In Parshat Tazria it states: “If the tzaraat will erupt on the skin, and the tzaraat will cover the entire skin of the affliction from his head to his feet, wherever the eyes of the Kohen can see—the Kohen shall look, and behold—the affliction has covered his entire flesh, then he shall declare the affliction to be pure; having turned completely white, it is pure.” It emerges from here that despite the fact that the tzaraat has spread “from his head to his feet,” he is declared pure, even though tzaraat covers his entire body. The question may be raised: Shouldn’t the fact that tzaraat covers his entire body make him all the more so declared impure, not pure?!
Rav Chaim Mintz seems to suggest that this can teach us that even a person who, at first glance, appears to be a full-fledged wicked person without anything good in him, in truth, he too has a portion of goodness that always remains hidden within him. Hence, despite the fact that tzaraat covers his entire body and it appears as if he is entirely impure, he is declared pure, teaching us that even a person who appears as if he is completely wicked is able to become completely pure (see Etz Hachaim, Tazria). It’s perhaps implicit from here that the one whose entire body is covered with tzaraat and is declared pure has revealed a degree of moral corruption greater than the metzora who is declared impure, and yet, by being declared pure, the Torah may be teaching us that even such a person who appears to be totally impure and wicked can make a turnaround and become completely pure and righteous.
Perhaps we can deepen this idea. The Torah (see 13:4) teaches that one who is afflicted with tzaraat is quarantined for seven days. Why specifically seven days? Rav Shlomo Ganzfried (Apiryon, Tazria 13:2) explains based on the midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 16:1) which quotes the pasuk in Mishlei that states, “Hashem hates these six, but seven is the abomination of His soul.” The list of abominable behaviors stated here in Mishlei (which R’ Yochanan says are all punishable by tzaraat)—includes: haughty eyes, a false tongue, hands spilling innocent blood, a heart plotting iniquitous thoughts, feet hastening to run to evil, one who spouts lies, a false witness, and one who stirs up strife amongst brothers [through his lashon hara]. The Sages say that the seventh behavior is as severe as all [the other six] combined. Says Rav Ganzfried, the metzora is therefore quarantined for seven days in order to rectify all these seven abominations.
It is perhaps implicit from Rav Ganzfried that the metzora reveals that he has been in violation of all the aforementioned abominations since he is to rectify all of them, which may show the unfortunate level that he has fallen to. Based on Rav Ganzfried and Rav Mintz’s insights, we may suggest that the person whose entire body becomes afflicted with tzaraat and is declared pure is perhaps guilty of even more corruption than just those seven abominations, and yet, even such a person may change for the better, for if he retains a hidden portion of goodness, he too can eventually come to change his ways and become completely pure and good.
Binyamin is a graduate of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, and Wurzweiler School of Social Work.
