Leviticus 13:4
אִם־בַּהֶרֶת֩ לְבָנָ֨ה הִ֜וא בְּע֣וֹר בְּשָׂר֗וֹ וְעָמֹק֙ אֵין־מַרְאֶ֣הָ מִן־הָע֔וֹר וּשְׂעָרָ֖ה לֹא־הָפַ֣ךְ לָבָ֑ן וְהִסְגִּ֧יר הַכֹּהֵ֛ן אֶת־הַנֶּ֖גַע \
שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃
But if it is a white discoloration on the skin of his body which does not appear to be deeper than the skin and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall isolate the affected person for seven days.
Rashi asks on this pasuk, what does it mean when it says “והסגיר”? Rashi answers that it means that this person who has white on them, shall be locked up in a house, and he shall not be seen for another week. This way after a week, the kohen can check his symptoms again and see if they have changed.
- What do other Mefarshim say about this pasuk?
- Why do people get Tzara'at? What is the symbolism?
- Why do people who get Tzara'at have to be isolated?
What do other Mefarshim say about this pasuk?
ReplyDeleteChizkuni says that "vihisgeer hacohen" means that the kohen will lock away the person with tzarat. After 7 days, the kohen will go and check and see if the "disease" has spread or not. When someone watches over or sees something a lot and frequently, you are not able to tell if it is the same or has changed. So, since the kohen won't look for 7 days, it will be much easier for him to see if there is a change.
I like this answer because it does make sense and gives a good answer for why we have to lock away the person, and it is logical.
Ibn Ezra explains that Tzaraat is naturally transmitted and this is a reason the Torah emphasizes in identifying on who gets Tzaraat. Since the disease is contagious he says it is therefore required that the Metzorah must be isolated. For example, when Miriam got Tzaraat the Ibn Ezra comments she was placed in an isolated area so others won’t be affected. I like this answer because it’s simple and makes sense that since the Metzorah is contagious, he must be isolated.
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ReplyDeleteAccording to the daat zekanim, the Cohen locks up the afflicted person, and will help him see if the affliction spread. If someone looks at the same piece of skin every single day, it’s hard to notice if it changes. But, if you don’t see it for awhile, you can tell if someone is different. The Cohen locks him up so he can’t tamper with the affliction. I like this answer because it is very simple and makes perfect sense that he wouldn’t want it to spread or tamper with the affliction.
ReplyDeleteRav Hirsch explains that Tzara’at is a spiritual problem that one needs to fix, and therefore it should not be considered as a medical condition. He then says how it must be treated by a priest, and not a doctor. Also, that it can appear on both walls and clothes. Both of these facts further explain that it is not a medical condition. It is caused from personal religious mistakes, like speaking lashon. I like this answer because it shows the importance of your language and actions. Also, even though we don’t have Tzara’at today, you should understand that everything that occurs cannot be blamed on nature but are causes of your own actions and given to you by Hashem.
ReplyDeleteWhat do other Mefarshim say about this pasuk?
ReplyDeleteThe shadal says that a man has to stay in his house for 7 days and then the Cohen can check if he is pure or tameh. He quotes the רא״ש who adds that הסגיר means that the Cohen drew a circle around the rash to see if it would spread or not. I like this opinion because it’s a really cool way to check if a rash will spread or not especially because Doctors still use that method today when needing to see if a rash is spreading and getting worse.