Shabbat Tazria-Metzora 5786

Shabbat Tazria-Metzora 5786

Rabbi Hal Miller

  When you arrive in the land of Canaan that I give you as a possession, and I will

  place a tzara'at affliction upon a house in the land of your possession [Vayikra 14:34]

Our parsha describes the tzara'at affliction in clothing, houses and people. Why only in regard to houses does it say "when you arrive in the land"? One might try to differentiate that clothing and people can be found outside the land, but I would respond that people have houses in other lands too. If people and clothing elsewhere can be afflicted, why not houses elsewhere?

Rashi says that while the affliction on people and clothing is bad, the tzara'at of houses is a good thing "because the Amorites hid treasures of gold in the walls of their houses all forty years that Israel were in the desert, and as a result of the affliction the Jew breaks down the house and finds them." But this is not so clear as in verse 40, "The Kohen shall command and they shall remove the stones that contain the affliction", which means that not every afflicted house is torn down. Rav Moshe Feinsten writes that "Arachin 16a says that afflictions are a punishment for stinginess. Here they seem to be viewed as a boon." He reconciles this by saying that it depends on the merit of the Jewish owner. If he is sinful, he will lose his house in order to gain the benefit, but if he is righteous some other way will be found for him to achieve the benefit.

Chizkuni notes that tzara'at on clothing and people occurred during the 40 years in the desert, but the wandering Jews did not have homes until they reached the promised land. Rav Hirsch adds from Yoma [14a] that this issue only applied after the division of the land so there was a permant dweller assigned to each house, from which we learn that it only applies to Jewish owned houses. Ramban adds that this limitation is because only then will the people know God and that His Presence will reside among them, that God did this and not nature.

Yeshayahu writes [1:27] about the land "and its returners shall be in charity", which Kol Dodi says means "only through charitable behavior are Jews allowed to return to and continue to live in the land. Tzara'at comes as punishment for sins which reflect selfishness and disdain for others, the opposite of charity." Thus, while affliction of person or clothing can occur in any context, the house affliction is tied directly to behavior in the land.

Vayikra Rabbah [17:5] gives yet another reason, tying the tzara'at to those who are engaged in commerce. According to the Netziv, those in commerce spend much time dealing with others, and that improper behavior in competition or other aspects of business leads to lashon harah, the root cause of tzara'at. In the desert, the people were given what they needed, but once they reached the land they had to engage in commerce where this problem could occur.