Lev. 14:1-15:33
Précis: The parasha discusses laws for the purification of “lepers” with sacrifice and water. It also discusses growths on walls of a house which cause ritual impurity. The parasha concludes with a discussion of bodily secretions which are another source of ritual impurity
Lev. 14:2 “This shall be the law of the metzorah in the day of his cleansing: he shall be brought to the priest.”
In the cited verse, we deal with a skin disease (metzorah) which has been traditionally translated as “leprosy.” It is almost certain that the translation bears little relation to the disease we call “leprosy” (now referred to as Hansen Disease, a contagious bacterial infection which is highly treatable by modern medicine).
Because the Sages understood this condition as one causing ritual impurity (thus preventing the individual from participation in communal rituals), they did not view the priestly involvement as a medical intervention. They saw the need to find a deeper meaning in these lengthy discussions of skin ailments.
One of the most well-known rabbinic midrashim connects metzorah with improper speech. The Hebrew word metzorah is a homonym to “motzi shem ra” (literally, to give someone a bad name, or to gossip). Rashi notes that Moses suffered from leprosy after he complained to God about the People, and that Miriam was afflicted with the disorder because of gossiping about the Moses’ wife. The homonym connection explains why birds are sacrificed in the restoration ritual: birds constantly chirp and twitter, just as one who engages in gossip and slander. The power of such speech is impossible to ignore, and in 2019 the idea of a bird’s “twitter” takes on an even more clever connotation than that proposed by the Sages centuries ago.
Gossip and slander divide a community, divide congregations, and divide families. They have the power to divide a country. This arcane reading is actually an important reminder of how we should conduct our interpersonal relationships and of the importance of proper speech behavior.
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