Metzora[1]

1^st Mamar “Zos Tihyeh Toras Hametzora …”

1. Zos Tihyeh Toras Hametzora:[2]

See Volume 1 of our Chassidishe Parsha Torah Or Series under Parshas Metzora where we covered the following matters of this Mamar in detail:

1. The cause of Tzaraas on the Adam
2. Tzaraas represents high Divine lights
3. Why the Metzora is brought to the Kohen

1. Metzora – Motzi Shem Ra:

The name Metzora makes up the words Motzi Shem Rah, which refers to a person who speaks slander of another. One who speaks gossip, which is the opposite of good speech, uses the letters and vessels of holiness for the opposite of holiness. Instead of using holy talk to create a good name and holy letters and vessels, it creates letters that are called an evil name which are the source of energy of evil. This is the mystical meaning behind the generation of dispersion who requested to make for themselves a name, as they desired to make for themselves a source of evil energy from which they can nurture. It is a result of the evil speech of the Metzora which caused him to develop the skin lesion, as it creates evil letters above.

• The Divine lesson: Many people naturally view talk as cheap. Meaning, that words don’t really matter and that as long as you have not actually done anything wrong in action, you retain innocence. In truth, however, all speech expresses a certain revelation of energy from the soul and hence all speech creates something spiritual. When one speaks gossip and slander of another it creates an evil name above, a form of evil spiritual letters which feeds and nurtures evil below. Hence, talk is not cheap and we must be very careful of the words that come out of our mouth and certainly must avoid speaking slander of another. It may be true that the skin lesion of Tzaras no longer exists today, although the damage that is caused by slander exists even now.

1. The value of Torah learning even when you don’t understand what you are learning or will forget it:

The sages state in the last chapter in Avoda Zara that a person should always study Torah even if he will forget it and even if he doesn’t know what he is saying, as the verse states Garsa Nafshi Letaava. The reason for this is because the main service is to make many vessels for the revelation and drawing down of G-dliness, and this is accomplished through the letters of Torah, through studying it and learning it.

• The Divine lesson:[3] People who try to keep up with the Daf Yomi and daily Rambam often drop their commitment due to time constraints and due to simple lacking of Talmudic skills. It can happen that the person fails to understand anything that he read on the Daf or Rambam. This however should not be a reason to drop one studies and commitment. It is true that the positive command of Talmud Torah can only be fulfilled if one understands what he is learning, and if he does not understand the words that he is saying then it is not considered like learning at all. This, however, is with exception to the written Torah, Tanach, by which we rule that even if you don’t understand the words that you are saying you fulfill the Mitzvah of learning Torah. Furthermore, even by the oral Torah the Alter Rebbe rules based on the Talmud and Zohar and Midrash that one should involve himself in the study the entire oral Torah including the subjects that he cannot understand, as in the future he will understand and comprehend all of the Torah subjects that he studied in this world and was unable to understand due to his lack of comprehension. Furthermore, here in Likkutei Torah the Alter Rebbe writes that learning words of Torah even when you don’t understand them helps create vessels to draw down G-dliness into the world. Hence, it is clear that every individual is encouraged to study Torah in mass, even if there will be sections that he cannot understand.

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[1] Likkutei Torah p. 24b-25b

[2] Likkutei Torah p. 19b

[3] See Admur Y.D. Hilchos Talmud Torah 2:13 “Nevertheless, one should involve himself in the study the entire oral Torah including the subjects that he cannot understand, as in the future he will understand and comprehend all of the Torah subjects that he studied in this world and was unable to understand due to his lack of comprehension”; Toras Menachem 5744 Vayishlach; Likkutei Sichos 14:22; 18:438; Avoda Zara 19a; Zohar Vayeishev p. 185; Maavor Yabok Sifsei Renanos 26; Likkutei Maharich; Midrash Tehillim 147 “Pokeiach Evrim, he who opens the eyes of the blind. Who are the blind in this case? They are these generations that go with Torah like blind people, however, in the future your God will open their eyes”