Parshat Tazria

This week’s parsha deals with afflictions called tzara’at. Some people try to identify tzara’at with a particular physical malady. I don’t think that this sort of study is of any benefit. Instead of trying to identify tzara’at with leprosy (the usual suspect) I will do my best to present the ideas of the Sefer Hachinuch on the mitzvot pertaining to tzara’at.

The first lesson that the Chinuch would have us learn is to avoid saying that things just “happen.” In mitzva number 169, the Chinuch reviews various opinions of how Hashem manages the world’s affairs (what is known as hashgacha). The Chinuch says that what we are taught is that Hashem watches over all of humanity. When the affliction of tzara’at afflicts someone he must not shrug it off. Rather he must review his actions to see why Hashem has punished him. The quarantine imposed upon the metzora, and his need to seek out a kohen are all meant to enable to him to perform an adequate self-examination.

The second lesson that the Chinuch says that we need to learn is to accept responsibility for our actions. In mitzva number 171 the Chinuch elaborates on the mitzva for the metzora to live in isolation until he is cured. Chazal say that this isolation is the punishment of the metzora for speaking lashon hara. Since the metzora broke up friendships and marriages with his slanders, his punishment is to be isolated from his friends and family. The Chinuch says that we are to learn from this law how to understand the world around us. If a person were to burn himself by deliberately touching a hot iron, people would say he has no one to blame but himself. This is obvious. The Chinuch says what must be equally obvious to us all is to attribute everything, both good fortune and bad fortune to Hashem. This is what we are meant to learn from the misfortune of the metzora.

There is more. As a rule, people don’t question good fortune. When bad things happen people ask, “Why me, G-d?” The Chinuch’s answer may not be very comforting, but we must accept it anyway. Bad things happen because of a person’s sins, and if the person asks, “What sin?” he must look closely at the misfortune that befell him. The isolation suffered by the metzora reflects the isolation that he brought upon those he slandered. The Chinuch says that tzara’at is only one example of a rule that Chazal call b’midah she’adam moded bah moddin lo- as a person judges others he too is judged. Misfortune arouses questions because nobody believes that they deserve it. Good fortune doesn’t provoke questions because nobody believes that they don’t deserve it. But Shlomo Hamelech warns us against this complacent attitude. In Kohelet (5:12) he says that of all the misfortunes that can occur, the worst is “…wealth given to its owner for his downfall.” When we receive good from Hashem we must ask ourselves, “ Why was it given to us?” If we answer because we are good and deserve it, then we have to worry. Chazal say that only evil people receive their reward in this world- the righteous receive their reward in the World to Come. So whatever good fortune a person receives must be put to good use. Should someone not put his good fortune to good use it can be withdrawn and be the cause of his downfall.

This is a relatively short dvar Torah. The Chinuch is one of our greatest thinkers. He wove great ideas into a relatively short work on the parshiyot hashavua. I picked out two ideas and tried to present them in English. I ask that everyone reading this dvar Torah try to read the actual comments of the Chinuch to understand the important lessons in this week’s parsha.