5783/2023
In Parashat Tazria, it is established that a garment made of מרֶ צֶ
(wool) or תיםִּשְׁפִּ) flax) is able to receive עתַ רָצָ . The Ramban on
this Pasuk points out that this of course is not a natural
ailment; rather, עתַ רָצָ only happens when Bnei Yisrael are
faithful to Hashem. When we follow Hashem, He keeps us
healthy and our property in good condition, but once we sin, he
takes that away, exposing us to punishment. In fact, the Torah
says that houses can only receive עתַ רָצָ once we enter our
designated land, Israel. The Torat Kohanim says that עתַ רָצָ not
only happens after we have conquered the land, but also once
we divide it up. This is because at this point we have decided to
settle with Hashem, and therefore we are held to a higher
standard. Why would something as bad as עתַ רָצָ happen after ְמ ַטר ַא ְר ְצ ֶכם ְּב ִעּתֹו יֹוֶרה” receive to us causes that thing same the
,end this To? Shema to according ” ְדגָנֶָך ְו ִתירְֹׁשָך ְויִ ְצ ָהֶרָך” and” ּו ַמ ְלקֹוׁש
why would something like עתַ רָצָ only happen once we start
serving Hashem? To understand this, we must analyze what
עתַ רָצָ is and what is so special about being faithful to Hashem.
The Gemara Aruchin says that the main cause of עתַ רָצָ is Lashon
Hara, which has created strife between two friends. The
Rambam points out that the Torah implements three stages of
עתַ רָצָ to provide us with more opportunities to do Teshuva: first,
the house gets Tzarat, then the clothes, and, finally, the person
himself. The Rambam also uses Miriam as the main example of
עתַ רָצָ . This is interesting as Miriam doesn’t say anything
derogatory about Moshe, she only equates him with other
Nevi’im. The Rambam continues that if Miriam got Tzara’at for
such a minor utterance, Kal V’Chomer people should stay away
from fools who will spew Lashon Hara. Lashon Hara causes
disunity between different people. Therefore, the most
appropriate way to punish this person is to send them away
from other people.
But, still, why is it only a problem after settling the land? Once
you start to serve Hashem, you are no longer on your own. You
are in a partnership with Hashem and you, therefore, should
serve him in the most optimal place, His land. To have this
partnership in Eretria instead of Israel would be
counterproductive—it would be like if the Union and
Confederates signed a cease-fire in Sudan; It’s not a real
partnership unless you go all in for the partner! The only way
to have a real sustainable partnership with Hashem is if you are
willing to go to where He resides.
But this partnership is not just between you and Hashem—you
are also partners with other Jews. Hashem wants you to come
together in groups and serve Him together: one is supposed to
daven with a Minyan, the Gemara Brachot points out the
importance of learning B’Chavruta, and, according to the
Rambam, Shabbos is all about community. We work together as
a community to build each other up. When one speaks Lashon
Hara, one is destroying the partisanship created between two
people, and, therefore, is going against one of the things he was
supposed to do when he started serving Hashem. He is
undermining the togetherness of the Klal, and thus, the most
logical way to stop him is to banish him from the camp and put
him in complete isolation from others. Not only is this person
undermining his own expected high level of service, but he is
also undermining others. His punishment is that he no longer
has the support of others or Hashem, based on the עתַ רָצָ ,
because of his lack of support to others when it is expected of
him. The Sefer Yetzira says that plague is the worst evil, and it
is fitting that a punishment so harsh would be used to match
Lashon Hara.