Parshas Tazriah-Metzorah 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- May 2
- 2 min read
כי תבאו אל ארץ כנען אשר אני נתן לכם לאחזה ונתתי נגע צרעת בבית ארץ אחזתכם ... (יד-לד)
These opening words connote good tidings. Hashem is making us privy to breaking news. As we enter Eretz Canaan and move into our new homes, we may experience tzaraas on our new homes. Rashi comments that this is good news; the afflicted house is demolished and treasure hidden by its former Canaanite owners is discovered. The question is obvious: Does Hashem not have a different method of bestowing immense wealth upon us? Also, if tzaraas, as we know, is a divine retribution for certain transgressions, what about the well-known dictum that אין חוטא נשכר? A sinner does not get rewarded through his wrongdoing!
R’ Yechiel Michel Epstein zt”l, the Baal Aruch Hashulchan, explains that Hashem has so much love for his children that even when they sin, He still showers them with blessing, because the point of pain we may be afflicted with, isn’t necessarily for the purpose of punishment, but rather to awaken in His children the will to repent and return to Him. Hence, if and when we heed the calling, we can be the recipients of even more beracha. Based on this, we can understand the connection between this week’s haftarah and our parsha. In it, we read about the four lepers who remained מחוץ למחנה. The rest of the haftarah discusses how out of desperation and hunger, they checked out the nearby camp of Aram, which seemed desolate. They were unsure if the inhabitants were waiting in ambush or had actually deserted it. They told their brethren and together investigated and discovered that the camp was actually abandoned. They then proceeded to loot the empty camp of Aram.
Aside from the fact that they were metzoraim, what does this have to do with this week’s sedra? Perhaps the point is in line with the above explanation. Although tzaraas and its ensuing term served חוץ למחנה would at first seem to be a punishment with no silver lining, the opposite is actually true. It’s all Hashem’s blessing, albeit in disguise. Through the tzaraas, treasures can be found, both in the demolished homes and also in Aram. In truth, this is the case with all our trials and tribulations. At times we realize it and other times we may not. But we must always remember: חייב אדם לברך על הרעה כשם שמברך על הטוב!