Overview of the Weekly Reading: Metzora
To be read on 7 Nissan 5765 (April 16)
Torah:Lev.14:1-15:33; Haftorah: Kings II 7:3-20
(four metzorah men)
Metzora is the 5th Reading out of 10 in Leviticus
and 28th overall, and 41st out of 54 in overall
length.
Metzora
discusses the process of purification for a metzora (one having tzara’as),
the poor metzora’s offering, tzara’as on houses, and concludes with
laws about male and female discharges which cause impurity and means
of attaining purification from these.* tzara’as
is a discoloration appearing on skin, hair, garments, and houses, and
is sometimes (inaccurately) translated as 'leprosy.'
FROM THE MASTERS OF
KABBALA
From the holy Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
And
when the souls issue forth [from the treasury of souls in malchut], they
emerge as male and female, and after [they have descended to the physical
world] each separates and goes its own way.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on
our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the holy Ari,
Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed
Of
course, every individual has a unique divine soul, which is meant to express
itself as his/her distinctive "divine personality" with its own unique
contribution to the world's understanding of G-d's presence in the world.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on
our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the Shelah,
Shney Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz
The
message there is that G-d makes purity emerge even out of impurity. [From
the "skin", the external aspect of our beings, will eventually come a
spiritual benefit; what appeared to be a descent will ultimately be an
advantage.]
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on
our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC
REBBES
"When you will come into the land of Canaan which I give to
you for a possession, and I put the plague of tzara'at upon a house."
(Lev. 14:34)
Throughout the forty years during which the Jewish people wandered in
the desert, the native inhabitants of the land of Canaan, the Edomites,
systematically hid their gold and valuables within the walls of their
homes so that the conquering Jews would never find them. After the Jews
took possession of the land, whenever a house was afflicted with leprosy,
Torah law dictated that the walls of the structure be demolished, revealing
the great treasures within.
The plague of leprosy itself, therefore, was what led to the discovery
of inestimable wealth for the dwelling's inhabitants. Similarly, when
Moshiach comes, we will see that the destruction of the First and Second
Holy Temples was only for the purpose of revealing a higher good --
the establishment of the Third Holy Temple, which will exist forever.
(Likutei Sichot)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
from the Chabad
Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for
www.ascentofsafed.com and www.kabbalaonline.org
MOSHIACH THIS WEEK
(M:28-65/Metzora)
Why do our Sages describe Mashiach as a "metzora" (one afflicted
with a disease resembling leprosy, where blotches form on the skin) and
the Holy Temple as "a house afflicted with 'leprosy' "? Since
there are blotches of evil in the world that prevent the light of redemption
from being manifest, the power of these lights is turned inward and is
reflected in the leprous blemishes to be visited on Mashiach and the Temple.
Ultimately, however, "the metzora will be purified" and the
inner light identified with him will be expressed throughout existence.
Then, "the spirit of impurity will be removed from the earth."
[Reprinted with permission from L'Chaim Magazine (www.lchaim.org).]
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here) (W:28-65/Metzora)
Chasidut
says that on Shabbat Hagadol, the Shabbat before Pesach, we should
be happy, because this is when the Almighty initiated the stage immediately
preceding the redemption from Egypt. On a different plane, each of us
is cleaning out our personal "chametz" and improving
ourselves. And all is supposed to be done in haste, as it says, "In
haste did our forefathers leave Egypt."
One of the priests' tasks was to determine if a sign on a person, garment,
or house was, in fact, tzaraat or if it was pure. Rebbe Michel
writes that the priests' involvement is a hint about the tzadikim
(perfectly righteous) in each generation, whose purpose it is to direct
us toward better paths of teshuva. Similarly, the idea of tzaraat,
a physical ailment with a spiritual root that is identified by a priest,
exists today in that a tzadik can "see" our sins and
can help us fix them. The purification for both tzaraat and our
sins is teshuva.
Rebbe Michel goes on to explain that the most important part of teshuva
is to stop doing sins and regret our negative actions. We should not fool
ourselves. But this is not easy! So too in business, valuable merchandise
is not only costly and difficult to obtain, but requires much effort to
sell, and profit only comes at the end. However, unlike business where
there is always a risk that the deal will sour, teshuva provides
a guaranteed profit. Teshuva is the best of all merchandise, because
any effort we make is beneficial to us. Is it any wonder that the Torah
encourages us to invest in teshuva?
"And then shall the priest command to take for him that is to
be cleansed, two birds live and pure, cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop"
(Lev. 14:4)
Rebbe Michel phrases the verse to explain the teshuva process:
"And then shall the priest command
" is the tzadik
who directs us to good. "
To take for him that is to be cleansed
"
means that we "take", i.e. pray for ourselves that G-d will
help us move in the correct direction.
"birds": the Hebrew word for "bird", "tzipor",
can also be read "tzafar", meaning "light";
the two lights that guide us are self-discipline to stop sinning, and
the regret we feel.
"
live
": this hints to enthusiasm.
"
pure
": this means that we have no ulterior
motive to our actions; we simply want to return to G-d.
"
wood
": the Hebrew word for "wood"
is "etz", which is related to the Hebrew word for "advice".
We should be loyal to a tzadik, using his advice to carry us through
difficulties.
"
cedar
": the Hebrew word for "cedar"
is "erez", which comes from the word "raz",
the Hebrew word for "secret". All of this process should be
private.
"
scarlet
": in Hebrew, this term, "shani
tola'at", can be read as "to change the worm". This
is the evil inclination that always tries to worm its way into our lives
and mess things up.
"
hyssop
": in Hebrew, "hyssop"
is "azov", which can also mean "he will emit".
If we do all of this teshuva process, then our evil inclination
will be a constant source of blessing for us and for all of the Jewish
people. "Azov" also refers to the person who will consistently
grow and "emit" blessings and good deeds by training him or
herself to always be humble and lowly. This person accredits nothing to
himself and instead focuses on what else can be accomplished. Having this
attitude gives a person physical and spiritually health, and hastens the
redemption.
The final step of the purification process is immersion in a mikva
(ritual bath). The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that just as a person is
required to immerse his or her whole body, which can include lowering
one's head, so too the inner dimension of purification includes humbling
ourselves completely by immersing ourselves totally in Torah.
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul
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