Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Tazria - Metzora Volume VII/Number 26 (313) 3 Iyar 5753/April 24, 1993 In the additional prayers recited in "Birkat haMazon" following a circumcision -- "Brit Milah" is one of the Mitzvot in this week's Parasha -- we ask G-d first to send us "His anointed one who walks with wholeness" (i.e. Mashiach) and then to send "the righteous priest who was taken to concealment" (i.e. Eliyahu haNavi). But Eliyahu is supposed to come before Mashiach; why, then, is the order of the supplications reversed? Says R' Moshe Zvi Neriyah, shlita: Eliyahu will indeed appear before Mashiach, but the footfalls of Mashiach - "Ikvita deMeshicha" - will be felt before the footfalls of Eliyahu. The beginning of the material aspects of the redemption, the building of the land and its agricultural development, will appear before the spiritual awakening heralded by Eliyahu is felt. This sequence is alluded to in the verse (Tehilim 28:9 - the well-known 10-word Pasuk used to count Jews), "Save Your people and bless Your heritage, tend them and carry them forever: -- first "tend" to their material needs in a rich pasture, and afterwards, "carry them," raise them and elevate them spiritually. (Mo'adei haRe'iyah) ************************************ Chazal teach that "Lashon haRa" -- the primary sin for which "Tzara'at" comes -- is worse than murder, adultery, and idolatry. Why, asks R' Shimon Schwab, shlita, is it so terrible? Imagine, he says, that you have witnessed another Jew sinning, and that he knows that you saw him. If this person later regrets his act and wishes to repent, he will be hindered by his knowledge that somebody saw him sin and will surely relate it to others. Knowing what he has done, he is convinced that everyone who observes him (after his repentance) will think that he is a phony. Thus the "Yetzer haRa" tells him, "You are lost. Nobody will believe that you have repented, so why bother?!" On the other hand, if this hypothetical sinner could be absolutely certain that word of his transgression will never cross the witness' lips, that sinner will then feel more secure. Thus he will be able to repent. What will happen if his fear causes him not to repent? Feeling that he is lost, he will stray from Judaism, and within a generation or two, his children will be completely lost to our nation. On the final day of reckoning, that person who spoke Lashon haRa will be held accountable for all those children and grandchildren who were estranged from Judaism because of his gossip. On the other hand, again, if the sinner does repent because he knows that his secret is safe, all those children and grandchildren who do grow up as Jews will be credited to that witness who held his tongue. (Selected Speeches p.90) ************************************ Among the laws in this week's Parasha is the requirement of immersion in a Mikvah to remove impurity. Chazal state that the required volume of a Mikvah is 40 "Se'ah" (a Talmudic volume). In calculating that figure, the Gemara assumes the height of an average person, not including his head, to be three cubits. Why, asks Dayan Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss, zatzal (1902-1989) is the size of the Mikvah based on a person's height without his head? Because, he answers, purification without a bowed head is no purification! (quoted in Tel Talpiyot p.22) ************************************ P I R K E I A V O T "Do not be wicked in your own eyes." (Ch. 2) If one convinces himself that he is wicked, he will never repent. Rather, one should always believe that he is a "Beinonee" - neither wicked nor righteous. We find half of this instruction in the above Mishnah, and half in the Pasuk (Devarim 9:4), "Do not say, 'Because of my righteousness G-d has brought me to this land (Israel)'." According to some authorities it is even one of the 613 commandments not to believe that the benefits which Hashem has showered upon us are due to our own merit. R' Moshe Feinstein, zatzal (1895-1986), notes that this is one reason why there can be no reward for Mitzvot in this world (see Chulin 142a) and why the righteous must sometimes suffer and the wicked must sometimes prosper. If all righteous people led "pleasurable" lives, they would know for certain that they were righteous and might become complacent and cease to add to their stores of righteousness. Conversely, if the wicked had proof that they were wicked, they might become depressed and sink even deeper into wickedness. Hashem has therefore arranged that the wicked will often prosper. This presents a different problem, however, notes R' Feinstein. Since the reward of the righteous is hidden away for the World-to-Come while the success of the wicked is visible to all, the incentive to sin is enormous. Won't this acquit the wicked on their day of judgement? Indeed, says R' Feinstein, Hashem will take that into account. (R' Feinstein's proof is beyond the scope of this space.) However, one cannot be completely acquitted merely because he claims that he was pursuing what he perceived to be the truth. His motives can, and will, be tested. (Darash Moshe, Derush #2) ************************************ R' Yisrael Spira, zatzal (1889-1989; the "Bluzhever Rebbe") relates: When I was in the concentration camps, working at forced labor, a woman suddenly ran up to me and asked in disturbed tones, "Rebbe, perhaps you have a knife?" I was not allowed to lift my head to answer, for the guards had orders to shoot to kill for daring to speak while working. But I understood that the unfortunate woman could no longer bear living and wished to commit suicide. I felt I must say something to her. "Listen, my daughter," I said, "Our life is a valuable object of safekeeping which the creator has deposited with us. We have no right to cut it short by our own hand. He gave us life; it is He who will take it from us." I was still speaking when the Nazi guard caught sight of her. "What did she want?" he screamed. I kept silent, but the woman said, "I asked him for a knife." The German laughed a satanic laugh and said, "You wish to kill yourself? Let me help you!" And he drew a knife from his belt and handed it to her. The woman snatched up the knife eagerly and ran to a corner where a bundle of cloth was lying. She loosened the tie, and behold, there was a tiny infant. "Master of the Universe," cried the woman, "I know what fate is in store for us here! But eight days ago You granted me an infant. His circumcision should take place today. I wish to return him to You as a circumcised proper Jew." With that she bent down and circumcised the child. She returned and handed the cruel guard his knife. He was so shocked that he took it without a word. (reprinted with permission of the publisher from Haggadah of the Chassidic Masters p.190) ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Berachot 3:4-5 O.C. 588:3-5 Nedarim 68 Yerushalmi - Kilaim 4 Rambam Ch/Day: Hilchot Gerushin - Ch. 1 3 Ch/Day - Hilchot Kelim - Chs. 9-11 Sefer Hamitzvot Sh:P101; Su:P99; M:P100; Tu:P106; W:P104; Th:P96; F:P109; ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax deductible