I
guess my son watches a little too much television. He has a new hobby. He sings
commercial jingles, or actually recites entire commercials. Needless to say, if
he ever gets into a car accident in Buffalo, he knows which attorney to call.
If he wants to have laser surgery, he knows which eye doctor to call. I admit it;
it is kind of cute when he does this. However the fact that our 8 year old
knows which lawyer to call depending on legal issues, or which doctor to go to
depending upon medical concerns indicates something quite fascinating about
society in general. Our society has become very specialized. If we have a legal
problem, we go to a lawyer. If we have a specific legal problem we go to a
specific kind a lawyer. Going through a divorce? See an attorney who
specializes in matrimonial law. Want to get your affairs in order prior to
death? See an attorney who specializes in probate and estates. If we have a
medical problem, we don't just see a doctor. Concerned about cancer? See an
Oncologist. Having pain your legs? See an orthopedist. Concerned with your
heart? See a cardiologist. Having difficulty in managing emotions? See a
psychotherapist. We are conditioned to seek answers from those who we assume to
know more than us. We are conditioned to seek answers from those who have had
more experiences than we have.
This
week's Parsha is the double Parsha of Tazriah/Metzorah. God tells Moshe the
laws of purity and impurity as it relates to birth. God instructs Moshe about
the appropriate korbanot (sacrifices) that a mother should make as she
re-enters the camp. God also instructs Moshe about Tza'arat. We are told what
it is, we are told how it is to be dealt with, and we are instructed about the
treatment of those who suffer from it. Basically, Tazriah is a type of
Tza'arat, a type of skin ailment which is commonly thought of as leprosy.
However this skin ailment is not treated by the resident dermatologist. Even if
they had dermatologists in the Torah, we would not bring someone suffering from
Tazriah to the dermatologists. Why? The skin ailment was not a symptom of any
type of physical malady. Because we bring the person with the skin ailment to
the Priest, the Kohen, we know that the skin condition was caused by a
spiritual malady. Adam Ki Yiheyeh V'Or
B'Saro S'Eit O Sapachat O Va'Heret V'Hayah V; Or B'Saroh L'Negah Tzara'at
V'Huvah El Aharon H'Kohen O el Achad Mi'Banav Ha'Kohanim - If a person will have on the sin of his
flesh a swelling, a rash, or a discoloration and it will become a scaly
affliction on the skin of his flesh; he shall be brought to Aaron the Kohen, or
to one of his sons the Kohanim (Lev. 13:2-3). The rest of the Parsha
teaches us the appropriate protocol for treatment. The Kohen check again to
determine if that person has become ritually impure. If so they must be sent
out of the camp in order to avoid the risk of the skin ailment spreading to
others. The quarantine would last for seven days. Afterwards, the Priest would
check again, if there was no contamination the person was brought back into the
camp, However if the contamination remained, then the quarantine would continue
for another seven days. Then the process would begin all over again. We also
learn that if this contamination spreads to the clothes or vessels: pots, pans,
clothing; then everything would be burned and destroyed.
While
we know that this skin ailment is caused by a spiritual malady, and we learned
how to treat the malady, Torah does not tell us the cause of the spiritual
malady. For anyone who has ever suffered from an ulcer understands that
emotional stress causes physical ailments. Anyone who has suffered from
depression understands that emotional stress causes physical ailments such as
low energy, lack of sleep etc. So what spiritual sickness that exhibits
physical ailments do we learn from the Book of Leviticus? On one hand the Book
of Leviticus concerns with the ritual slaughter and laws of the Tabernacle. On
the other hand, these laws are based upon the ethical behavior which must exist
within human relationships and in our relationship with God. In the Talmudic
Tractate of Arichin, which primarily focuses upon the laws of valuations; we
learn that the skin ailment is a punishment for the sins of bloodshed, false
oaths, sexual immorality, pride, robbery, and selfishness (Arichin 16a). All of
these physical occurrences have a spiritual aspect. These occurrences all
demonstrate the offender's failure to empathize with the needs of others. It is
fascinating to think that in an ideal community, we are not only concerned with
our own well-being. We should also be concerned about others as well. Our
failure to do so leads to a spiritual sickness. It leads to an artificial sense
of self-importance, it leads to a sense of entitlement, it leads to a petty
jealousy, it leads to the alienation of others and it eventually leads to
erosion of community and society.
By
removing the contaminated offender from the community two positive results
occur. First the welfare, integrity and holiness of the community are spared
from spiritual sickness. This is the primary concern since we fear that God
will cease dwelling in a community that becomes spiritually sickened or
spiritually dysfunctional. The second positive result is that the contaminated
offender has experienced the isolation and concern from others. This is exactly
what he/she wrought upon the community with such behavior.
How
much of what physically troubles us is stress related? How does stress manifest
itself in terms of our physical health? Like stress, we also have spiritual
shortcomings. Like stress, our spiritual shortcomings affect our relationships
with our loved ones. Does our inability to attain spiritual contentment leave
us wondering about others and their lives? Do our spiritual maladies affect our
community? The answer is yes. Now the question is what can we do about it? It
is ironic but we as a people have taken a very different perspective than what
the Torah instructs. Instead of removing
people from the community, many Jewish organization concerned with Kiruv and
outreach understand that rather than removing people from the community, perhaps
it is time to bring them into the community and give people a sense of
belonging.
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