The tzaddik, Rebbe Naftali of Ropshitz, zt”l, was beloved for his sense of humor, holy laughter and frank and pithy observations. A brilliant talmid chacham, he was one of the primary disciples of the Chozeh of Lublin, and his deep Torah insights are collected in the sefer Zera Kodesh.

One night, Rebbe Naftali was traveling baderech, on the road, and stopped at a kretchma, an inn, to rest. There, a Jewish wedding party was in full swing, with drinking, eating, singing and dancing. Rebbe Naftali noticed, however, that the bride seemed unhappy and downcast. The Ropshitzer was renowned as a master badchan, a wedding entertainer, full of spontaneous songs, puns and plays on words—all remazim (hints) and codes for inspirational Torah wisdom.

Reb Naftali walked right into the party, stepped up onto a chair and began to regale the bride and groom with creative songs and rapid-fire jokes, woven with meaningful words and overflowing blessings. His rhymes and grammen (songs) revealed so much talent, depth and humor that all the guests were spellbound, clapping along and laughing out loud. The bride, too, became swept up in the exhilarating atmosphere of joy, hilarity and spiritual elevation, and, soon, she and the entire wedding party and guests were shaking with laughter, and dancing in circles of divine ecstasy, deep into the night. It was as if Mashiach had arrived and there was no sadness in all the world.

At midnight, on the other side of town—Reb Naftali’s dear rebbe—the Chozeh, awoke to sit on the floor, recite the heartrending lamentations of tikkun chatzos and express the pain of Am Yisrael’s exile. However, when he began the contemplative recitation, he felt there was interference with the flow—something preventing his supplications from reaching their intended heavenly destination. Strangely enough, he wasn’t able to summon a feeling of mourning or pain at all. Surprised by this, he closed his eyes and ascended to a higher level of inner vision and clairvoyance. In this state, he perceived the wedding celebrations, with Reb Naftali wielding his holy badchanus and lifting everyone up with heavenly joy.

The Chozeh perceived that in the upper worlds, there was also such a brilliant light of simcha and laughter, that his avodah of tikkun chatzos was completely outshone and swallowed up in it. It was as if the Ribbono shel Olam was Himself exuberantly celebrating, and there were no dinim at all over which to be disturbed, nor exiles to mourn.

On that night, the Chozeh came to a new understanding of the vast power of simcha.

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Our sedra contains laws of tumah v’taharah, ritual impurity and purity—including the process and procedure of identifying nega’im, lesions of tzara’as—a “spiritual disease” that could afflict people’s bodies, clothing or homes. If a suspicious blotch appeared on the skin or surface of ones’ belongings, the kohen would examine it to determine if the affliction was tzara’as. If so, it rendered the individual tamei and liable to quarantine, an “exile” of sorts.

“On the day upon which living, healthy flesh appears in it, he shall become tamei.” (13:14)

Rashi says the Torah specifically uses the term וביום, “on the day,” to teach us that there is “a day” when the kohen ought to examine potential cases of tzara’as, and there is “a day” when the kohen should refrain from examining them. We learn from this that חָתָן נוֹתְנִין לוֹ כָּל שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הַמִּשְׁתֶּה, לוֹ וְלִכְסוּתוֹ וּלְבֵיתו —“A chasan is exempt from having a nega examined throughout his sheva brachos, the joyful seven days of his wedding feast—whether on his skin, his garments or his house.”

Rashi further explains that on Yamim Tovim all are exempt from having lesions examined. Even though the nega might be one that could be seen as problematic, the kohen refrains from looking at it. This is to allow us undisturbed and uninterrupted simchas Yom Tov.

The legendary mechanech and rosh yeshiva of Darchei Torah, Rav Yaakov Bender, shlita, shares a remarkable insight. While the presence of a potential nega seems to be an incontrovertible, objective reality, we see from the above exemptions, that there is a higher reality—in which undeniable facts are subject to the perspective of rachmana, the merciful One Himself.

Nega’im appeared as the result of an individual speaking inappropriately—that is, in a forbidden or insensitive manner. One who was afflicted with a tzara’as had belittled or disparaged someone, causing ill will or pain. Rashi’s understanding of the power of simcha is taught to us in the parsha of negaim for a reason. By first showing us the potential negative effects of lashon hara, the Torah is motivating us to repair the destruction we have done, and instructing us to be sensitive to others by seeing their higher reality and considering their experience, perspective and needs. By clearing away disruptions to the joy of meaningful celebrations—by outshining the potential “exile” of tzara’as with transcendent happiness—the halacha focuses our attention on the redemptive simcha of Yiddishkeit.

“Anyone who brings joy to a chasan and kallah, is, as it were, rebuilding one of the ruins of Yerushalayim.” (Berachos 6b)

May we speak to all with sensitivity, goodness and honor and open ourselves to feel the sufferings of exile. And may we yet be like holy badchanim, and cause to be heard, in the cities of Yehudah and the streets of Yerushalayim, the sound of happiness and laughter of rejoicing—the exuberant voice of the Chasan, HaKadosh Baruch Hu and the exultant voice of the Kallah, Klal Yisrael.

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In honor of the Shabbos sheva brachos of our daughter, Tiferet, and her chasan, Ahron Finkel.

Rav Judah Mischel is executive director of Camp HASC, the Hebrew Academy for Special Children. He is the mashpiah of OU-NCSY, founder of Tzama Nafshi and the author of “Baderech: Along the Path of Teshuva.” Rav Judah lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh with his wife Ora and their family.