he feels himself coming closer to God. As Rabbi Nevenzahl notes, the waving alludes to the elevation of the person.
How do you begin removing the evil from yourself? Through Torah. Torah is the antidote to the yetzer horo, for it removes the negativity from your mindset, tells us the Tosher Rebbe zt”l. Immediately when you notice the appearance of a lesion, approach the kohein the symbolic representative of Hashem. This first step of admitting a problem begins the purification process.
Similarly, Rabbi Pincus zt”l suggests that the key to working on all apects of your character, on all your middos, is to recognize that you are a reflection of Hashem Himself, and the greatest realization of self is to be a servant of Hashem. Avraham Avinu understood this; the Prophet Yonah understood this. Each identified himself simply as an Ivri, first and foremost. All your actions should be for His glory. Others should see in you the reflection of Hakodosh Boruch Hu.
When we reach this understanding, we recognize that same reflection of Hakodosh Boruch Hu in others. We join together in Klal Yisroel to serve Hashem, each individual with his own mission and his own intrinsic value. With that mindset, we cannot descend to the sin of loshon horo, for we each have individual value in our collective mission. We live with a sense of achdut/unity and peace.
Rabbi Nevenzahl makes a profound observation. The rituals of the sacrifices in the purification process seem to parallel the rituals of the sacrifices at Sinai, when we received the Torah. There, too, blood was collected, half into a pail and half into Moshe's hand. Moshe sprinkled the blood on the altar and on Bnei Yisroel, as a physical representation of our acceptance of Torah. Likewise here, the sprinkling on the metaora is a reminder of reacceptance of the Torah. It is sprinkled on the ear for nishma, we will hear, and on the thumb and big toe which is used for doing for naaseh, we will do.
Now that he has lost his arrogance, as he accepts his own worth and embraces the value of every other Jew, he will no longer be tempted to speak loshon horo of others.