Results tagged ‘ Tazria ’
Tazria
Furthermore, the exact words of the Torah (13;2) is that anyone who was stricken with tzaaras “shall be brought to Aharon the Cohen, or to one of his sons the Cohanim.” Now, Rabbi Zweig explains that the Torah (13;3) only mentions the fact that a Cohen could deem another person “impure.” Rashi (13;2) however states that a Cohen is not only able to give a person the status of “impure” but a Cohen is also able to give a person the status of being pure. This is what Rashi (13;2) is adding to the pasuk. We therefore see that the Cohen was not only part of the process of making someone impure (and telling them that they have a problem) but the Cohen was also part of the purifying process (helping the person fix their problem).
Additionally, what is Rashi (13;2) teaching us that we wouldn’t have known from the pasuk (13;2)? The Torah (13;2) states that one with tzaaras would have to go to “Aharon the priest or one of his sons.” Rashi (13;2) then comes and says that only a Cohen is able to give a person the status of “pure” or impure.” However, the pasuk (13;2) clearly said that one could only go to “Aharon the priest or one of his sons” who were all Cohanim! Therefore, what was the need for Rashi to tell us that only Cohanim had the ability to deem people “pure” or “impure”? We knew that from the simple reading of the pasuk!?! What is Rashi adding to the text of the Torah?
Rabbi Yochanan Zweig explains that the agenda of a person who speaks lashon hara is to create a separation between the person spoken about and the people listening. The purpose of the tzaaras is to then rectify the speaker’s problem of hating someone to the extent where they want that person to be separated from everyone else by reminding them that they spoke lashon hara. Now, the best way of helping a person fix a problem isn’t to tell them that they have a problem-as that simply causes a person to feel bad about themselves. Rather, the best way to help a person fix a problem is to show them you truly care and personally help them through it. This is the role of the Cohen-to talk to the person with tzaaras and give them confidence that they’ll be able to fix their problem. All Cohenim would commit themselves to help any person with tzaaras through their problems.
Further, Rabbi Zweig explains that the Torah explicitly said that a person with tzaaras should go to Aharon because Aharon was the best role model in terms of making peace between 2 people (see: Pirkei Avos, 1;12). In fact, Rabbi Zweig explains that all Cohanim have the genes of Aharon. A Cohen by definition is a lover of the whole nation of Israel. Similarly, the Chinuch writes that it’s the relationship with the Cohen that’ll pure the one with tzaaras–meaning, by having a relationship with a Cohen, one will be able to establish a connection with the whole nation of Israel. Therefore, the solution for one who receives tzaaras is to start feeling connected to people, for one can only speak lashon hara about others when they don’t feel a connection to them. Then, when you feel part of the congregation, you’ll feel like you’re part of an eternal entity and therefore full of life. Thus, one who has tzaaras must go to a Cohen–even if he’s a fool, for one who has tzaaras lacks a connection with the congregation which every Cohen has genetically.
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