Divrei Menachem

Divrei Menachem

Parshat Metzora describes the ways by which an individual struck by Tzara’at was cured. One form of Tzara’at - a spiritual malaise with a physical manifestation - affected an individual’s body. Once the kohen identified the disease, followed the progress of the ailment, and finally declared that the symptoms had disappeared, he would be ready to instigate a number of procedures that would purify the stricken individual.
The kohen conducted a ceremony that included two live birds, cedar wood, crimson thread, and hyssop, designed to appraise the person guilty of anti-social gossip to lower his pride. Then, after a degrading session whereby the guilty person shaved his entire body and immersed himself and his clothes, there followed a period of isolation during which the offender reflected on his wrongs to society. Finally, the miscreant was to bring a number of sacrificial animals and several meal offerings as atonement for his mistakes.
An impoverished individual could bring but one sheep and two doves (for sacrifices) and a much lesser contribution for one meal offering. He is described as, “poor and of insufficient means” (Vayikra 14:21). But why the redundant expression, “of insufficient means”? Rav Yaakov Landau suggested that there are people who are really poor and there are the miserly who act like they are destitute. In that case, if they bring a poor man’s portion they are not exonerated (Archin 15). Indeed, such people did not really learn their lesson because they continued to cheat the very society they had already wronged!

Shabbat Shalom, Menachem Persoff

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