Parshas Mitzora
As Fate Hangs On A Single Word The halacha is that only a Kohen can declare a Nega to be Tamei. A Talmid Chochom who knows the halacha can give his opinion, but the tumah starts and ends with the declaration of the Kohen. Why?
The Dubna Magid (Iturei Torah) explains that the reason we commit the terrible crime of speaking Lashon Hara is because we don’t understand the severity of it. After all what damage can our spoken word do? If we understood the gashmiyus and ruchniyus ramifications of our mere utterances we’d never dare speak lashon hara.
“Therefore,” says the Dubno Magid, “we teach the Mitzora this lesson with the Kohen. His Nega and all the halachos do nothing to him. It is only with a single word from the Kohen’s mouth that he is either spared the grave punishment of tzoraas and with a single word doomed to his bitter fate.”

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Homopathic Therapy Won’t Work On Tzoraas “ViHinei Nirpa Nega HaTzoraas Min HaMitzora; And behold the Tzoraas is healed from the Mitzora.” (Mitzora 14:3) This pasuk seems backwards, as it should say the Mitzora is healed from the Tzoraas.
The Yagdil Torah brings from the Medrash Shmuel (Hakdama to Pirkei Avos) that by nature Tzoraas comes from depression. The natural cure is to stroll in pleasant places and socialize with friends.
However, the Torah tells us that on the contrary, his only cure is through Tshuva and regret for what he has done. The Mitzora must sit alone outside the Machaneh after sowing discourse among people. That is why the Torah says that the Tzoraas will be cured from the Mitzora. Only through his own contemplation and regret, can he be cured and not by any natural process.

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The Rich Man Who Never Learns His Lesson When a Mitzora becomes Tahor he brings a Korban. A rich Mitzora brings three sheep. A poor man brings one sheep and two birds. The Gemara in Yuma 41b says that by all other korbanos which have provisions for the rich and the poor, if a rich man brings a poor man’s korban there is a machlokes if he is yotzei. By a Mitzora, everyone agrees that if a rich man brings birds instead of sheep, he is not yotzei. Why?
The Meshech Chochma answers that one of the reasons tzora’as comes is because of stinginess. Therefore, if a rich man doesn’t want to spend money on sheep, and instead brings inexpensive birds, his experience as a Mitzora has obviously not taught him his lesson. How can we declare a person like that cured?

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What Is Lower – Grass Or A Worm? When the tzora’as is no longer deemed Tamei, the Mitzora brings among other things “Eitz Erez, Shni Tola’as, and Eizov.” The cedar tree represents haughtiness that caused his tzora’as in the first place, and the red thread and low grass represent his Tikun as he lowers himself from his high perch and is forgiven. Why does he need two items symbolizing modesty?
The Maskil L’Dovid says that it says in Pirkei Avos (4:4), “Me’od Me’od Havi Shefal Ruach; It is very very important to keep a modest spirit.” The Bartenura says that this double “Me’od” is because unlike other character traits where one should tread on the middle ground, when it comes to haughtiness there is no room for compromise whatsoever, and one must be extreme in his modesty.
The Maskil L’Dovid adds his own explanation. He says, “A person can be prideful of his physical stature, such as his beauty, strength or wealth. He can also be full of pride over his spiritual stature, such as his wisdom. Therefore, the Torah tells the Mitzora that he must bring two humble items. The Eizov, which represents the lifeless grass growing from the wall, to remember to avoid haughtiness of his physical gifts, and the Shni Tola’as, to remind him that even in the spiritual realm, he should be humble like the lowest life form, the worm.”

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Don’t Be Afraid Of A Little Tzoraas While other amoraim stayed far away from sick people so as not to catch their disease, Rebbi Yehoshua Ben Levi was not afraid. He would huddle together with people who carried the most dreaded diseases and learn Torah with them (Kesuvos 77b). He was confident that the zechus of Limud HaTorah would protect him. In the merit of this, he was taken to Gan Eden alive never to leave.
“This,” says the Chasam Sofer, “is pshat in the Pasuk (VaYikra 14:2). ‘Zos Tihiyeh Toras HaMetzora B’Yom Tohorosoi; This will be the fate of those who learn Torah together with a Mitzora in Kedusha and Tahara. V’Huva El HaKohen; He will be brought to the Kohen,’ meaning the Shechina, who will personally escort him to Gan Eden without any intervention from the Malach HaMaves.”

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A Nega For The Know It All When a person sees Tzoraas on the wall of his house the pasuk says (Vayikra 14:35) he goes to the Kohen and says, “K’Nega Nirah Li Babayis”, something like a nega appeared to me in the house. Rashi explains that the reason he says “like a nega” is because even if he is great talmid chochom and knows with certainty that it in fact is a nega he should not pasken by himself, he must go to a Kohen.
Rav Yehonoson Eibushitz adds that the most Negaim on homes come from haughtiness. The way to rectify this middah is to lower yourself. Someone who has a problem of needing to feel self important and is punished with a nega should be that last person to declare that he know for sure it is a nega. The first step before anything happens is to see the nega and understand he has a problem. He therefore should talk in more modest tones and say he thinks it looks like a nega. He then does something that he doesn’t often do. He defers to the Kohen and lets him make the final judgment. This is a first and very important step in his long road to recovery.

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