Tazria 5765 – Gilayon #389
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Tazria
IF A MAN LOSES THE HAIR
OF HIS HEAD AND BECOMES BALD, HE IS CLEAN… THE MAN IS LEPROUS; HE IS UNCLEAN.
THE PRIEST SHALL PRONOUNCE HIM UNCLEAN; HE HAS THE AFFLICTION ON HIS HEAD… HE
SHALL BE UNCLEAN AS LONG AS THE DISEASE IS ON HIM. BEING UNCLEAN, HE SHALL
DWELL APART; HIS DWELLING SHALL BE OUTSIDE THE CAMP.
(Vayikra 13:40,44,46)
As for the uncleanness
of leprosy, we have already explained its meaning. The Sages, may their memory
be blessed, have also explained it. They have made known to us that the
established principle in regard to it is that it is a punishment for slander
and that at first this change appears in the walls. If the man repents, the purpose
has been achieved. If, however, he continues in his disobedience, the change
extends to his bed and his house furniture. If he still persists in his
disobedience, it passes over to his clothing, then to his body. This is a
miracle that was perpetuated in the religious community like that of the waters
of the woman suspected of adultery. The utility of this belief is manifest,
there being also the fact that leprosy is contagious and that, almost by
nature, all men find it disgusting. The reason why purification from it was
effected by means of cedar wood, hyssop, scarlet thread, and two birds, is
given in the midrashim; but it does not fit in with
our purpose, and up to now I do not know the reason for any of these things;
nor why cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet thread were used in the ceremony of the
red heifer nor why a bunch of hyssop was used for the sprinkling of the blood
of the paschal lamb. I cannot find any reason whereby I can account for these
species having been singled out.
(RaMBaM, Guide of the Perplexed III:47,
Pines translation)
Truth Shall
Spring from the Earth: Halakhah and Science
Amos Barde'a
Parashat HaHodesh constitutes a
foundation for the great halakhic topic of kiddush hahodesh (sanctification of the new month), which is a
cornerstone of the Jewish calendar and for the determination of the dates of
the periods and holidays that set the rhythm of Jewish life. Besides being the halakhic foundation for setting out the months, it also
presents an important halakhic and philosophical
subject which I will attempt to briefly explain in this
important Torah forum.
Much
ink has been spilled in the battle between Torah and science, usually in
connection with the Written Torah and theological issues. I would like to bring
up a topic which is much more essential to the world view of the religious
person, especially to the halakhic person. When the halakhah addresses the practical application of the
commandments in Orah Hayim,
Yoreh De'ah, Even HaEzer and Hoshen Mishpat, dealing with areas such as forbidden foods and the
laws of kashrut (which are based upon the end of last
week's parasha, Shemini),
or dealing with the laws of family purity in the present parasha,
it frames halakhic actions within an understanding of
reality, and tries to let natural reality shape halakhic
values, thus raising up the Torah from earthly existence. The halakhah takes biological and even gynecological facts into
account in halakhot relating to sexuality, and it
takes anatomic and even chemical reality into account in the laws of kashrut. Both science and halakhah
share a common concern for physical reality, while being driven by differing
interests. The halakhah strives to determine how the mitzvot must be observed in the light of physical reality, but
science seeks knowledge of physical reality for its own sake. The halakhic understanding of reality – and
the formulation of halakhic principles which become binding
for future generations – are based upon each particular generation's
understanding of nature. The great revolution of modern science, guided by the
complete objectification of the world and a critical empirical methodology, has
brought about many changes in our understanding of the world. As everyone
knows, most of the halakhah was formulated in what we
would call the pre-scientific era. All of this presents us with a problem: How
binding are halakhot that assume a view of nature
which is contradicted by the modern scientific positions which have been
universally recognized as correct? If the halakhah develops
in a certain way based upon a particular understanding of nature, is it
undermined when modern science views the world differently? For instance, the
laws of kashrut include the principle "as it is
absorbed, so it is released" (the same quantity of energy that causes the
walls of a vessel to absorb an organic substance will also cause it to release
that substance). What would happen if this principle was tested in accordance
with all of the methodological requirements of material science and found to be
false – such an outcome is at least theoretically possible – would the laws
regarding kashrut of vessels collapse?
