Torah
The Lesson of Tzaraat
By: Rabbi Jonathan Duker
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“äÄùÌÑÈ֧îÆø áÌÀðÆÍâÇòÎäÇöÌÈøÇ֛òÇú ìÄùÑÀî֥Éø îÀà֖Éã åÀìÇÍòÂùÒ֑åÉú ëÌÀëÉì֩ àÂùÑÆøÎéåÉø֨åÌ àÆúÀëÆ֜í äÇëÌÍÉäÂðÄ֧éí äÇÍìÀåÄéÌÄ֛í ëÌÇÍàÂùÑÆ֥ø öÄåÌÄéúÄ֖í úÌÄùÑÀîÀø֥åÌ ìÇÍòÂùÒÍåÉú”
“ Take proper care regarding tza’arat. Observe diligently and act according to all that the Cohanim-Leviim teach you.”
The term “tzarat” covers a range of infections, as can be seen by the assortment of surfaces on which it can appear- on one’s skin, clothing, or the walls of his home. While the skin disease is often identified as leprosy, the infection on the clothing or house most likely refers to some sort of fungus or mold. If one suspects that either himself or his possessions are afflicted with tzarat, a cohen must conduct a thorough examination of the symptoms, as fully described in Parshat Tazriah, to confirm if it is actually tzarat or something else. If it is actually tzarat, a lengthy purification process ensues, which is supervised by the Kohen. All this begs the question: Why is the Torah so interested in this process? Or, to put more irreverently, does the holy Kohen, who lives his life in a state of holiness as a bridge between God and his people, have nothing better to do than check out the fungus growing in the bathrooms of Israel?
The answer to this question is an unqualified “no”. Our question above was based on a faulty assumption, that there are barriers between the holy and the secular that are not crossed, especially by someone as lofty as the cohen. The Torah knows of no such barriers…. Religious value could be found in everything, from the ne’ila on Yom Kippur to the fungus on our walls. …
This is an important lesson to keep in mind as we begin our year in Israel. In halacha, there is no mundane aspect of Eretz Yisrael. In Medinat Yisrael, the T.V. reminds you to count the Omer, bottles of ketchup have had Trumot and Ma’asrot taken, and the (exorbitantly high) taxes pay for the upkeep of our holy places. I would like to bless us all that we live our lives finding value in everything in this world, whether “holy” or “secular”.
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| Uploaded: | Thursday, September 15, 2016 |