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.