Metzora - 2016

· The Parsha talks about the affliction of Tzaras.

· Tzaras appears on the skin or clothing of a person, or on the walls of a house.

· Though it is physical affliction, the Gemorah in Erachin 16a says  that there are 7 causes of Tzaras:

o Loshon Hara

o Murder

o False or vain oaths

o Giluy Arayos (Sexual sins)

o Haughtiness.

o Theft.

o Stinginess (Tzoras Eyen).

· There are several stages of Tzaras.

o When the affliction first appears, the person is a state of sofake, doubt.

o When a Kohane views it and confirms that it is actually Tzaras, he enters a state called Musgar, when he is confined to his house. 

o During this stage people can visit him, but he can’t have contact with his wife.

o If the Tzaras lasts a certain amount of time and goes through defined transformations, then he enters a stage called Huchlat, and he has to live outside the camp. During Huchlat he can’t have social contact but can bring his wife with him.

o When the Tzaras goes away, he returns to the camp, and must go through a Tahara (cleaning) process.

· The Tahara process must be done in the Mishkan / Bais Hamikdosh.

· His body is shaven, then blood of an Asham and oil are put on his left ear, left thumb, and left toe.

· Then he does a procedure with two birds.

· The Kohane takes 2 birds – the Kohane kills one of the birds, and has the blood flow into a basin.

· He then takes the live bird, and dips its wings into the blood of the bird that was killed.

· The Kohane has the bird with blood on its wings fly away over a barren field.

· The whole procedure is strange and seems inscrutable.

· What could be meaning of the procedure with the birds – one bird is killed, and the other is sent away.

· What is especially strange is that a very similar procedure is done in next week’s Parsha – Achrei Mos – that talks about Yom Kippur.

· In the description of the procedure about Yom Kippur, again two animals are taken – this time 2 goats.

· The procedure is amazingly similar – one goat is killed, and the other goat is sent away. 

· The goat that is killed is called the Seir Hashem.

· The goat that is sent away is called the Seir Azazel, or the Seir Mitshteleich – and it is sent away into a barren place – just like the bird that is left alive is sent away over a barren field.

· The similarities are remarkable.  Two animals – 2 birds or 2 goats – one is killed, and other is sent away to a desolate place.

· It seems that Hashem is trying to tell us something important – to deliver a message to us.

· It’s just like when Yosef hears that that Pharaoh dreamed 2 very similar dreams, Yosef tells Pharaoh  that Hashem repeated the dream to Pharaoh in order to emphasize its importance.

· It seems that Hashem is repeating the procedure with the pair of animals – 2 birds and 2 goats – with one killed and the other sent away to a barren place – as symbolism to us to emphasize something important to us

· But what does it mean?  What is Hashem trying to tell us?

· We are going to make a suggestion.

· Let’s remember that Tzaras is caused by several actions -  such as Loshon Hara, murder, sexual immorality, haughtiness, theft, and stinginess.

· What do all these actions have in common?

· They are all anti-social actions.

o Loshon Hara is talking badly about others.

o Murder is killing another person.

o Haughtiness is belittling another person.

o Theft is stealing from another person.

o Stinginess is withholding things from others.

· All these actions – that are punished by Tzaras – are all anti-social activities, averas Bain Adam le Chavero.

· Mida Keneged Midah  the punishment for this anti-social activity is to be locked up inside the house, and banished from the camp, forced to be Chutz Lemacheneh.

· The message may be that a person that acts in a socially un-acceptable manner, doesn’t deserve the benefits of social activity. 

· He is forced to be cut off from others people.

· He has to feel the pain of being alone until he realizes that he needs other people

· That he must be willing to pay the price of acting in a socially acceptable way– without robbing and killing and talking Loshon Hara.

· Living in society is a privilege – and requires that we act in a socially acceptable fashion, without hurting others.

· But what do the 2 birds and the 2 goats symbolize – with one of the pair of animals killed and the other sent away to a barren place?

· Let’s look into the beginning of the Chumash for a possible explanation.

· What was the first act of anti-social behavior mentioned in the Chumash?

· It was the fighting between Cayin and Hevel.

· And what was the result of that conflict?

· One of the brothers was killed, and the other was sent away!

· Hashem says to Cayin “You will be unsettled, and a wanderer on the earth.”

· Cayin says to Hashem, “You have banished me.” Hain garashta oti”.

· Given this idea, what is Hashem trying to tell us?

· Hashem is having us re-enact the tragic story of Cayen and Hevel.

· Hashem is telling us: Act in a socially acceptable way.

· Treat each other well.

· Remember what happened when two brothers didn’t get along with one another.

· One ended up dead, and the other was banished, exiled, left to wander.

· No one wins when people don’t act in socially acceptable ways.

· In short, Hashem is making us re-enact the story of Cayen and Hevel

· Hahem is making us put on a morality play about the effects of ant-social activity, showing how tragic the results are of not getting along.

· Of stealing, killing, talking Loshon Hara, of haughtiness and stinginess.

· This even explains the detail of why the wings of the live bird are dipped into the blood of the dead bird.

· This is to symbolize that it has blood on its wings, just like Cayen had blood on his hands.

· When a person finishes his period of Tzaras, Hashem wants him to re-enact the tragic story of Cayen and Hevel.

· On Yom Kippur, Hashem wants all of us to remember the tragic story of the first two brothers on earth who didn’t get along.

· One ended up dead and the other was exiled

· May we all get the message that Hashem is trying to tell us.

· Let’s realize the tragic outcome of anti-social activity.

· This is a message of Tzaras, and it seems to be a central message of Yom Kippur.

· Let’s get along with each other, and treat each other well, and act in a socially responsible manner.

· Remember the result of anti-social behavior.

· If people fight or act in a socially reprehensible way – some people can end up dead, and those who remain alive may be left to wander.