The Torah is describing afflictions that demand the status of tame, the zaraat afflictions.
"And on the day raw flesh appears in it, it shall be tame-impure..." (13: 14).
Chazal associate this "on the day" with the rule that a groom who may be tame rejoices for the entire seven days of his personal celebration without having his status examined. The rule applies to him personally, to his garments, and even to his house. The rule also applies to the period of a festival. A person who has the affliction and may be tame is granted all the days of the festival: the kohen does not check until the festival has ended.
This seems to mean the following. If, before his wedding, a groom transgresses and speaks lashon hara (slander), he develops the zaraat affliction. Despite this, the Torah directs a kohen not to investigate whether the groom is tame and needs to be sent into temporary exile. Instead, the kohen is taught to wait until the seven days of the groom's celebration conclude before checking.
Interestingly, the Rambam states that zaraat is not a punishment (Zaraat, 16: 10). It is an inducement to do teshuva and stay away from this transgression in the future.
We are reminded of another statement in Rashi's commentary Bresheit (36:3).
The verse reads: "Basmat daughter of Yishmael, sister of Nevayot". Rashi comments that she is also called Machalat (Bresheit, 28:9). Her name is similar to mechila-to forgive. We have a teaching to the effect that a groom is forgiven for his sins when he marries. Indeed, the teaching comes from this verse. She is called Machalat because when she married Esau, his sins were forgiven.
Marriage itself guarantees the groom a measure of forgiveness: it cannot mean total absolution. In our verse, a groom may be afflicted by zaraat in spite of being a groom. Since we know that he has been afflicted with zaraat it is hard to imagine him forgiven and absolved entirely for his sins. Nonetheless he has received some respite: the kohen will not determine the groom's status nor will the groom receive a punishment until the marriage celebration is done.
A gemara (yevamot 63b) may help us understand this process: "One who marries a woman, his sins are mipakekin. Rashi explains this word as follows: "His transgressions are 'stopped up', as a bottle becomes stopped up with a stopper."
Perhaps the difference between, mechila, "absolution" and "stopping up" the sin is that the former is absolute and complete. When you are forgiven the sin disappears and is not longer considered. However, when the sin is "stopped up" it merely ceases to be relevant at the moment: it may reappear in the future.
Perhaps the absolution offered the chatan is conditional. It is true that his life is now worthy of a new beginning, but he must rise to the occasion. A zaraat affliction present at marriage is not investigated immediately; however, an investigation will come. Punishment will be stayed only if the chatan and his kalla commit to teshuva in the long run.
Gut shabbos, Chaim Brovender
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