Perashat Tazria-Messora 5777

Perashat Tazria-Messora 5777

The central theme of this week's double-perasha, Tazria-Messora, is the various Divine plagues that would be visited upon the nation; these include the plagues on the body, clothing and the houses.  Our sages explain that these plagues are not physical in nature, but rather are the results of one's sins.  They come as warnings to the people to examine their deeds, with the aim of rectifying their behavior; only then can these maladies be remedied.  It is for this reason, that the person affected by these plagues must go to a Kohen, a priest, for a diagnosis - for it is only the Kohen, who as the spiritual leader, has the capability of recognizing the spiritual shortcomings of the person in question.  This entire issue is very difficult for the modern person to comprehend; nevertheless, we should try to understand it as best as we can - especially concerning the plagues of the houses.  

Concerning the houses, the Torah tells us, "When you come to the land of Cana'an, which I give to you as a possession, and I put the plague of sara'at upon a house in the land of your possession." (Vayikra 14:34)  This verse seems to imply that the plague of the houses is specifically connected to the Land of Israel.  What, then, is the connection between a person's spiritual standing and his place of residence - and why are these plagues limited to the Land of Israel?  

Rashi, based on the Midrash, offers the popular explanation, that the plague of the houses is a reward for the nation upon their entry into the Land.  He comments:  "That the plagues would come upon them, for the Amorites had hidden gold coins in the walls of their houses throughout the forty years that Israel were in the desert.  By means of the plague, the house would be dismantled, and they would be found."  

Ibn Ezra, on the other hand, understands that the connection between the plagues and the Land of Israel is a fundamental, inherent one.  Ibn Ezra explains as follows: "The reason why the Torah says, "When you come to the land of Cana'an" is because this [discussion] applies exclusively in the land, because of the unique greatness of the land, for the Sanctuary is in their midst, with G-d's glory within the Sanctuary."  In other words, because of the unique character of the Land of Israel, plagues can occur on the houses in the land.  The Land of Israel possesses a unique degree of holiness, and therefore IT DOES NOT TOLERATE SIN.  

Based on this, we can understand that the relationship between sanctity and impurity is not mutually exclusive.  Impurity can only occur in a place which is supposed to be holy.  Impurity is the antithesis of holiness, thereby, it cannot exist in an environment which is not intrinsically holy.  Since the Land of Israel is a place of inherent sanctity, impurity can - and will - manifest itself there if the people do not behave in a sanctified manner. Therefore, the sanctity of the Land of Israel must be protected more so than any other land.  

This time of the year - the period of Sefirat HaOmer, the counting of the Omer, also points to the Land of Israel's spiritual uniqueness.  In his essay on, "The Process of the Omer Counting," Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon, describes two tracks to the Omer-counting.  One, is the connection, cited by the sages, that exists between Pesah and Shabuot; between the Exodus and the Revelation at Sinai, where we received the Torah from G-d himself.  Each year we count "upward" - in anticipation of re-living this awesome experience in our history.  The other track is the agricultural one, as emphasized by the Torah itself.  This track connects the two grain harvests; that of the barley at the beginning of Pesah, and of the wheat at the time of Shabuot, through the counting of the Omer.  Inherent to these two harvests is the fact that we always dedicate the first of our yield to G-d and offer special offerings to Him on the two holidays of Pesah and Shabuot, expressing our appreciation for His beneficence to us.  Even though we lack the Bet HaMikdash today and cannot bring these special offerings, it nevertheless points to the land's unique spiritual property - as the special land constantly under G-d's supervision (see Debarim 11:12) - which, with the help of the Almighty, has yielded its produce for us.  Thus, the counting of the Omer teaches us that working the Land of Israel, is not only an agricultural experience, but is a spiritual one as well; one which is marked at both ends with our appreciation to Boreh Olam.    

As we approach the 69th anniversary of the State of Israel's birth this coming week, let us recall that the Talmud in Sanhedrin (98a) teaches us that one of the signs that the redemption is coming closer, will be when the Land of Israel once again yields its produce; something which it has not done for thousands of years until contemporary times.  Let us pray, that this process, which has begun in our own era, proceeds rapidly, so that we may all witness to see the complete redemption speedily in our own days.