Parasha Thoughts
By Rabbi David Shasho
This week’s Parasha,Tazria-Metzora, talks about a man with tsara’at, an affliction that resulted when Lashon Hara was spoken. The Torah tells us that he is sent out of the camp and placed in solitary confinement. He can’t touch anyone, talk to anyone, and amongst many other things he has to cover his mouth.
The Gemara says (Nedarim 64b) there are four people who are considered as if they are dead. Someone who is poor, a Metzora, a blind person, and someone who cannot have children. Why these four? What comparison do these four people have to one another?
If you take a look at the one our parasha talks about, a Metzora, the person says evil words and pushes people apart. Now he is alone and has no connection with anyone.
What makes him considered dead? He is alive and well. What’s going on?
Says Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz: a Metzora is dead because what is his life worth if he can’t help anyone? A Metzora is excommunicated and isolated from everyone. He can’t do anything and most importantly he can’t help anyone. A person who can’t help anyone is considered dead.If you take a look at the other three people who are considered dead, we can find a very similar understanding. A blind man needs so much help there is not much for him to do for himself let alone others. Being blind ח״ו is a situation were he is living in darkness and can’t do much without help and is considered dead.
The Sforno says Yitschak was blind when giving the Berachot to Yaakov. He had to first kiss Yaakov before blessing him. Why? because in order to bless someone you have to feel them, you have to know them. If you can’t see them it won’t work . A blind person can’t give.A poor person is considered dead because he has not a penny to his name, he can barely help himself. A person without children is considered dead because having children is all about giving whether it’s money, food, time, a night’s sleep….
We learn an important lesson from Avraham Avinu after his Brit Milah. He was in a lot of pain and needed to rest. No one was coming to his house to visit, so why was he looking for guests? As a Jew his life was about giving. Even if there is no need to give doesn’t mean you don’t have to give. He always had to give; that is what Avraham’s life was about. We learn from here how important giving is, and how it makes us Jews. We are all about helping, and thinking about others. Let us always use our mouths to encourage, enlighten, and inspire other people. Life is about giving. If you’re not giving you’re not living.