Words Matter - Tazria/Metzora 5785

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A person gets a white blotch on their skin. They are ritually Tamei (loosely translated as impure).  They need to go out of town and be alone until it clears up. It is called Tzaraat, and is mistranslated as “leprosy.”  Leprosy is a contagious physical disease that affects the skin, and “lepers” were for many generations shunned from society. Perhaps because of the association with Tzaraat. Is Tzaraat really an infectious human skin disease?


Well, there is also Tzaraat of clothing. If a garment has a certain deep green or red discoloration, it could be Tzaraat. Then there is Tzaraat of the house, when in some cases the affected stones are removed and in some cases the house may even be destroyed. 


In all three types, human, clothing and building, the decision of whether or not it is actual Tzaraat and therefore Tamei is made by a Kohen - a priest. In fact it is his pronouncement of “Tamei” that places the person, garment or home in the status of having Tzaraat. 


The Rambam says the following about all this (Mishneh Torah Tumat Tzaraat 16:10):  “Tzara'at is a collective term including many afflictions that do not resemble each other. The whitening of a person's skin is called tzara'at, as is the falling out of some of the hair of his head or beard, and the change of the color of clothes or houses.


“This change that affects clothes and houses which the Torah described with the general term of tzara'at which  is not a natural occurrence. Instead it is a sign and a wonder prevalent among the Jewish people to warn them against lashon hora, "undesirable speech." When a person speaks lashon hora, the walls of his house change color. If he repents, the house will be purified. If, however, he persists in his wickedness until the house is destroyed, the leather implements in his house change color. If he repents, they will be purified. If he persists in his wickedness until they are burnt, the clothes he wears change color. If he repents, they will be purified. If he persists in his wickedness until they are burned, his skin undergoes changes and he develops tzara'at. This causes him to be isolated and for it to be made known that he must remain alone so that he will not be involved in the talk of the wicked which is folly and lashon hora.”


In other words, these are afflictions brought about by Hashem in order to get a person to stop speaking negatively about others, a very destructive behavior that can destroy lives. 


Nowadays there is no Tzaraat, because there is no Holy Temple, Kohanim’s service or sacrifices. But as we study the two parshiyot of Tazria and Metzorah, we are reminded of just how serious words are. The negative impact of lashon hara is so powerful that to stop it, houses would be destroyed, clothing burned and people isolated. 


On the other side of the coin, a positive word can change a person’s life for the better, encouraging and empowering them to grow and be the best they can. 


It’s something for us to think about every day. 

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