And
the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: This month
shall be for you the first of months; it is for you the first of the months of
the year. Chronologically speaking, the sanctification of the new month is
the first commandment which Israel received as a national body; they received
it while still residing in Egypt. Rashi's father,
Rabbi Yitzhak, mentioned long ago that it would have made sense for the Torah
to begin with that commandment. The addition of the expression for you
has invited various interpretations, one of which sets out a primary principle
of halakhah and theology. Yonatan
ben Uzziel glosses the
verse: "This month is for you to determine as the first of months, giving
permission to determine the times of the holidays, and seasons, and the sun's
cycle, it is for you to determine the months of the year." The expression for
you is understood by Yonatan ben
Uzziel to mean "according to your determination."
In other words: the determination of the beginnings of the new months and of
leap years that establish which time will be sanctified as holidays – will be
performed by the sages. Ibn Ezra explains, "I
already mentioned in the beginning of my commentary on the Torah that the
determination of the year and of the month is for the court to decide." He
is referring to his wonderful introduction to his commentary, written in rhymed
verse: "…here the men of the Mishnah, offer
testimony of the moon's sighting, and here the answer is correct, if the
testimony is valid in their eyes, they will accept the testimony for the year's
needs, for it is established in accordance with the court's declaration, for
the determination of the leap year is based upon the arrival of spring, the sun's
cycle, and the public interest…" R. Shlomo Efrayim concurs with this interpretation in his commentary Keli Yakar, as does
the RaMBaN. Da'at
Zekeinim Mi'Ba'alei Ha'Tosafot formulates in the matter starkly:
When
you see it [the moon] like this, sanctify it; and everything depends upon
sanctification by the court, as R. Oshaya said: "When
Israel approaches the New Year, God tells the ministering angels, 'Set up a dais
and take out the books, for tomorrow I come to judge My
world." Meanwhile, the earthly court decides to lengthen the month and
push off the New Year another day. On the morrow, God does not judge His world.
The ministering angels come before Him and say, "Did you not say, 'Tomorrow
I judge My world?'"…He says to them: "But
my sons have postponed judgment until tomorrow, and the matter has been placed
in their hands, so you must follow their decision…"
From
here we learn that the decision of earthly court must be respected by God's own
court. Rosh Hashanah 24b describes the disagreement between Rabban
Gamliel, the head of the court in Yavneh,
and Rabbi Yehoshua regarding the reliability of
witnesses to the new moon. R. Yehoshua said that
their testimony did not make sense, while Rabban Gamliel accepted their testimony;
…Rabban Gamliel sent him a
message: I decree that you must appear before me with your staff and coins on
the day which, according to your calculation, would be Yom Kippur. He went and
R. Akiva found him in distress, he said to him: I
should learn that everything Rabban Gamliel does is done, for it is said, these are the
festivals of the Lord which are called holy, that you shall proclaim [the
word otam is spelled without a vav, allowing it to be read atem
– you]; whether in their appropriate time or not in their appropriate
time, these are the only festivals I have… he took his staff and his coins
and went to Yavneh, to Rabban
Gamliel, on the day of Yom Kippur according to his
calculation. Rabban Gamliel
stood and kissed him on the head, and said to him: Go in peace, my teacher and
student – my teacher in wisdom and my student in that you followed my words.
The RaMBaM writes in Hilkhot Kidush HaHodesh 2:12: "If a
court sanctifies a new month, whether accidentally , or mistakenly, or by force
of coercion – it is sanctified, and all are required to celebrate the holidays
according to the day they sanctified, even if one knows they were wrong, one
must depend upon them, for the matter is given solely to them, and He who
commanded observance of the holidays also commanded us to rely upon them, for
it is said that you shall proclaim (Vayikra 23:2)." This helps us understand Rashi's comment on Devarim 17:11,
According to the Torah they teach you and the justice they tell you, right
and left. Rashi writes: "Right and left –
even if they tell you that right is left and left is right…" RaMBaN explains: "Even if you think in your heart that
they err, and that the matter is obvious to you, just as you know the difference
between your right and your left, [nevertheless] act according to their
command, and do not say, 'How shall I eat completely forbidden fat or kill this
blameless person?' But say: 'The Lord who commanded the commandment commanded
me to do whatever I am instructed to do by those standing before Him in the
place that He chose. Even if they err, I am given the Torah according to the
meaning in their opinion.'"
The
above sources reflect the halakhic principle that the
halakhic command depends upon how the Sages judge
reality, upon their knowledge and understanding, and not upon reality as it is
in itself. The times for observance of the holidays and their sanctity and all
of the commandments connected with them depend upon the decision of the human halakhic authorities. This principle also finds application
in regard to the lepers in our parasha; their uncleanness
depends upon the perception and judgment of the priest. Even if the afflicted
party is a licensed dermatologist, he must say to the priest it looks like an affliction to me,
as the RaMBaM rules in Hilkhot
Tumat Tzara'at 14: "Even
a wise man who know for certain that it is an affliction shall not pass
judgment, saying, 'I have seen an affliction.' Rather, he should say to the
priest, 'I have seen something like
an affliction.'"
