Ari Goldwag - Metzora - Pride and Humility

you're listening to the weekly partial podcast recorded with the shams never-ending assistance in ramat beit shemesh israel 5770 6 2016 this week's parsha is parchment sora we're the continuation of the laws of somebody who becomes itza rua someone gets leprosy but we're speaking here about spiritual leprosy and it comes as a result classically of speaking Lashon Hara of speaking gossip speaking negatively about others the classic teaching is that when a person speaks negatively of others it affects his own spiritual self it affects on a very deep level and the physical body is a reflection when a person is in the right state physical body is a reflection of a person's spiritual state our hazell our sages teach us that be sighs for a person receiving leprosy because of speaking Russian Hara of speaking gossip there are a number of different of various a number of different sins when a person sins in this way when they do this action when they act in a way which is prideful which raises up their ego that ego that negativity that which which is inside of them which is a spiritual negativity which is a spiritual blemish is manifest in leprosy on the physical body now I'd like to share with you two different MIDI Russian which really contrast the opposites the two sides of the coin first we're going to see a measures that speaks about a woman who is very prideful and as a result of that she's stricken with leprosy and then we're going to see a person who's very righteous person who is interested in spirituality interested in doing God's will and as a result of being careful about the concept of gossip having that extra spiritual sensitivity in this area humility having that concept in absorbing that concept so he merits to have a very deep relationship with a Shem so I'd like to share with you these timid Russian the first is the very first message in patras Mansouri described the seven different sins all of which involve a certain level of pride and as a result of which the person gets leprosy the a lohan this is what the magicians these are the a nine ramos walking around with a hottie look the shahnshah care speaking false falsehoods your diamond shape is damn lucky murdering somebody who's innocent leave Clara schmuck civilities of them a heart which is constantly thinking negative thoughts rug lima marries the roots the raw feet that are quick to run to do evil your fear zovem aid shocker someone who lies specifically bears false witness michelle ahmed done in vain askim and someone who causes antagonism between brothers the armorer buchanan the cool unlock of its arasu BF cannon says all of these their punishment the or perhaps we could call the spiritual rectification of it is that they receive leprosy they have to go through a whole spiritual process in order to redeem themselves of the leprosy a nine Romans me mean I see on the major starts off and this is the part i'd like to share with you the first idea that we mentioned is the concept of walking around with a hottie look this is something that we learned from the daughters of zion they say the verse says this is in Isaiah chapter 3 verse 16 Yankey gov would be nice seeing part of the reason that there was going to be a destruction the temple was going to be destroyed is because of the haughtiness of the daughters of zion but they lasted two years going they walked around with a hottie head with their with their heads stretched out Oh miss a crazy know him and with eyes that were looking around really looking for attention we'll see if the verse says with ce pas HM cut kybun I seeing that what was the result of this behavior of them walking around with a hottie look and looking for attention the result was that a sham placed upon the skulls of these daughters of Zion the seatback hashem so the word seat back as we're going to see is a reference to the constant of the set pack which is in our parsha which is a certain type of blemish which is one of the types of leprosy so we see from this first that because of their behavior they receive leprosy the spiritual leprosy now the measures gives a whole description of their behavior the way that they walked around with incredible pride fulness and it's worth seeing the entire description because it's worth seeing what the result was of their behavior so here's the description Davian shy Fionn carolina mahakumbh agassa sarawak they would stand up very very straight and they would walk around with a hottie look but he locked on in two years Guren they would go around with their neck stretched out so I sokka's in lavetta's Tashi tell one of them would wear her adornments mamata Greiner and she would stick out her throat shrila Harris's taxi Stella look at my beautiful a doorman look at my necklaces the magic continues with another verse i left with a five day laughs nah they go in a certain way what's this description the measuring tzedakah shocks me Naru co if one of them was very tall house maybe I should take it serious so in order to draw attention to herself she would walk along with two very short women me convey a cosmic on one on each side Kadesh dear I Rucka so that she look outstandingly tall jaja has been Katara or if one of them was short I CBS take terrace so she would bring two other women who are short was in a sense rug like candy Rican off she would stand with very high heels Kellie shatira iruku so that she would stand out she would look taller now this part of the message i think is really crucial it's key to the idea that I'd like to share is there's like this rock glam to your casa the verse refers to the fact that there was poison with their legs what is that referring to her ba ba ba kahana Omar struck me vanilla one explanation is that they would walk around with a picture of a dragon on their shoes and this is something which was an idolatry and so they were walking around with