Tazria - תזריע

My Musing

This midrash is a rarity in that it is a continuation from a midrash yelamdeinu in the next sidra, Metzora ( Tanhuma 4). It reverses the order of the three types of tza’raat as they are encountered in Leviticus. The verses in this sidra introduce the tzara’at of the body followed by that of the clothes. In Metzora, tzara'at of the house is discussed. The order presented in this week's selection is house, clothes, and body. The midrash posits that the punishment is in fact a difficulty for God to inflict. The Midrash uses the inverted order to explain that the negaim, lesions, of the house and clothes are first and second chances for repentance. It is only after the second chance that the third negah gets put to use.

מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת תזריע סימן י

(ויקרא יג:ב) "אָדָם כִּי יִהְיֶה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ שְׂאֵת אוֹ סַפַּחַת אוֹ בַהֶרֶת וְהָיָה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ לְנֶגַע צָרָעַת וְהוּבָא אֶל אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן אוֹ אֶל אַחַד מִבָּנָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים"

When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it become in the skin of his flesh the plague of leprosy, then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests.

קשה לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא לפשוט ידו באדם הזה. ומה הוא עושה? מתרה בו תחלה ואחר כך מלקה אותו. שנאמר  (ויקרא יד:לד)  "כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם לַאֲחֻזָּה וְנָתַתִּי נֶגַע צָרַעַת בְּבֵית אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶם" בתחלה מלקה ביתו. חזר בו מוטב, ואם לאו, מלקה בגדיו. שנאמר, (ויקרא יג:מז) "וְהַבֶּגֶד כִּי יִהְיֶה בוֹ נֶגַע צָרָעַת בְּבֶגֶד צֶמֶר אוֹ בְּבֶגֶד פִּשְׁתִּים" חזר בו מוטב, ואם לאו, באים בגופו שנאמר "אָדָם כִּי יִהְיֶה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ".

It is difficult before the Holy One, blessed be He, to punish a person. And what does He do? He first warns him and then hits him. As it says, “When ye are come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;” In the beginning He strikes the house. If he returns from his ways, that is fine, and if not, he is stricken in his clothes. As it says, “And when the plague of leprosy is in a garment, whether it be a woolen garment, or a linen garment;” If he returns from his ways, that is fine, and if not, they come to his body as it says, “When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh”

Shemini שמיני

My Musing

On the last day of the initiation of the kohanim to the divine service of the Mishkan, Moses tells them to offer a calf?! Even a shofar is not allowed to be from a bull or calf, because it is too reminiscent of the Golden Calf. Yet here at the inauguration of the sanctuary 2 calves are offered. The Midrash opines that it is to show that we are no tainted by the past sin. Don’t be afraid of blemishes in your past, use them to grow.

מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת שמיני סימן ד

(ויקרא ט: ב-ג) "וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל אַהֲרֹן קַח לְךָ עֵגֶל בֶּן בָּקָר לְחַטָּאת וְאַיִל לְעֹלָה תְּמִימִם וְהַקְרֵב לִפְנֵי יְדֹוָד. וְאֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּדַבֵּר לֵאמֹר קְחוּ שְׂעִיר עִזִּים לְחַטָּאת וְעֵגֶל וָכֶבֶשׂ בְּנֵי שָׁנָה תְּמִימִם לְעֹלָה"

“(And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel;) and he said unto Aaron: 'Take thee a bull-calf for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering, without blemish, and offer them before the LORD. And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying: Take ye a he-goat for a sin-offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt-offering;”

"וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל אַהֲרֹן קַח לְךָ עֵגֶל בֶּן בָּקָר", ולמה לא אמר לו פר אלא עגל? לפי שעל ידי העגל נתפקפקה הכהונה בידך ובעגל היא מתבססת בידך. ולא עוד אלא שלא יהו ישראל אומרים יש להם עונות ממעשה העגל לפיכך אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא, 'אף הם יקריבו עגל.'

“and he said unto Aaron: 'Take thee a bull-calf”, and why didn’t he say a bull rather than a calf? Because of a calf he lost the priesthood and through a calf the priesthood will be established in your hands. And not only that but alos that Israel should not be able to say that they stil have iniquities from the action of the calf, therefore said the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘They will also offer a calf.’

"וְאֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּדַבֵּר לֵאמֹר קְחוּ שְׂעִיר עִזִּים לְחַטָּאת וְעֵגֶל" שידעו הכל שנתכפר להם על מעשה העגל. אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא,  'בעולם הזה נתכפר להם על ידי קרבן, ולעולם הבא אני מוחה עונותיהם שלא בקרבן.' שנאמר (ישעיהו מג:כה) "אָנֹכִי אָנֹכִי הוּא מֹחֶה פְשָׁעֶיךָ לְמַעֲנִי וְחַטֹּאתֶיךָ לֹא אֶזְכֹּר"

“And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying: Take ye a he-goat for a sin-offering; and a calf” That all should know that they atoned for the act of the calf. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘In this world, you will atone through a sacrifice, and in the world to come, I will forgive your sins without a sacrifice” As it says, “ I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake; and thy sins I will not remember.”