I
can only conclude with the wonderful midrash
from Bereishit Rabbah,
which is based upon the verse from Tehillim 5:12, Loving-kindness
and truth have met, justice and peace have kissed, truth shall spring from the
earth and justice will be seen from heaven:
Rabbi
Simon said: When God wanted to create man, the ministering angels formed various
factions; some said, "Create!" some said, "Do not create!",
for it is said, loving kindness and truth have met. Loving kindness
said: "Create, for he is full of acts of loving kindness," while
truth said, "Do not create, for he is full of lies."
What
did God do? He took truth and cast it down to earth, for it is said, and He
cast truth down to earth.
They
said to Him: Lord of the universe, you disgrace your ornament!
God
said: It is My wish that truth rise up from the earth.
Dr. Amos Barde'a is a thinker and scientist
And I shall inflict an affliction of leprosy of houses in the land
you posses
That is the Temple, for
it is said: I shall desecrate My Temple, the pride of your strength.
(Vayikra Rabbah 17:7)
For when a person first
takes on the habit of evil gossip, he who owns the house comes forth, for the "house"
is man and "he who owns the house" is the soul that dwells within it,
and he comes forth and tells the priest – that is the Holy One blessed be He –
and he says to Him, may He be blessed: "I saw something like an affliction"
That is, the man in whom I dwell has begun to be afflicted with sin.
(Alshikh on the Torah)
And the priest shall see the affliction
A
person sees all afflictions, excepting his own, nor even those of his
relatives.
(Mishnah Nega'im
2:5)
On the contrary,
instill in our hearts that each of us see our friends' virtues, and not their
failings.
(From the prayer of R. Eliyahu
MiLizenesk, the author of No'am
Elimelekh)
I saw something like an affliction in the
house: Even if he is wise and knows with certainty that it is an affliction,
he shall not judge it plainly, saying "I saw an affliction", but
rather, "I saw something like an affliction."
(Rashi, following Mishnah Nega'im)
Cedar and Moss – Haughtiness and Modesty
Since the afflictions
come because of haughtiness, what repairs and cures them? That he lowers
himself from his pride, like the worm and the moss.
(Rashi)
The Rebbe
of Gur, who wrote Sefat
Emet, would say: Why must he bring cedar wood,
which alludes to pride-fullness? If the point is that he should lower himself
like moss, would it not be sufficient for him to bring moss alone?
When a sinner repents
and contemplates his sins, he becomes of low spirit and is greatly ashamed of
his previous pride-fullness. He is embarrassed and ashamed of having been proud
at the same time that he sinned. It ends up that his earlier pride now helps
him to become humble; if so, it is proper that the cedar has a role in his
treatment.
(Sefat Emet as cited by Ma'ayanah
shel Torah)
Afflictions of the House Result from Acquisitiveness and Aggression
What makes most sense
for me to say about this is that the principal reason [for afflictions of the
house] is miserliness, as the Sages said (in Erkhin 16) based on the verse and he who owns the
house shall come – he kept the house all to himself and does not allow
others to enjoy it; for this is why God gave him for a possession a house full
of all good things, in order to test him to see whether he will benefit others
with his house, for mine is the silver and the gold – says the Lord (Hagi 2:8), and
everything that a man gives to others he does not give of his own, for he will
be repaid from the table on high. That is why it says When you come to the
land of Canaan which I give to you as a possession, since they did not
inherit the land by sword, neither did their fore-arm save them (Tehillim 44:2). Rather,
the Lord's right hand is raised up to give them a portion of the
nations, and there is no room for the miserly to say my strength and my hand's
power won this wealth for me. After all, He grants you strength and
property, it is only right that you should give of yours to the impoverished of
His nation. If you do not listen to His words and you belong to those misers
who credit their property to their own efforts, then: I shall inflict an affliction of leprosy of houses in the land you possess. This
means to say: In places where you
attribute your property to yourselves, as if you hold it through the strength
of your hands. That is why it immediately says, and he who owns the house
shall come – he who kept the house all to himself, saying that his strength
and his hand's power built it his house, or one who says your property – one who keeps his house for himself and does not
allow others to enjoy it.
(Keli Yakar
on Vayikra 14:34)
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