Friday, Iyar 2, 5777 / April 28, 2017 (17th day of the Omer)
This Shabbat we read the two Parshiot, Tazria& Metzoratogether.
The reason some Parshiot are combined is because the entire Torah is read every year. There are certain Parshiot which have to be read on the Shabbat before certain holidays. Thus, it is necessary to make these adjustments. Also, there are regular years and there are leap years, which consists of 13 months. Thus, adjustments have to be made accordingly.
Tazria and Metzora deal with laws of "Tzaraat." Tzaraat is an ailment with physical symptoms similar to leprosy. During the time of the Beth HaMikdash the Kohen (priest) would have to investigate the condition of the one afflicted with Tzaraat and declare the person spiritually "clean" or "unclean." The laws of "Tzaraat" applied only in the days of the Holy Temple.
Our sages explain that "Tzaraat" was inflicted on a person as a punishment for speaking "Lashon Hara" - slandering others. From here we learn how grave a sin it is to speaking ill about others.
According to our sages, slander hurts threepeople; the one who speaks, the person who listens and the person spoken about! Since we do not have the Beth HaMikdash (Holy Temple) the laws of Tzaraat do not apply today, yet the prohibition to speak evil about people is nevertheless the same.
Our sages have often emphasized the need for a person to be very careful when speaking about others. We are advised in many cases to refrain from speaking about others in general, for in the course of the conversation one may come to say something negative.
The importance of refraining from speaking about others can also be seen from the commandment of the Torah, "Remember what the L-rd your G-d did unto Miriam on the way, as you came out of Egypt" (Deut. 24:9). Miriam spoke negatively about her brother Moshe. As a result, she became leprous (Tzaraat). The Torah commands us to continuously rememberthis episode.
Our sages compare the damage inflicted through Lashon Hara to a person shooting an arrow at somebody else. As soon as the arrow leaves, the person who shot it loses control over it. Similarly, as soon as a person utters negative words about others, they lose control over them and there is no telling how far these words may travel and how much damage they may inflict.
It is a very important lesson, especially in our time, when social media is so addictive. If the Torah commanded us, over three thousand years ago, to be very careful with our words, how much more so today, when words have no borders and can travel at the speed of light to every corner of the world. Words may not inflict bodily harm, but they can cause and inflict great and severe emotional pain.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montrealcandle lighting time: 7:39 / Shabbat ends: 8:49