this poison prob an anomaly the sages say hi Stevie issue of a virtual beta what they would do is they bring an eggshell by some amala a sapphire something they would fill it up with persimmon you know sent us also tacos I capably min allah had a nice smell persimmon has a beautiful smell she would stick it underneath her heel in her shoe shall I coerulea cashel bakhram when she would see a group of young men I serif esta solo she would then squeeze her foot down while I wrap with a pack Bohen que eres Schaffner and what would happen is the smell of the persimmon would float up to them and it would affect them like poison meaning they were trying these women were trying to be noticed they were trying to get attention and we're trying to get the young men to notice them but our College Park lamellae Shia so God says to Isaiah my choices con what are they doing here yo como va gloomy con if this is what the daughters of Zion are doing if this is what the Jewish people this is how the women of the Jews are behaving they need to be sent out into Gullas into exile how are you shy LOL ahem a su tu veux so Isaiah went to the Jewish woman and he said to them do chuva repent actually I've oh I let him sign him so that the enemies don't come and send you out into God's into exile I'm room so these women responded and said they were really stuck in there sitting in there and their sinful ways of being under me a voice ina milena my you we haul in my size if these enemies come what's it gonna be what's the big deal shun emma has the verse says in Isaiah chapter five verse 19 I'm really admire you Keisha mas a la manera they responded to the rebuke to the to the words of advice of Isaiah and they said let it come what's the big deal why do guys ever dry ain't even hoac as soon as one of these important people one of these generals come they're going to see me they're going to they're going to marry me they're going to want to take me as their wife Park estrellas even I tonight lexi is through outlet I sir I see my shoelace Ibaka Ryan these important generals all these different names and references each of them are going to see me and are going to place me into his wagon have you ticked off at avaya 8 cerca de l'avenir da let it come let the negative thing that you're prophesying about come let the destruction happen let's see it vinay dadam on Hudak i am a deal on a delay let's see who is gonna be right is God going to be right then we're gonna be sent out into goes into exile or are we going to be taken in a beautiful way in their fancy wagons and we're going to be married to these important people Cavin cheghad LaVon is bogus einem what happens in the end indeed the Jewish people sinned the enemies came home is cash days for us is that name kisses eNOS so these women the benign see I went out they dress themselves up they made themselves look very beautiful the the description here is like a prostitute Duke I saw a sign of the Tollan indeed that's exactly what happened the general saw took them the park is Rosa my son Vanunu talent is directly ties rights under the talent these important generals brought them moisture mr. Makar and place them into their wagon so the women seem to have been right of our College world who like cuyama deliver comedy line what you think that what I what I said is not going to be only what they said it's going to be me also so what was the response of a sham to this behavior to this to this to what happened here deceiver gosh am cut club and I see like we said the result was that the skulls of the daughters of design service sepa Hashem so what does it mean 'rebel a serious River kanina so there's an argument between velocity RBIs over planina maybe that's y i'm a rebel azure says he'll convince our ass this is a reference to the fact that they are going to receive they're going to be afflicted with the spiritual disease called leprosy kit or tsuris give the civilized a silica Pacha's see the words epoch is also similar to the word in our parser which is used for leprosy review a severe kanina amar another explanation of receiver pnina says hello al ratio mesh pockets Michelle Keenum that as a result of their sin so there were many many families were see paths cross be read as chef ax and that's the root of the word mish paha which means a family so the result was that they had families and families of lice growing in their hair but here by Abu Omar the third explanation here is rebecca baba says isang vehemently denies they ended up becoming second-rate wives not even wives they ended up becoming maidservants mama who denies what does this word mean schwa cosmic adonis what's that word I'm one Nishabd on they became maid servants who were enslaved meaning these men these generals had multiple wives and the Jewish women have a nice seein who thought that they were gonna you know get these amazing generals to be their husbands because they were so beautiful because they were so tall or whatever it was so they ended up being second-rate they ended up being the second-rate wives not the main wives but just like schmuck lights just like maid servants now i want to point out something which is really interesting and that is that if we look carefully at this this whole description one of the things that we saw was that these women would walk around with persimmon in their shoe and then they would they would squish the persimmon just as a passive by a group of barham a group of young men and then it would enter into them like poison so now the word barroom the word buckle which means young men the root of that word is bahaar which means chosen meaning these when originally were walking around and they were interested in being noticed by the chosen ones where the chosen was the Jewish young men the N was that they said you know even if the enemy comes along the generals will take us because we're so beautiful we're so important so