Divrei Torah Parshas Tazria
Torah Table of Contents
Divine Mercy, Even in Punishment, Divrei Yisroel A Plague on Your House? Make it a Delight!, Divrei Yisroel When a Woman Conceives and Gives Birth, Divrei Yisroel
Based on the Divrei Yisroel, Parshas Tazria
"Adam Ki Yiheye B'Or Bsoro..." "And if a man will have in the skin of his flesh...
(one of the negaim - signs of impurity [sometimes translated as plagues])" Vayikra13:2
There is a famous Medrash about our verse, which introduces the topic of Negaim - "Bnei Yisroel got very scared when they heard this parsha concerning the signs of impurity and the processes of dealing with them. Moshe Rabbeinu consoled them, telling them not to be afraid, for in fact, these three types of signs/plagues, and the subsequent actions are not for us, but rather for the non-Jewish world."
The Divrei Yisroel points out an obvious problem - these things are written in the Torah, which was given to the Jewish people. What does the Medrash mean then? The Divrei Yisroel's answer expresses his own Ahavas Yisroel - love of Jews, as well as his faith in any retribution from HaShem is full of mercy.
He explains that the Medrash elsewhere shows how those "plagues" of/on the body are typically punishment for sins. Another Medrash explains that those "plagues" that affect buildings (which lead to the partial or total tearing down of a building, due to its "infection" - end up revealing treasures that were hidden by the Canaanites in the walls of those buildings. We can understand the Mercy in Atonement for sins, as well as a roundabout way to discover hidden treasures. But the third type - the "plagues" of clothing - what purpose did they serve? Where is the Divine Mercy to be found therein?
The Divrei Yisroel explains this in the following story:
A King once proclaimed a decree, and warned that anyone who violated it would be given 40 lashes. One day, his beloved son, the prince, was found to have violated the decree. What was the King to do? Submitting his son to the 40 lashes would indeed lead the King to despair, but on the other hand, he would be showing favoritism instead of justice. His decision was to give his son the lashes, but not on his bare back. Instead, his son would wear his protective royal clothing, which would lessen the pain substantially.
This then, is the idea behind what Moshe Rabbeinu told Bnei Yisroel - don't worry about these "plagues" - they are not directed against us physically. They are for the Evildoers among the non-Jewish world. But if a Jew sins, any "plagues" that may be deserved will fall on his clothing/outer shell, not the inner essence of that Jew.
Translated by Reb Eliezer Weger of Rechovot, a Modzitzer Chasid
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based on ma'amarim in Divrei Yisrael
"When you come into the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as an inheritance, I will place a nega tzora'as ['plague' or 'leprous mark'] on a house in the land of your inheritance" [Vayikra, 14:34].
The Midrash relates this verse to a verse in Tehillim [73:1], "Surely G-d is good to the Jewish People... " The Divrei Yisrael wonders, what is the connection between these two verses?
Rashi explains our verse: "The plague upon them [the houses] was actually a bit of good news, for the Emorites would hide their gold they amassed during the entire 40-year period that the Jewish People were in the desert [in the walls of the houses], and because of the plague, [the Jew] takes apart his house and finds them." Thus, explains the Divrei Yisrael, from our verse about a plague upon a house, we see that the Divine Attribute of Din [strict Justice] is only good and merciful for the Jewish People.
Even though this was more obvious when our Beis HaMikdash existed, and now is more hidden, nevertheless Hashem is always performing wonders. One who has a "perceiving eye" will notice that everything is due to Divine Providence, and not coincidental. Every day, one can see wonders - in our lives, which are in His Hands; in our souls, entrusted to Him; and in the everyday miracles He performs for us. Even that which looks like harsh Judgment is full of Hashem's abundant Mercy.
This is demonstrated in two anecdotes. One is brought in the Gemara [Nidda, 31a] which relates that there were two men about to set out on a business trip. One of them sustained an injury and couldn't go, and begin to curse his misfortune. But when he later discovered that the ship that the other man was on had sunk at sea, he began to praise Hashem for his good fortune.
The other incident happened to the Chassidic Rebbe, Rebbe Meir of Premishlan. Once a man came to him, in dire need of money to marry off his daughter. "I'll give you something - a fever!" was the Rebbe's response to his request. The poor man was quite startled by this, but before he could say or do anything, a rich man entered the Rebbe's home, who had a terrible fever. The Rebbe advised him to give the poor man what he needed for his daughter's wedding, and he would be cured.
This is just like our verse, says the Divrei Yisrael. Hashem says, "I will send a plague on you," and it is really the good news of a fortune that can be found when the house is taken apart.
Now the Divrei Yisrael shares an amazing insight with us. If the case is as above, why should it be called a "nega" [plague]? It's really an "oneg" [delight]. [Translator's note: these two Hebrew words have the same letters, just in a different order]. But for someone who is bidden to take his house apart, it certainly seems like a plague! However, if one truly believes that whatever Hashem does is for the good, and trusts in Hashem that this will be so, such a person will find a treasure and his nega will become an oneg.
