Parsha Points to Ponder

Parsha Points to Ponder - Tazri'a-M'tzora

1) Why does the section of laws dealing with a mark which a person finds on his head or beard begin with the words AND A MAN OR A WOMAN, V’ISH O ISHA (13:29), as opposed to simply A HUMAN (ADAM) as was used in the previous case (13:2)?

2) Why does the Torah add the seemingly extra words WHICH I GIVE TO YOU AS A POSSESSION when describing our arrival in Israel and the appearance of tzara’at on the houses (14:34)?

3) Why does G-D command Moshe and Aharon to TELL THE JEWISH PEOPLE regarding the laws of the impurity of ZAV (15:2) but does not instruct them to do so when teaching the impurities of tzaraat marks (see 14:33 and 13:1)?

Suggested Answers - Ponder the questions first, then read here
1) The Ohr HaChayim explains that since women do not generally have beards, had WOMAN not been specified, we might have mistakenly thought that a woman was not impure if she did grow some beard hairs with these qualities.

[Ed. note: Contrast this with the prohibition of shaving one’s face with a razor - even if a woman does have facial hair, she is not forbidden to remove it with a razor; the prohibition applies only to men.]

2) The Kli Yakar answers that these words hint to the reason why this affliction comes. Our Sages teach that these afflictions come as a result of stinginess and not using our homes to help others. The Torah reveals this by emphasizing that G-D is the One who has provided the Jewish people with these homes to be their possessions and expects us to be giving and caring and using our homes to assist others who are in need.

3) The Baal HaTurim understands that these afflictions are only able to impact the Jewish people because of the level of impurity we descended to with the sin of the golden calf. Since Aharon led the Jews in creating that calf, the message of the impurity of these afflictions was very much directed at him as captured by G-D not instructing him to tell the Jewish people even though, of course, Moshe and Aharon would teach these laws to the nation.

Parsha Points to Ponder is prepared by Rabbi Dov Lipman, who teaches at Reishit Yerushalayim, Tiferet, and Machon Maayan in Beit Shemesh and RBS and is the author of “DISCOVER: Answers for Teenagers (and adults) to Questions about the Jewish Faith”, just re-published by Feldheim, (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

• Other Parsha Points to Ponder
• Parsha Points to Ponder
• Parsha Points to Ponder
• Parsha Points to Ponder