[Jewish] [Mindful Torah] The Light Within. A Commentary on Parshat Tazria-Metzora

[Rabbi Steven Nathan]

This week we read the double parashah (portion) of Tazria-Metzora
(Vayikra/Leviticus 12:1-15:33). These two parshiot dealing with issues
of skin afflictions, purity and holiness. The beginning of the parashah
describes how Aaron and his sons, the cohanim/priests, are assigned the
duty of examining people with tzara'at/skin afflictions both to
determine the extent of the affliction and when they are healed. While
afflicted, the person must remain outside the camp. Once declared to be
healed they may return to the community.
The classic rabbinic interpretation of tzara'at is that it is the
result of some type of moral or spiritual "impurity" or immoral
actions. In fact, metzorah (the one suffering from the disease) is read
by the rabbis as an acronym for motzi shem ra, one who one who slanders
another's name. Therefore, one who slanders or gossips is punished with
this affliction.
The idea that a physical affliction is an external manifestation of an
internal flaw or impurity is anathema today. It reminds us too much of
those who state that AIDS or other diseases are a punishment
for "immorality." However, in Biblical times and even later on it was a
common belief that everything was either a punishment or reward from
God. Disease and illness were no exception.

However, the Hassidic master Sefat Emet provides us with an alternative
interpretation. His interpretation is a powerful metaphor for how we
bring distress upon ourselves by closing ourselves off the Divine and
the spiritual life.

The Sefat Emet begins his commentary by focusing on the simple
verse "The Eternal spoke to Moses and Aaron saying: If a person has in
the flesh of the skin a sore ..." (Leviticus 13:1-2). He makes the link
between the Hebrew word 'or (עור), beginning with the letter "ayin",
meaning skin, and 'or (אור), beginning with the letter "aleph," which
means light. There is a tradition within Judaism, especially within the
mystical schools, that focuses on the belief that originally humanity
existed in a purely spiritual form and were clothed in "garments of
light." However, after the sin of eating from the tree of knowledge of
good and evil, they were then clothed in "garments of skin" ('or'). At
that moment, humans realized, as we read in Genesis, that they were
naked. They became truly corporeal beings.