Tazria-Metzora – Shabbat of Quarantine

The odds are very high that there will not be any sermons delivered in shuls this coming Shabbat.  However, if sermons were to be delivered, the odds are even higher that they would center around the quarantine that is imposed on a Metzora, the central topic of this week’s double sedra.

Given the unusual immediacy that this topic has for us, perhaps it would be instructive to think about what they might mean for us in the world of social distancing.  I will follow the masterful treatment of Rav Samson R Hirsch, who provides a compelling discussion of what Tzara’at, and all forms of Tumaah (spiritual defilement).

As you may have noticed, I did not translate Tzara’at as Leprosy, because, as Rav Hirsch conclusively proves from the details of the halachot; it has NOTHING to do with that awful contagious disease. To cite one example, a person who is a metzora on their entire body from head to toe is tahor and NOT subject to quarantine, which makes no sense at all if the purpose was to avoid infecting others.  (See his commentary for several other proofs).

If it is not Leprosy, then what is it? And why does the Torah refer to it as a נגע, and the tractate of the Mishna dealing with it call the topic נגעים?

It is well known, particularly from the story of Miriam, who became a Metzora’at after gossiping about Moshe (Devarim 12), that a prime cause of Tzara’at is speaking Lashon Hara, or gossiping.  However, the Gemara in Ararchin 16a notes no less than seven sins which result in the punishment of Tzara’t, including not only Lashon Hara but arrogance, miserliness, promiscuity, swearing falsely, thievery, and murder.
  

א"ר שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יוחנן על שבעה דברים נגעים באין על לשון הרע ועל שפיכות דמים ועל שבועת שוא ועל גילוי עריות ועל גסות הרוח ועל הגזל ועל צרות העין

If one seeks a commonality between these, they are all gross deficiencies in how one treats other people. (One assumes that a false oath would be to defraud another person as well).

Rav Hirsch notes that the word נגע comes from the root meaning “touch”.  A person who has a נגע has been “touched” by G-d.  Hashem wants to wake him/her up, and to take note of something – something relevant to his/her skin (or hair). Our skin is the interface between ourselves and the rest of the world.  Everything inside my skin is me; everything outside my skin is not me.

By touching my skin and showing that it is diseased, G-d is telling the person that his/her interface with the world is unhealthy and contaminated. The person is not a mensch. The way that they interact with others is seriously deficient, and they must go into quarantine and stay by themselves until such time as they have introspected and become healthier in their attitude, and only then will be welcome again in society. (See Rav Hirsch’s commentary for further elaboration; it is a must-read.)

When thinking about this in our context, we all are speculating why Hashem wants us to be all be in quarantine.  Why does He want our shuls and yeshivos and Batei Medrash closed?  Why can we only celebrate semachot with a below bare minimum of guests? Why were we deprived of having a Seder with our children and parents?

I do not pretend ח"ו to have the answers, it would be presumptuous of anyone to claim to understand why. But yet, given relevance that this sedra has to being in quarantine, it might afford an opportunity to think a bit more about how we interact with each other, now that we are being kept apart.

I honestly do not think that the sin of Lashon Hara ought to be the focus.  Although, of course, much remains to be improved in this area, I think that the awareness of this issue and efforts to face the problem have been very significant in the last few decades. Myriads of people who have been influenced by the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation, and there have been other major efforts that have had significant results.  But if we think of the list cited above from Ararchin 16a, the underlying ethic seems to be that Tzara'as came when people were being too full of ourselves and dismissive of others, in various forms.

the underlying ethic seems to be that Tzara'as came when people were being too full of ourselves and dismissive of others, in various forms

Given that theory, here are some questions that might be appropriate for contemplating in quarantine.   It is a very incomplete list; feel free to add.  My purpose is only to provide some food for thought.

1. No one needs to tell us how divisive the social and political climate has become.  Have we allowed our disagreement with other people’s views to color our value of them as individuals?  Can we still separate our disagreements with others from the love we ought to have for them?

2. Many have commented on the way that Corona has particularly affected the extravagant Pesach programs, the overblown weddings, and affairs, the elaborate travel, and vacations that have become commonplace.  These are problematic in particular when they are engaged with an air of ego, showing off and superiority. Even for those who can well afford it, there is frequently insufficient consideration of how harshly this has affected others who felt compelled to “keep up” and provide for their families what they could not afford.  How should we behave in the future?

3. Have we been sensitive enough to those in our society who are always alone? Do we care enough for the elderly, the shut-ins, the singles, and those for whom being socially distanced is their normal?  Now that we know what it feels like, are we prepared to do something about it?

