Only Skin Deep

Just like the body breaks out in hives or a rash when it cannot tolerate certain substances, so too the soul will have an allergic reaction to evil. Don’t suppress that feeling; excise the irritant! METZORA METZORA

Confused Translation

One of the most enigmatic phenomena recorded in the Torah – in this week’s parsha – was the occurrence of a skin disorder called Tzara’as, that has been mistranslated as leprosy.

When the signs of this “disease’ appeared it required “quarantining” the one afflicted. It is easy to see why Biblical translators have confused this skin disorder that requires isolation with leprosy.

In truth, this skin disorder was not contagious and would often disappear after a week or two. The quarantining of the person afflicted with Tzara’as, our sages tell us, was not to prevent the spread of a contagious disease, but rather to serve as a punishment for one who spoke ill of another, causing METZORA strife and separation between people. Isolation, then, was a taste of his own “medicine.”

Only for the Righteous

Despite the fact that this “punishment” was for speaking ill of another, it was rare that anyone would receive this supernatural disease. In fact, the sages tell us that Tzara’as no longer exists. But why would this be? Certainly (and regretfully) negative speech still exists in our society - so why no more Tzara’as?

Kabbalah and Chassidic thought teach that Tzara’as only afflicted people who had refined their inner personalities and character. These people are virtually perfect, the only imperfection they might have is a slight external one. Note for example two of the prime recipients of this disease in the Torah: Moses and Miriam. Both of them were perfectly righteous, their only slight retreat from the highest standards of holiness was a use of speech – for people on their high level – could possibly be translated as improper.

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In other words, Tzara’as afflicted those whose inner dynamics were pure and their imperfections were only skin deep. Their entire being deep down to their very core – aside from the skin – was pure and holy.

Allergic Reaction to Evil

Translated into more contemporary terms, Tzara’as can be viewed as an “allergic” response to even the most subtle forms of evil. When an imperfect individual says something wrong, his/her body and soul can tolerate it and internalize it. When a more refined person, however, says the same thing, his/her soul and body cannot tolerate it and the evil is “sent to the surface” where it will get incorporated the least and do the least damage.

The lesson for us is that we must sensitize ourselves to even the most subtle forms of unholiness. We should aspire to reach a level where our body and soul work so harmoniously, that when the soul senses a “foreign” substance, even he body exhibits signs of rejecting it.

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Tzara’as represents the final stage of spiritual refinement in the life of a Tzadik, who is working on eradicating the last remnants of evil from within.

For this reason the Talmud (Sanhedrin 98b) identifies the Messiah as one afflicted with Tzara’as. Moshiach will bring about the final stage of spiritual refinement for the Jewish people and the entire world.

We are All Metzora; in a Good Way!

The Rebbe explained that through the thousands of years of our cumulative efforts of Torah and Mitzvot, we have succeeded in bringing about the refinement of the Jewish people and the entire world. The more good that is accomplished, the more the evil is removed from our midst and pushed to the surface.

This may explain why, notwithstanding the gradual purification of the world, there is still much (more) evil apparent on the surface.

The ultimate stage in this process of refinement – that occurs in the Messianic Era METZORA – is for the world to become so sensitized to evil that any appearance of evil – even if it is only on the surface – is regarded by the world as a foreign substance and is immediately expunged.

As we stand on the very threshold of the Redemption, we should strive for this degree of sensitivity. Our goal is to so refine our character that even the “innocuous” gossip about another should be so foreign to our constitutions that we naturally and instinctively reject it. Conversely, our sensitivity should inspire us to readily see the needs of others and react to them.

This approach is called living a Moshiach and Redemption oriented way of life, which prepares us for and hastens the final Redemption.

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From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Tazria-Metzora by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.