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On Tuesday, the Yeshiva was pleased to welcome Rabbi Alan Rosenbaum, the CEO of Davka Software, who offered a fascinating demonstration of the application of the newest computer software to Limud HaTorah in general, and to Torah Research Skills in particular. This Shabbat, the last of Winter Zman, is an in-Shabbat hosted by Rav Daniel Katz and family. Along with spirited davening, meals, and the oneg, the weekend will include several shiurim by Rav Katz, including "Eretz Yisrael can be Yours in Just Eight Days," "Let Freedom Ring," and "Bein Hazemanim: Sink or Swim." And finally, the entire Yeshiva wishes a big Mazal Tov to our student, Yonatan Oliver, who celebrated his completion of Seder Moed with a siyum in the Beit Midrash on Wednesday. Yonatan's study of these Mishnayot was especially noteworthy in that he completed a large portion of it with chavrutot during lunchtimes, and thereby demonstrated that effective use of small amounts of time can lead to big dividends.

A Unique Purification
By Rabbi Pesach Wolicki

This week's parsha deals primarily with the ritual impurity of one who is afflicted with "tzaraat" - leprosy. This leprosy is not the same as the condition known today as leprosy. Tzaraat is a physical affliction that has a spiritual source. The one afflicted with tzaraat is ritually impure and must undergo a unique purification program.

All forms of impurity bring with them some restrictions. Most impurities only prohibit one from entering into the Temple. The impurity of a person with tzaraat - a "metzora" - is quite severe. This is the only impurity that actually requires the one who is impure to live outside of the camp. In other words, a metzora is actually required to leave the city limits and live alone outside the camp. When the metzora has been cured and found to not have tzaraat anymore, he then gradually reenters the life of the community. At the end of this process he must bring an offering in the Temple.

"He [the Kohen-priest] shall slaughter the [first] lamb in the place where he slaughters the sin offering and the burnt offering in the sacred place... The Kohen shall take from the blood of the guilt offering and the Kohen shall put it on the ridge of the right ear of the person being purified and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot." (14:13-14)

This offering is called a "guilt offering." However, the standard guilt offering and sin offering that is brought by one who commits a sin that requires such an offering does not include the placing of blood on the ear, thumb, and toe of the one who is bringing the offering. This feature is unique to this offering.

There is one other instance where blood is placed on an ear, thumb, and toe. As part of the opening ceremonies of the Tabernacle, Aharon and his sons were initiated and as priests. One part of the ceremony was as follows:

"Moshe slaughtered [the ram] and took of its blood and put it on the ridge of Aharon's right ear and upon the thumb of his right hand and upon the big toe of his right foot. Then he made the sons of Aharon approach and Moshe put of the blood upon the ridges of their right ears and upon the thumbs of their right hands and upon the big toes of their right feet..." (Vayikra 8:23- 24)

Another unique characteristic of the tzaraat purification guilt-offering is the following: "The Kohen shall immerse his right finger in some of the oil that is in his left palm and he shall sprinkle some of the oil with his finger seven times before God." (14:16) The term "before God" refers here to the curtain of the Holy of Holies. The oil would be sprinkled at the curtain by the Kohen. This feature, - like the placing of blood on the ear, thumb, and toe - is peculiar. This is not a feature of the standard sin offering or of any other offering brought by an individual. The blood of a standard sin offering is sprinkled on the altar and not the curtain. The altar was located in the courtyard of the Temple. The Holy of Holies is the Temples innermost chamber. Blood is sprinkled on the curtain only when a sin offering is brought to atone for the sin of the High Priest or when a sin offering is brought to atone for a sin committed by the entire people of Israel. (see Vay. 4:6,17) Why is the guilt offering of the metzora unique in this way?

According to Jewish tradition, tzaraat afflicts a person as a direct result of the sin of lashon hara - tale-bearing. The punishment for speaking ill of others is tzaraat. The punishment for speaking ill of others is that one is so impure that he must be exiled from the community. The punishment fits the crime. Speaking ill of others is malicious and anti- social. Often, the goal of the talebearer is the lowering of the social status about whom the tale is being told. The result is that the talebearer and not the subject of the tale is deemed unfit for social interaction and must leave the camp.

As long as the blemish of tzaraat is present, the metzora cannot reenter the community. Theoretically, if the talebearer afflicted with tzaraat were never to repent and thus never to heal, the excommunication would be permanent. Effectively, such a person would cease to be a member of the community of Israel.

As mentioned above, no other form of impurity requires complete removal from the community. The process of purification and repentance is unique because we are not dealing with usual sin or usual impurity. A metzora is not merely becoming purified. He is recovering his status as a member of the People of Israel.

Just as Aharon and his sons underwent an elevation in status from normal Israelites to Kohens so too does the metzora undergo a change in status from metzora to member of the community of Israel. The metzora's exile teaches that he is no longer a member of the people. When he reenters the community he must dedicate himself to a more elevated life than he has been leading just as the Kohen takes on a more elevated life. The initiation ceremony of the Kohen and the purification of the metzora accomplish the same goal. The elevation of status from a lower level to a higher one.

Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan - the Chafetz Chaim - explains the sprinkling of the oil on the curtain of the Holy of Holies. "We find that when a person does a sin for which the unintentional transgressor must bring a sin offering, he brings the sin offering and the blood is sprinkled on the altar in the courtyard. When the anointed Kohen transgresses he must sprinkle [the blood of his sin offering] on the inner altar and on the curtain. The reason is simple. For every sin there is a destruction above in the supernatural world according to the greatness of the soul [of the sinner]... Behold, when a person sins he brings impurity into the place of holiness above. Therefore he must sprinkle the blood on the altar, and with this [sprinkling] he removes the impurity [caused by his sin] in the world above. However, the anointed Kohen, whose spiritual level is exceedingly holy, the destruction [caused by his sin] reaches to an even higher place - into the sanctuary above. Therefore, he must sprinkle the blood [of his sin offering] in this world in the sanctuary.

Behold, we may sometimes find regarding an ordinary person that due to the severity of the damage [above], his sin reached on high to the holy and awesome places [of the spiritual world]. Therefore, the Torah commanded to sprinkle opposite the place of the damage. Regarding the metzora, the Torah states that he must sprinkle at the Holy of Holies. The reason is that in the severity of his damage, his sin reached to the Holy of Holies on high, so he must sprinkle towards the Holy of Holies to purify himself." (Shemirat HaLashon II:5)

The Chafetz Chaim explains that the unusual sprinkling on the curtain of the Holy of Holies is due to the severity of the sin of the metzora. As stated above, the sin in question is talebearing. Speaking ill of others is so severe, that the damage is felt in the highest of spiritual worlds.

Our sages teach that our long and difficult exile is due to hatred between Jews. Speaking ill of others is the primary vehicle for the fostering of hatred. It is this sin and no other that causes damage in the Holy of Holies. If the Holy of Holies on high is damaged enough, the Holy of Holies in this world is destroyed.

If we are to rebuild the Holy of Holies on high, we must rectify the sin of malicious and insensitive speech about others. May we all work on improving our sensitivity and compassion towards each other. Through this we will merit the rebuilding of the Holy of Holies - on high and below.