Chizuk and Idud

Chizuk & Idud - Tazria Metzora

for Olim & not-yet-Olim respectively

The laws of Parshat M’tzora relating to the nega’im of an individual have been explained at times, including by some m’forshim, as pertaining to a physical malady. Most, however, see all of the laws of tzara’at as referring to a spiritual deficiency of some kind. But all agree that tzara’at of the home is a purely supernatural phenomenon that occurs only in Eretz Yisrael

Chazal give three reasons for nega’im in a house.

1) They come as a punishment for one who refused to lend his things to his neighbor claiming that he did not own such items. He will ultimately be embarrassed when he has to remove all his belongings from his home and reveal those items to the public.

2) They expose items which a person stole and hid.

3) When the affected stones are removed, treasures hidden by the Canaanites will be revealed, enriching the homeowner.

The first two reasons seem meant as punishments and the third as a reward. Yet the Sfas Emes says that all nega’im are beneficial. This is true whether the nega’im affect a person, his clothing, or his home and whether the result is a “good” or a “bad” one. In every case, a person is warned of a spiritual deficiency and is therefore given an opportunity to correct it.

Similarly, we sometimes experience unpleasant physical symptoms that fortunately allow us to discover a potentially serious physical disease in time to do something about it.

Likewise, someone whose house in Eretz Yisrael is affected by tzara’at will see this as something terrible and may wonder why he deserves this fate. If he is, indeed, innocent of spiritual taint, then he will find that the tzara’at was inflicted to allow him to uncover treasures that are a reward that he would not otherwise have revealed.

Eretz Yisrael, with Hashem’s constant and direct hashgacha pratit, is the only place where tzara’at of the home occurs. In chutz la’aretz, we have often found, historically, that what seems to be blessings turned out to be curses. In Eretz Yisrael, what seems, at first, to be “curses” turn out to be true blessings.

• Other Chizuk and Idud
• CHIZUK and IDUD for Olim not yet Olim respectively
• CHIZUK and IDUD for Olim not yet Olim respectively
• CHIZUK and IDUD for Olim not yet Olim respectively