Now I Don't Know But I Was Told In The Heat Of The Sun A Man Died Of Cold (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia "New Speedway Boogie")

Our children came home from school saying that they had “big news”. I thought that we were going to tell me and my wife that they were such extraordinary students that they going to skip a grade.  I was wrong. The big news was that one of the administrators was leaving in two weeks and taking another job.  After their statement came a series of questions. Some of the questions were asked by my wife, and some were asked by each of our children. I didn’t ask any questions.  As they kept asking questions and offering answers,  I just listened. Finally after  a particular answer that clearly was not based upon any fact but rather rumor and assumption, I asked one question. “How do you know?” The entire conversation now changed. Rather than focusing on gossip, rumor and hearsay, our kids were force to acknowledge that their answers were not based upon facts but rather rumor gossip and hearsay.  Yet for 30 minutes or so, they spoke quite authoritatively about this particular issue. As I kept pushing our children to acknowledge the fact that they really didn’t know, I had a flashback to my childhood and my father doing the same to me: teaching me to acknowledge and say “I don’t know.” Finally after several minutes my kids started to understand my question and my message.  Rather than repeating rumor, gossip and hearsay, the Lashon Hara, as authoritative and conclusive facts, have some humility and acknowledge the fact that “you don’t know.”

This Shabbat we read from Parsha Metzorah. The discussion and laws for Tamei/ Tahor (Purity & Impurity) as it affects human beings is continued from last week’s Parsha, Tazria. We continue to learn intricate details concerning how an individual becomes ritually purified, his/her re entrance into the camp, and the prominent role of the Kohen Gadol in ascribing a spiritual treatment for a physical expression of a spiritual problem. Besides discussing the laws of the Metzorah, the laws of one who suffers from this skin ailment, the Parsha also confronts the issues of the Metzorah spreading to a house and the method by which that impurity is removed from the house. The second half of the Parsha concentrates on the laws of Taharah Mishpachah, the laws of family purity.

          When Tzaraat is discovered on an individual, he or she would go to the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, and undergo and examination. However if the Tzaarat spreads beyond the individual and pollutes the home: U’Vah Asher Lo HaBayit V’Higid LaKohen Leimor- “K’Negah NiReH Li BaBayit” – And he that owns the house shall come and tell the priest saying: It seems to me there is as it were a plague in the house. (Lev. 14:35) Even if the individual sees the Tzaarat, sees the impurity, knows that it is Tzaarat, the individual cannot and must not say that “It is plague in the house,” but rather K’Negah literally “It is like a plague”. Rashi, (the 11century French commentator) explains that “even if the individual is learned and has no doubt as to the nature of the plague, he must not utter a definitive judgment, but merely declare “it seems”.  On the surface Rashi’s comment appears to be focused upon the issue of “Purity and Impurity”, and reminding us that the authority to decide and declare Purity and Impurity rests solely upon the High Priest.  The Talmud in Tractate Brachot 4a teaches: I have learned from my Masters that the wording is not associated with the definition of purity and impurity. Rather, it serves as a moral lesson, i.e., even in the event of certainty about an impurity, one should declare it as doubtful. Thus our Sages have stated, “Teach your tongue to say ‘I do not know’ “. The MaHaRaL of Prague (Rabbi Yehuda Loew of Prague 1525-1609) takes the lesson a step further. “Since it is but the priest who establishes the Nega (the plague and its legal implications); he would not be speaking the truth.” If that individual is not speaking the truth, then he is speaking Lashon HaRa.

Here in this simple statement “K’Negah” –It seems to be a plague” is simplest and most effective way to deal with Lashon HaRa- acknowledge that we “don’t know” for sure, and that we are not necessarily as authoritative as we think we are. Our kids struggled with this idea because they thought that “not knowing” means you “out of the loop”, or that you are not prepared or worse, that you don’t know the answer. Now they appreciate the importance of being able to respond with “I am not sure, but I think…” or “I don’t know but I will find out…” as much more responsible and diminishes the severity of gossip and rumor.

Peace,

Rav Yitz