|
|
|
UJCL Parashah Commentaries
|
|
METZORA 5768 Va-yikra - Leviticus 14:1-15:33 April 12, 2008 – 7 Nissan, 5768 By Rabbi Gustavo Kraselnik,
|
|
The Septuagint, Greek Torah translation performed in Alexandria between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, uses the word “leprosy” to refer to what in Hebrew is called Tzara’ath, although the “biblical leprosy”, a series of skin conditions, has nothing to do in reality with that illness, called by modern Medicine “Hansen’s Disease”.
This confusion is even more obvious in the cases wherein the Torah spreads the use of the term Tzara’ath to refer to stains that appear in clothing and walls. I would like to dwell upon this last case, the “leprosy in houses”, which appears in Parashat Metzora:
The text presents three novelties in relation to the rest of the Tzara’ath laws (which appear in chapter 13). The first one is that it only applies to the land of Israel. The second is that, by using the verb “to give” (Venatati) instead of “to have” (Iheh), the divine origin of the stains is clearly expressed. Finally, the formulation of the sentence in conditional form transforms the phrase into a warning more than a reality.
According to Rabbi Yehuda (Midrash Sifrah 65), this means that it is a notice, warning us that the stains of leprosy are coming.
Even though modern scholars suggest that such stains would not be other than fungus on the walls, medieval commentators, based on the three differences mentioned above, emphasize the notion that it is a supernatural sign coming from God to point out an incorrect behavior:
When the Talmudic sages confronted this subject, amid the famous discussion about the Ben sorer u’moreh (stubborn and rebellious son), they affirm that: “An actual leprous house has never existed and will never exist. Why, then, is the law written? That you may study it and receive reward [for doing so].” (Sanhedrin 71a)
If the law was never applied in practice, what can we learn from the Tzara’ath law in homes? There must be some moral lesson.
Homes are the symbol of family and the entire society. The word bayit means “home”, but it can also mean “family” and “people”, for instance, Beit Yisrael.
Just as in the Torah, the appearance of stains on the walls must be seen as a warning, an opportunity to change what is being done wrong; the same occurs in our family and social frames.
We must have the necessary sensibility to perceive the initial manifestations of the “stains”, signs showing that our relationships are developing some vein of corruption and rottenness.
We must learn to recognize the Tzara’ath traces that begin forging within and outside us, in order to modify our attitudes and improve our conduct. Thus, we will avoid the stain spreading. Leprosy will have disappeared, and the home shall be considered pure once again.
Shabbat shalom, Gustavo |
|
This Parashah commentary was done by the Union of Jewish Congregations of Latin America and the Caribbean, and may be reproduced quoting its source.
Forwarded by Rabbi Gustavo Kraselnik, from Kol Shearith Israel Congregation, Panama. |
|
Copyright © 2001, 2002 UJCL Design & Hosting by: CaribMedia Operators of: VisitAruba.com Updates by: Inés Baum baumgut@racsa.co.cr Chief Consultant: Daphne Cesareo Lejuez Last updated: April 19, 2008
|