On the other hand, one who complains that he has to take apart his house, and doesn't believe that it's for his own good, will not find the treasure. It will thus remain a plague. Not only that, says the Divrei Yisrael, but this "formula" works - always. When our Sages [Brachos, 60a] tell us that one should accustom himself to say, "Whatever Hashem does, is for the good," his very utterance will affect the situation, and transform the nega into oneg.
For this reason, continues the Divrei Yisrael, the verse [14:35] goes on to say that "the owner of the house shall come and tell the Kohen, 'It appears to me as if there is a nega on the house.'" That is because it is only apparently so - that one must take down his house for such a thing - but ultimately, he will find the good - the treasure of gold that is hidden within.
However, finding a treasure is not the only reason for this plague, and the subsequent disassembly of the house. The Zohar [Tazria, 50a] informs us:
Fortunate are the Jewish People, who cling to Hashem, Who loves them...It is due to this love that He brings them into the Holy Land, so that His Shechina [Divine Presence] should dwell amongst them, and the Jewish People become sanctified over all the other nations.
Come and see: "All the women whose hearts had uplifted them in wisdom [spun the goats' hair]" [Shemos, 35:26]. When they did this work, they would say, 'This is for the Mikdash, this is for the Mishkan, this for the covering' - for each craft, and thereby imbuing their work with holiness. The craft became sanctified, and when it was put into place, it was holy.
Similarly, one who engages in idolatry, by mentioning his belief, he causes an impure spirit [ruach tumah] to dwell in it...The Canaanites, being idolators, built edifices and buildings to their idolatry, and thus brought this impure spirit into all these structures.
When the Jewish People came into the Land, Hashem wished to purify and sanctify it for them, so there would be room for the Shechina to dwell. Therefore, as a result of the plague that came [upon the houses], they took down the houses of wood and stone that were erected in a state of impurity.
Come and see, if this occurrence [the nega on the house] was only for the sake of finding a treasure, one would merely need to return the original stone and clay to their place afterwards. But the verse says, "they shall remove the stones...and take other stones, in place of the [original] stones, and take other clay, and plaster the house" [14:40,42]. This is in order to remove the tumah, and bring in holiness...So it comes out that the Jewish People will dwell in sanctity, and the Shechina will dwell amongst them.
We therefore have two reasons for this plague upon the houses: in order to find a treasure, as Rashi explains; and to remove the ruach tumah and to imbue the house with holiness, as the Zohar informs us. The Divrei Yisrael suggests that these two reasons may be interdependent. That is, one who takes down his house for the sake of Heaven, desiring to remove the ruach tumah and imbue it with holiness, thus "turning away from evil," will merit it to be transformed into goodness, and find a treasure. But one who merely wants to find the treasure, will not find anything.
Translated by Reb Yitzchak Dorfman of Yerushalayim, a Modzitzer Chassid
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When a Woman Conceives and Gives Birth...
based on a ma'amar from the Divrei Yisroel, Parshas Tazria
R' Yisroel of Modzitz Zt'l explains this verse based on a Gemara (Sanhedrin). Our Sages tell us, "Anyone who studies Torah and does not review (chozer) what he learns is compared to one who plants seeds but does not harvest them." If one plants but does not harvest, the whole planting is in vain. The same concept applies to Torah learning, if one does not review, all that he has learned is in vain. The Rebbe Zt'l explains that the word chozer as used in the Gemara can have two meanings: to review, as would be the simple way to interpret the Gemara, or to repent (chozer beteshuva).
The Rebbe chooses to learn that the Gemara is using the word chozer in regard to Teshuva. Our Sages are telling us that the learning of Torah must be followed by repentance of one's actions. The Rebbe goes on to explain that Torah learning which is accompanied by Teshuva is like a woman who conceives and gives birth, but Torah learning which is not accompanied by Teshuva is like a woman who conceives and does not give birth, or like one who plants but does not harvest.
Our verse says that a woman conceives and (the Rebbe emphasizes the last word) gives birth," Isha Ki Sazria V'yoldah." Isha (woman) can refer to Torah, as the verse in Mishlei states, "Al Titosh Toras Imecha" (One shall not forget the Torah of his mother). The word Isha in our verse refers to Torah, and the verse teaches us that the learning of Torah must be accompanied by repentance. This same lesson can also be seen a few pasukim later, where it states, "Zos Toras Hayoledes" (This is the law of one who gives birth). This verse is explained by the Rebbe as follows: the Gemara (Brachos) says that the purpose for (Torah) wisdom is Repentance and Good Deeds. With this we can understand the pasuk, "Zos Toras"- this is the main outcome of Torah, "Hayoledes"- when she gives birth. Giving birth to Teshuva and Good Deeds, for these are the children of Torah, and the fruits seen from a person studying Torah.
R' Shaul Yedidya Elazar Zt'l, son of the Divrei Yisroel, comments on this. We say in Shmoneh Esre, in the Bracha of Hashiveinu, "Bring us back, our Father, to your Torah...and influence us to return in perfect repentance before you." This blessing also refers to the topic of "Torah and Teshuva." These two verses, Isha Ki Sazria and Zos Toras Hayoledes teach us a valuable lesson about what we are supposed to derive from our Torah learning and how Torah scholar should act.
Translated by Reb Shlomo Gelbtuch, of Brooklyn a Modzitzer Chassid
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