Tazriah
Leviticus12:1-3:59
II Kings 4:42-5:19
This week the Torah discusses the phenomenon of tzara’at, a skin disease (akin to leprosy), which afflicted those who had spoken lashon hara (gossip), including at one point even Miriam, Moses’ sister. The rabbis teach us that although tzara’at had the physical manifestation of white skin lesions, it was essentially a spiritual malaise. For this reason, the only one qualified to diagnose tzara’at was a Kohen (priest) — not a medical person but a spiritual teacher. It was considered to be not so much a punishment as a wake-up call for those who irresponsibly spoke negatively of others. It presented an opportunity for the afflicted one to repent and to change his or her ways, in which case the disease was then cured.
In connection with this subject, Rabbi Abraham Cohen of the United Kingdom extracted some profound observations about human nature in general and in part Jewish nature in particular. He wrote about a notable incident in the Second Book of Kings that appears in this week’s Haftarah. Naaman, the captain of the Syrian king’s army, suffered from leprosy, and his life had become a living death. In desperation, he prevailed upon Elisha, the Hebrew prophet, to intercede on his behalf with the G-d of Israel to obtain a cure. Elisha sent out a message advising Naaman to “Go dip your body in the Jordan River seven times and your flesh will be clean again.” A simple remedy requiring neither expense nor undue effort.
Did the captain rush to avail himself of this advice? No, he saw it as too simple, not the complicated and difficult process he had expected. He was about to return home, angry and uncured. His servants persuaded him to stop being foolish. They asked, “If the prophet had advised some great thing, would you not have obeyed? How much more so when you have only to wash and be clean?”
If Elisha had dictated a course that would have required considerable trouble and a great deal of money, Naaman would have readily acquiesced. It seems the more difficult the cure, the more satisfied he would have been. What vexed him was that the prophet had asked so little of him. As foolish as Naaman was to react this way, his behavior was very human. Ironically, we humans are often prepared to do something that requires a great sacrifice while we would resist a task that would mean a modicum of inconvenience for us.
Throughout history, Jews have had the option of resigning from the club that caused us immeasurable misery. Some, admittedly, did convert to a more accepted religion, but their numbers, thankfully, were insignificant. The multitude, repeatedly tested as they were by every manner of persecution including the threat of death, remained loyal to their faith. Judaism demanded a big thing from them, and they ceded it.
Those Jewish martyrs were just ordinary Jews like ourselves. They faced, unflinchingly, the big demand when it was made of them, but one may assume that they were not always willing to yield to the lesser demands of their faith. In fact, throughout the ages our literature tells us of our religious leaders admonishing the people for the same shortcomings that are deplored today. We see the same complaints about neglect of religious obligation. Many a Jew who found it too difficult to observe some of the commandments of the Torah suffered martyrdom for their faith. Undoubtedly, this would prove true of large numbers of Jews today. If, G-d forbid, our government enacted a law that required every Jew in the country to abandon his faith or leave the land, I think the result would be a revelation to us. I’m sure that the vast majority would be true to their faith, choosing expulsion over apostasy.
Among the majority, ironically, there would be a considerable number who today refuse to inconvenience themselves to any great extent in order to carry out the laws of Judaism. This is the peculiarity of the human mind. The big price we agree to pay, the small price we refuse. “If the prophet had demanded that you do a great thing, would you not have done it?”
Within this peculiarity we find the paradox that the Jew remains steadfast to his religion in persecution, when his faith is actually a yoke around his neck, whereas he is inclined to become unmindful of Judaism in freedom and prosperity. Today the price of loyalty is so much smaller than in the past. While we would strenuously resist any effort to coerce us away from Judaism, we do not mind slipping away voluntarily, slowly and gradually. We have always endured the torment of repression and cruel pressure. The great question that now faces us is how many Jews will survive gentle persuasion? How many will resist the pleasant invitation to assimilate?
The church had made more converts among Jews by opening the ghetto walls than by trying to drive Jews into them. Because the cost of remaining true to the Torah has been so greatly lowered, many have refused to pay it. Our fathers died rather than abandon their faith. Their children abandon their faith because it might impede their worldly aspirations.
I humbly propose that we learn to make small sacrifices for the honor of our religion. The big sacrifices can look after themselves. It is the smallest things that are asked of us now. Will we be willing to comply?
Shabbat shalom.