originally the were interested in the bathroom now the idea of a barker the idea of a Jewish young man is that he's NIV car that he's chosen meaning that there is something elevated something unique something special about a Jewish young man because he spends his time learning Torah he spends his time focused on spirituality he spends his time trying to develop a relationship with Hashem now what's interesting is that originally even though they were prideful even though they were looking for attention still who did they want the attention from they wanted it from the bottom they wanted it from the young chosen men the Jewish young men who whose focus and the reason they were called bokram is on spirituality is on doing God's will is on keeping the Torah is on developing relationship with God but because their focus was selfish because all he cared about was themselves they just wanted attention and they walked around with that haughtiness so not only didn't they get the bottom the chosen ones those chosen young men but instead they ended up with some generals which they thought oh wow these generals are amazing but all they ended up being was lowly maid servants second-rate not even considered at all important in the eyes of these great generals so sometimes a person's 8 Zara a person's desire a person's pride could lead them to be doing the right thing even to marry good people to marry somebody who's a chosen one someone who has worked on themselves someone who is a member of the Jewish people whose focus is spirituality but in the end if it comes down to pry if it comes down to these meters these negative character traits which caused leprosy if that's the kind of behavior that's kind of person that the person is and the continuing that way so the end is ruined the end is destruction they end up being lower than low now I'd like to contrast this with the following measures the second piece that I'd like to share with you Davao are another explanation Zeus Tia Teresa met Sara this shall be the Torah the laws of the matsuura haddad its if this is what it says in the verse in psalms chapter 34 13 famous verse me how ish holiday time who is the one who wants life the verse answers the question mr. LaShawn camara protect your tongue from evil from speaking gossip with so semi that I remind your lips from speaking with deceit now listen to this amazing story my super rifle Akkad there's a story with a certain peddler che Mack sir by your eyes shall you smokin slippery he would go around to the cities that were next next at sapori my motto is Wilmer and he would call out with the following statement he was coming to sell his wares mind by la misma sometime who wants to buy the elixir of life I'd cannot lie so everyone would scramble to get to him to try to purchase this special elixir that would give them long life and what he would do is he would say this verse me Alicia covets time who's the one who wants life protect your tongue watch out don't speak us don't speak negatively of others and so that's the way that he would teach people about this concept viana have a awesome for sure better Kalina vianney was a great Torah scholar he was sitting in his place he was studying she might him out his mind boy some crime he heard that someone was saying this that you know was making this announcement who would like to have a lick sir of life and as the ACS have explains clearly he knew what the peddler was implying what the pillar was going to say nevertheless on my latest ocklawaha is Evan Lee he said come up here I want you to sell me your wares so to speak armour late levon circle a radical what's up so the response of the peddler was listen you're a Torah scholar you're involved in spirituality or not somebody who really needs what I'm selling as it were it's something that you know you know already otra khale when ruby on a didn't give up he requested that he come select Liga bay so he went to him hokey like safer to him he brought out his safe return LM harrell i posted me a shock of his crime vianney wanted the most we wanted the rebuke he wanted the message that this man was giving over them with that the man wanted to impart and that was this verse of who desires life Maxie Buster a what does it say afterwards in its early shrine humaira watch your tongue from speaking evil sumera Basayev turn away from evil and do good amara be on a serb eonni responded and he said ash llama Makris this is something that King Solomon also proclaimed the layman says many people to shun HOA meter /a whoever protects his mouth and his tongue he protects himself from all oppression from from difficulties I'm Reb yde from beyond I said call yamaha you see Carrie cosa all of my days I would read this verse Allah how you see idea he cannot wash it I didn't understand what this verse is really speaking about Archie but I Cosette idea Mia a shock of its time until this peddler came and informed me of his lesson of the words of the concept of the verse of who is the one who desires life Lafayette mention Maseratis 1200m erlam zeiss theater semester and it's for this reason through beyond that Moses was exhorting the Jewish people and he was telling them this is the laws of the matsuura other person who receives a spiritual leprosy as a result of speaking these negative words about others terrace have mighty shamra the word matsura is in at recon it's a contraction of the words modec shamra someone who speaks negatively of others now the question as we read this mattress is what is your beyond I being taught here what did he not know he was a Torah scholar he knew this verse you knew this the statement of King David and he also knew the Kings the same in of what did he learn what was the hidden what novelty did the peddler bring that Reb yani didn't understand before that now he understood how serious the gravity of the sin of lush and horror speaking negatively was so