4. Husbands who have been at home for an extended period – have you begun to appreciate a bit more what your wives have to contend with all the time?  Are you doing your fair share of helping with the kids and the housework?  When you frequently left home in the evening either to learn or to work, was there an element of escaping that reality?  How will you implement lessons learned going forward?

5. For far too many in our community, we were arrogantly dismissive of the menacing danger and felt that we knew better than the medical and government authorities, and thus lives were needlessly put in danger.  Are we considering our part in the problem honestly?  Did we care enough about endangering others, or only about doing what we felt like?

6. We see our leadership, both political and spiritual, struggle with finding the correct responses to the unfolding events. I cannot see how one can honestly deny that many mistakes were made, and appropriate responses were slow in coming. While a deep postmortem (too often literally) analysis must be done, what about the rest of us?  Are we going just to snipe and be critical, or are we going to be positive and do our part to help bring people together when we can?

There is much more than this list that I came up with off the top of my head.  Let us take the opportunity to use Parshat Tazria-Metzora to think about what we can do to end this state of quarantine and move back to being the Holy Nation that Hashem wants back in His home.

PS -- While I will not presently comment on how it was that the Hareidi community was disproportionately infected with the virus, a real silver lining is emerging.  The tens of thousands
of survivors of the virus are becoming an important resource in curing many others.  see Gift of Life and Orthodox Jews Donating Plasma

As Shimshon riddled (Shoftim 14:14):

מֵעַז יָצָא מָתוֹק

Out of the (fearsome) strong, something sweet emerged

Let us hope that a tremendous Kiddush Hashem comes out of this.

Published in the Queens Jewish Link April 22, 2020

I enjoyed this special Pesach – Mostly

What an unusual Pesach!

As I wrote on Erev Pesach, although there was much about the impending Pesach that was negative, there was much room for hope as well.  Unfortunately, despite the hopes of many, it does not look like Mashiach will arrive before the end of Yom Tov. And yet more people passed away, and more were reported sick, although we are told that the curve is flattening.  I was once again disappointed by our leadership – with PM Netanyahu, President Rivlin (and gadfly Liberman who was hypocritically true to form) all violating the rules against having family that they enforced on everyone else.

But Pesach was undoubtedly much better than in Bergen Belsen.  And while we did not have a Chol HaMoed Tiyul, just going to the meadow near our home in Lavon was glorious.  And there were many online activities and chances to be together, from Shiurim to concerts, museum tours, and virtual hikes, and best of all family Zoomzitzes!  

And, to some extent, we got back to the essential Pesach that we are supposed to have every year.  That is getting rid of the overinflated excess (chametz) and getting back to the simple basics (matzah).  Let us hope we take some lessons from the to the future.

And now, the Last day(s) of Pesach are coming. They are far more oriented towards the future rather than the past, much as the last parts of the Seder focus on the Final Redemption rather than the one from Egypt. They center on what happened on the shore of the Yam Suf when the Israelites were literally between a rock and a hard place.  With the sea in front of them and the Egyptians approaching, the Talmud Yerushalmi (Taanis 2:5) writes that the People reacted in one of four ways:

• Some said, "It's hopeless," and wanted to drown themselves.
• Another group said, "Let's go back to subjugate ourselves to the Egyptians." 
• A third group proclaimed, "Let's fight them!" 
• A fourth group said, "Let us Pray to Hashem"! 

None of these groups really thought that they had a chance of survival.

In response, (14:13-14): "Moshe said to the people, 

וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל הָעָם אַל תִּירָאוּ הִתְיַצְבוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת יְשׁוּעַת ה' אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה לָכֶם הַיּוֹם כִּי אֲשֶׁר רְאִיתֶם אֶת מִצְרַיִם הַיּוֹם לֹא תֹסִיפוּ לִרְאֹתָם עוֹד עַד עוֹלָם. ה' יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן

"Have no fear! Stand by and witness the salvation which Hashem will work for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again. Hashem will battle for you; you be silent".

The Talmud said that this included individualized responses.  To the first group who wanted to kill themselves, he said, "Have no fear! Stand by and witness the salvation ". To the second group who wanted to return to Egypt, he said: "the Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again. " The third group was told that their efforts were unnecessary. "Hashem will battle for you, "while the fourth group was told that their response was unwelcome, "you be silent. " What, then, was the correct response?  The response that saved them was to clamp down their egos, and to do as they were told, difficult as it seemed.  To march into the sea. At first, they were hesitant, until Nachshon and other leaders led the way, and the great salvation followed.

