torah portion

[cellio]

I drew the "leprosy" portion this week (Tazria-Metzora). Everyone is going to be talking about lashon hara (gossip, approximately), because that's the apparent cause of the affliction (midrash, and one data point in Torah). "Everyone" includes my rabbi tomorrow night (he mentioned it tonight). I'd like to say something Saturday morning that they haven't already heard a zillion times and one of them within the previous 14 hours. I wonder if inspiration will strike. (I suppose there's always the haftarah as a source of material, though we have a fairly strong convention of talking about the Torah portion.)

Comments

Torah thoughts...

[patsmor.livejournal.com]

Well, the other day when looking for something else I ran across a discussion of materialism as a cause of Leprosy. It's http://www.torah.org/learning/parsha-insights/5758/tazria.html

written by Rabbi Yisroel Ciner (about whom I know nothing save that he "The author teaches at Neveh Tzion in Telzstone (near Yerushalayim)."

The bits that your post reminded me of are:

"According to the Kli Yakar, the three main causes of leprosy were lashon harah (badmouthing others), haughtiness and an overly strong desire for materialism. Each of these causes are alluded to in the name of the different type of leprosy that each brought on. "Adam ki yihyeh v'ohr b'sarow (A man who will have on the skin of his flesh) s'eis o sapachas o ba'heres (s'eis or sapachas or ba'heres)." S'eis - the `raised' blemish - came as a result of a person `raising' himself up and acting in a haughty manner. Sapachas - the secondary blemish - came from an overinvolvement in that which really is secondary in importance. As the Rambam writes, all of a person's acquisitions such as wisdom, strength and uplifted character traits become an integral, inseparable part of the person. The exception to that is wealth. It is totally external to the person. Purely secondary. Baheres - the snow-white spots - are brought on by lashon harah. One who badmouths others causes them to turn white in embarrassment. In each case, the deep, inner decay is brought to the surface, affording the opportunity of correction by bringing a clear awareness of the malady.

[...]One who has an overly strong desire for materialism is forgetting who he truly is and why he is here in this world. He too is attaching too much importance to his physical self and to that which he has.

The leprosy brings these inner decays to the surface and allows them to be healed by literally peeling away all of the external coverings of the person. It first afflicts the person's house. If he doesn't take heed and correct the root cause it moves on to his clothing. Ultimately, it afflicts the skin - the covering of the person himself. See what really is important! Recognize that who you are is not determined by what you have...

We live in a time of prosperity and a great deal of conspicuous consumption. A Point to Ponder while living Life in These United States, or other such similar societies, is that the Torah's leprosy was a gift to help a person maintain perspective. We, who are no longer on the level to have such a direct communication from Hashem, must, using the full uncondensed version of Hashem's holy words, take this parsha of leprosy and apply it to our lives.

and then, this song from The Prince of Egypt came to mind:

A single thread in a tapestry
though its color brightly shines
can never see its purpose
in the pattern of the grand design
and the stone that sits on the very top
of the mountain's mighty face
does it think that it's more important
than the stones that form the base

So how can you see what your life is worth
or where your value lies
you can never see through the eyes of man
you must look at your life
look at your life through heaven's eyes
lai-la-lai...through heaven's eyes(2X)

A lake of gold in the desert sand
is less than a cool fresh spring
and to one lost sheep, a shepard boy
is greater than the richest king
should a man lose everything he owns
has he truly lost his worth
or is it the beginning
of a new and brighter birth

So how do you measure the worth of a man
in wealth or strength or size
in how much he gained or how much he gave
the answer will come to you
to look at his life through heaven's eyes

lai-la-lai...through heaven's eyes(2X)

and that's why we share all we have with you
though there's little to be found
when all you've got is nothing
there's lots to go around
No life can escape being blown about
by the winds of change and chance
and though you never know all the steps
you must learn to join the dance
you must learn to join the dance

lai-la-lai...through heaven's eyes(repeat until fade)

So. Maybe "gossip" isn't the only thing you could talk about?