in explaining this question it's Yosef answers that Reb Jana and his friends were people who indeed were focused completely on spirituality but not only that they were also involved in takaka as rabbonim as rabbis so they were involved in giving rebuke of pointing out to people the negative things that they had done but the question is that as a person does that as a person is focused on negativity in on noticing what others are doing wrong and of course if he's a leader he needs to do that he needs to help people but where is the balance how does he strike that balance is it going to come out that he's going to say something negative is going to be overly forceful you going to say something that causes a person to step back how is it going to come out what's it going to be so the the rifle the peddler of this of this story with somebody was walking around give spiritual advice andhra bianna and his friends said we would like some spiritual advices as well originally the person the peddler was like you guys you have it taken care of your pretty okay you guys are involved you're learning Torah you're good but he said no we want to know what what applies to us what spiritual somehow hi I'm what medicine can you give us and the peddler responded and he said look you guys are involved in title co you guys are involved in directing others so now you could have like an imbalance either you could go too far and you can end up saying things that are negative which fill you with pride or you could end up going to the other extreme and saying look I don't want to hurt people's feelings I don't want to focus on negativity I'm not going to say anything at all so the verse this is the hidden the novelty that this peddler was giving that he was teaching to her beyond I was a me Alicia hobbits came alive young lyrics life who is the one who wants life nitzer Lashon Camaro versa homie Dhabi Rama Swamy Ravis a toy baki sean growth failure there's an obligation to look and see yes you need to be careful you need to watch your mouth you need to be careful not to say things that are too negative but at the same time sumera vas a toy look at the very statement of King David he was asking a question he was saying who wants life and in a similar way to the peddler this is perhaps where the peddler got it from King David also was walking around as it were in saying who wants life and it was a question that was put out there nitzer LaShawn camara he was talking directly to the people and he was saying this is what you need to do watch out be careful watch your mouth turn away from evil super mayro so we see said the peddler to reveai that yes you need to give to call her yes you need to help people to see if they're doing something wrong but obviously it has to be with proper balance with watching out being careful not to see something which is too strong but also not to avoid the idea completely and sourav iana explained the shimmer people to shun a show meters not sure the kid statement of King Solomon now he was able to understand it because the verse doesn't say sizing people to shun I when a person completely closes off his mouth that's how he's going to be protecting him self from all of the oppression the difficulties in life it says Shimon peeve it says one who watches who's careful with his mouth so narrow beyond I understood that I need to indeed give the proper rebuke indeed guide people properly but i need to do with the proper balance now let's step back just for a moment and see the amazing contrast between the be nice seeing those daughters of zion who walked around their complete concern was pride in Rebbe Jana whose complete concern was humility how can I serve Hashem he was that Nev car he was the one who was the chosen one who indeed was focused on spirituality and because of that focus he had a question he didn't know to what extent is he meant to be humble perhaps humility looks like this perhaps humility is I don't say anything perhaps humility is that I need to say say it all out say it as much as possible and so he was guided by this peddler he heard that voice Hashem sometimes speaks through many different many different people many different sources so he heard that message from a Shem that the humility that he needed to have humility here meant speaking at the right time but always with a proper balance sohrabi on a and his friends represent the exact opposite of the B'nai seeing the daughters of zion their focus was pride their focus was walking around and seeing what they could get and what did they end up in the end they ended up with nothing they lost everything because of that Ravi an eye on the other hand was focused on humility how can he be a greater person how can he help others to be greater people to the nice see I were trying to knock down and pull down the back rim those who were chosen trying to poison them but ruby on and his friends were the opposite they were focused on helping others guiding others bringing others to a greater level of spirituality of closeness to their creator I want to bless you and please bless me back ashram should help us that we should be able to focus like a bianna on indeed that humility how can we deepen our humility how can only deepen our service of a shower subservience to God the shrimp should help us to steer away from the behavior of the midnight sea and the daughters of Zion see you're away from that pride steer away from attention-getting steer away from those evil actions that in the end and that's up with nothing heaven forbid shem should help us that we should indeed focus on humility Hashem should help us that we should be able to see the reward of humility of goodness thank you so much for listening a wonderful shabbos this podcast was made possible through the gracious donations of listeners like you for more podcasts like this please visit www a calm or search on itunes ari gold black