The correct response has been to move forward with confidence into our quarantine: not to lose hope, not to wish to go back to the way it was, not to try to fight it ineffective ways, and not even to come together to pray in minyanim.

I will not comment in this short essay about the seriously inadequate initial responses to the current coronavirus in many parts of the Orthodox world.  There will be time for that when this is over. But one thing is clear – different forms of the four responses were voiced, when the appropriate response was to listen to the medical experts, shut down the weddings, shuls, and yeshivas, and go into the heretofore unimaginable world of social distancing that we are living with, which would have seemed impossible just a few short weeks ago.  The correct response has been to move forward with confidence into our quarantine: not to lose hope, not to wish to go back to the way it was, not to try to fight it in ineffective ways, and not even to come together to pray in minyanim.  To do as we are told and wait to "witness the salvation which Hashem will work for you today," whatever form that will eventually take.

Let us hope that this special Pesach will, at the least, mark the beginning of the end of this awful plague, feeling confident that "while in every generation we are in danger, G-d protects us." Let us hope that just as happened immediately following the night of seclusion 3,300 years ago, the Redemption should follow, speedily in our days.

Chag Kosher Vesameach

The worst Erev Pesach - Really?

The last time that I would normally be sitting down to write is Erev Pesach afternoon – usually the busiest day of the year.  So, I will keep it brief, but I've got to get this out.

Baruch Hashem, the news in Eretz Yisroel is terrible, but not awful.  There are at this moment 72 deaths so far in the Holy Land, and many are sick.  But compared to what is going on in the communities that I lived in for a long time in America, … what can one say?  I just got off the phone with my sister, whose brother in law passed this morning.  His wife is in the ICU and does not yet know רח"ל.  The funeral of the Novominsker Rebbe this morning, three friends last week, including a husband and wife to whom I was very close.  I have several very sick relatives, I could go on, but those in America know of the carnage far better than me.

Yet, tonight we are to celebrate ליל שימורים, the Night of Special Protection, when Hashem watched over us like no other time, while a plague was ravaging thousands outdoors.  The Halacha is that one is exempt from reciting the bedtime Shema because there is that extra measure of protection.  And boy, do we ever need it.  
One thing that gives us hope is the fact that for the second time in history, by law, we have been told

(וְאַתֶּם לֹא תֵצְאוּ אִישׁ מִפֶּתַח בֵּיתוֹ עַד בֹּקֶר (שמות יב:כב

"No Person shall leave the door of their home until morning." 

The Israeli government has decreed that, for the second time in history, we must not walk out of our homes tonight.  Perhaps, this is an additional level of the Night of Special Protection that we will be privy to.

But there is one more thought that I wanted to share, that will perhaps help put this in perspective for us.  A while back, someone sent me the following document, that I never quite appreciated until now.  It is a text that was written in the Bergen Belsen concentration camp, before Pesach, to be read on Pesach eve.

It says as follows:

Before eating Chametz, one should say with fervent intent:

Our Father in Heaven, it is known and revealed before you, that our will is to do Your will and to celebrate the Holiday of Pesach by eating Matzah and being careful to refrain from violating the prohibition against eating Chametz. But for this, our hearts are saddened, that the persecution we face stops us from doing so, and we are in danger for our very lives.  We prepare ourselves to fulfill the commandment "And you shall live by them – and not die because of them, and to be careful regarding danger, and "Be very careful to guard your soul carefully.  Our prayer, thus, is that you should keep us alive and watch over us and redeem us soon, so that we can fully observe Your Laws, and do Your will, and serve You with a whole heart.  Amen.

There is not much one can say to comment on such tragically eloquent faith.

There is only this.  

We are going through a frightful time.  But almost all of us are in our homes, and we will celebrate the Seder with our most beautiful dishes in our comfortable living rooms and dining rooms, with plenty of good food, albeit without all the relatives and friends that we might wish were here with us.  We will lay down in our comfortable beds, sated on strictly kosher Matzah and meat, and enjoy being with our closest ones in peace and security.  The Jewish people have gone through far, far, more difficult times.  Though it did not seem so at the time, as several survivors often told me (particularly Mr. Sam Weisinger ע"ה), if you opened your eyes in the concentration camp, God was constantly watching over us. "But for His constant help and protection". He would say, "I would have never survived."

Let us hope that this night of Special Protection will, at the least, mark the beginning of the end of this awful plague, let us feel confident that "while in every generation we are in danger, G-d protects us", and that just as immediately following the night of seclusion 3,300 years ago, the Redemption should follow immediately.

חג כשר ושמח

Chag Kosher Vesameach