Transcript
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Hi, this is Dov Olensky and welcome to
the Parsha in 5 where in 5 minutes we
try to give you an insight into the
Parsha.
Uh we mentioned last week that normally
on
regular years Tazria and Metzora are
together. This year they are apart. We
spoke last week about Tazria and now we
talk about Metzora.
And in Parshas Metzora we learn an
interesting thing.
That uh there is a purification process
that the Metzora has to go through.
And part of that process is shaving off
all of his hair.
All of his exposed hair. Yeah.
Um
so his his hair, his payot, his beard,
his mustache, everything.
A cue ball.
Eggshell.
He's to look completely bald.
What's the reason for this? I mean
everything has a reason. Nothing is is
by chance.
When the Sefer HaChinuch describes this,
he says the following.
It's a case of midah k'neged midah. Very
often Hakadosh Baruchu does things
measure for measure. The idea being of
course that life has consequences. Yeah.
Every action demands an equal and
opposite reaction.
That's the concept.
When a person speak lashon hara,
they create a division between people.
Sometimes the people don't even realize
it.
You just realize that people are
starting to look at you a little strange
and you don't know why.
And it turns out because this guy was
going around saying things about you
behind your back and you didn't even
know about it.
And now
I have difficulty
in life because of what you said. Now
people look at me through the corner of
their eyes and a little askance and they
say, "Hey, you know, you heard uh
Olensky this, Olensky that."
And you don't even know about it.
Sometimes there's no way you can even
protect yourself up against it.
A whispering campaign they call it.
So as a result of this, the person who
spread this lashon hara gets tzaraas.
Why?
Because how do you like being separated
from people?
You did things that separated them from
people and now you do that. Go outside
of the machaneh.
When you see anybody coming, say,
"Tamei, tamei." So everyone knows that
you are impure
because of your actions.
And when you finally straighten yourself
out and that's the whole process.
First we lock you up for a week and if
that helps, fine. If not, we lock you up
for another week and if that doesn't
help, then we send you outside of the
camp. Until you finally figure out,
"Gee, it's not nice to hurt people's
feelings and say nasty things about
them." Then you come back
and we shave off all of your hair. You
know why? Cuz when you see someone who's
totally bald like that,
not just their hair and their mustache,
their payot, their beard, their
eyebrows, everything.
You say, "Wow, they look weird."
How does it feel to have people look at
you
and point and snicker? Do you like it?
It's a therapeutic method wherein you
have an opportunity to feel what it's
like to be the other person.
I saw
something many many years ago.
It says, "Before you fight with
somebody, always walk a mile in their
shoes."
That way if they still want to fight
with you, you're a mile away and you
have their shoes. But but the point is
that before you can look at somebody
else, take a moment to consider
how your actions are affecting them cuz
you may not realize the things that you
say and the things that you do until you
put yourself in the other person's place
and you think, "How would I have liked
that to have happened to me?"
The way we regain our humanity,
the way we regain our tzaraas, is by
allowing ourselves to feel the
person that we've hurt, their pain.
Chavez.
