Parshat Tazria Metzora Rabbi Chaim Brovender

Let us learn a posuk with Rashi


The Torah teaches that there are three levels of affliction for those who have transgressed and participated in evil conversation. The third level is the affliction to the house in which you live. In the Torah this represents the third level (body, clothes 
and house), but as chazal understood it, the affliction to the house comes first and then the clothes and finally the affliction that does harm to the body itself. When there is an affliction to the house, the first to see it is the person who lives in the 
house. Here the verse directs him (Vayyikra 14:35) 
"The one to whom the house belongs shall come and declare before the Kohen, as follows; "Some sort of affliction (Hebrew kenega) has appeared in the house".

This translation is based on Rashi's insight that the Hebrew kenega implies that the statement shall not be made with certainty: "I know that this is a problematic affliction". Rashi adds: "Even if he is a great scholar, and knows the laws of afflictions, he should not render an halachic judgment and predetermine that the affliction has to be dealt with. Rather he should present his case as though he is in doubt and state "it seems that something like a problematic affliction has appeared in my house".

Rashi is based on a clear statement in the Mishna (Negaim 12 5) "Even a scholar should not determine that the affliction has to be dealt with but state that we have a case of kenega a possible affliction".

There is a preference in this case for procedure over objective (scientific) information. Even if you know this to be true the Torah says defer to the Kohen who has the authority from the Torah to make this determination.

If the question was "Is there a possibility that there will be a plague or that the affliction will spread to other homes" then the expertise of the home owner would be preferred. In such a situation we would not wait for the Kohen, who may not be an 
expert to render his judgment. However, in our case the real problem is one of accepting the limitations of lashon hara, accepting the demands and the conditions of the Torah for society and community. When the affliction appears on the house the one who lives there knows more than any one else what the nature of the problem is. At that point the most important thing for him is to accept the directives of the Torah with proper humility and not demand that his expertise determine the future course of events. As a result the Torah emphasized that he say kenega "It seems to be an affliction" even if he is sure that in fact it is.

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