Tazria-Metzora 5773 April 13, 2013 A Taste of Torah Stories For The Soul Talk Isn’t Cheap By Rabbi Mordechai Fleisher The 3-String Violin The Ribnitzer Rebbe, Rabbi Chaim that at the root of it all is the great It was November 1995 and Itzhak Abramowitz (1902-1995), whose importance Judaism places on the Perlman, the violinist, came on stage efficacious blessings were much sought- power of speech. Onkelos, a Roman to give a concert in New York City. after, was once visited by an individual convert who translated the Torah into Stricken with polio as a child, he has who had run afoul of the law. The Rebbe Aramaic, makes this apparent. When braces on both legs and walks with was told that the man was seeking a the Torah tells of the creation of Adam, the aid of two crutches. To see him blessing, as he had been accused of the first human, Onkelos refers to him walk across the stage one step at a as a “speaking spirit”. stealing. “Don’t say that he stole!” time, painfully and slowly, is a sight. exclaimed the Rebbe. “Say ‘He took’.” The seat of the intellect, the spiritual That evening, just as he finished The Rebbe was not merely brushing aspect of man, is the mind. The body, the first few bars, one of violin strings off the severity of theft. Rather, he was by contrast, expresses itself primarily broke. You could hear it snap - it went disturbed by the use of such language; in the physical world. The point of “stealing” was too uncouth a word to transfer from the spiritual intellect to off like gunfire across the room. The use. It was more sensitive to say “taking”. the physical takes place via speech, for crowd knew he’d have to make the The Torah teaches this lesson when it is through that medium that thoughts painful trek off stage to find another discussing the animals that entered are expressed in the world. (Thus, the string, or another violin. Noah’s Ark. The non-kosher animals, vocal chords reside in the neck, which But he didn’t. He signaled the rather than being called “tamei”, the connects the head, the location of conductor to begin again. And Hebrew word for “impure”, are referred the mind, to the rest of the body, the he played with such passion and to as “ainenu tahor”, “not pure”. The physical expression of a human.) power and purity as they had never Torah teaches us that a great deal of When speech is used negatively, heard before.Everyone knows it is sensitivity must be used when speaking. a most fundamental element of what impossible to play a symphonic work The double parsha of Tazria-Metzora, makes us human – the power of speech with just three strings. But that night while containing many laws, is perhaps – is corrupted. When one speaks Itzhak Perlman refused to know most famous for its discussion of tzara’as, negatively of others, or even merely lacks that. You could see him modulating, a skin ailment commonly translated as sensitivity in manner of speech, then changing, recomposing the piece in leprosy. The Ramban (Nachmanidies) the purpose of mankind, to connect the his head. tells us that tzara’as is actually a spiritual physical with the spiritual, specifically When he finished, there was an ailment that manifests itself on one’s through speech, is not achieved. A awesome silence. And then people physical body. Furthermore, tzara’as serious failure, indeed. rose and cheered. He smiled and said, can occur on garments and houses, as As Jews, we must constantly strive to not boastfully, but in a pensive tone, well. Its purpose is to alert the bearer develop this unique faculty granted us “Sometimes. it is the artist’s task to of a spiritual shortcoming. While our by G-d. While modern society tolerates, find out how much music you can Sages list a variety of evils that can lead and even admires, humiliating others still make with what you have left.” to tzara’as, the most well-known cause (in a guise referred to as “comedy” After giving birth, a woman brings is lashon hara, speaking negatively and “humor”), speaks openly and a purification offering to the Temple. about another. The Torah, as well as the unabashedly about subjects that would The offering consists of a sheep and Sages, makes it quite clear that speaking have turned a listener’s face beet-red a a dove. The Torah says that if she negatively about others, despite the few decades ago, and allows ”freedom truth of the statement, is a very serious of speech” to take place virtually cannot afford a sheep then she brings sin. But why is such severity attached to unchecked (are parental warnings worth two doves. We see a simple idea that mere speech? anything at all?), we must battle to utilize a person should never give up, but There has been much written and the power of speech for the purpose G-d should make do with what he has. said to explain the seriousness of lashon intended – to make the world a more Adapted with permission from hara, but it is important to understand refined, spiritual place. ShulWeek, by Rabbi Baruch Lederman. The Call of Nature To receive Torah Weekly by email, send an email to [email protected] to email an send email, by Weekly Torah receive To Email: [email protected] Web: www.denverkollel.org www.denverkollel.org Web: [email protected] Email: 1516 Xavier Street, Denver, CO 80204 Tel: 303-820-2855 Fax: 303-820-2806 303-820-2806 Fax: 303-820-2855 Tel: 80204 CO Denver, Street, Xavier 1516 Denver Community Kollel: Kollel: Community Denver Harry H. Beren Foundation of Lakewood, NJ, in memory of Harry H. Beren, z”l. z”l. Beren, H. Harry of memory in NJ, Lakewood, of Foundation Beren H. Harry The Torah Weekly is made possible through a generous grant from the the from grant generous a through possible made is Weekly Torah The mayach, Jerusalem, www.ohr.edu Jerusalem, mayach, spiritual so overwhelms the physical physical the overwhelms so spiritual 303-820-2855. - So Ohr of permission with Reprinted can work to perfect his soul until his his until soul his perfect to work can [email protected] or call call or [email protected] the spiritual and the physical. Then, he he Then, physical. the and spiritual the 8:25 a.m. at Aish. For info email email info For Aish. at a.m. 8:25 p.30b. p.30b. First, he must even the balance between between balance the even must he First, break on Tuesdays, from 7:55- 7:55- from Tuesdays, on break The Talmud - Tractate Kiddushin, Kiddushin, Tractate - Talmud The his Yetzer Hara. His job is now two-fold: two-fold: now is job His Hara. Yetzer his will resume following the Pesach Pesach the following resume will concept of bitachon. The classes classes The bitachon. of concept Publishing Company]. Publishing more inclined to listen to the wiles of of wiles the to listen to inclined more and delve into the vital Jewish Jewish vital the into delve and in “The Living Torah”, Moznaim Moznaim Torah”, Living “The in After his sin, however, he became became he however, sin, his After Duties of the Heart. Discover Discover Heart. the of Duties [translation by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan Kaplan Aryeh Rabbi by [translation balance existed prior to the sin of Adam. of sin the to prior existed balance based on Chovos Ha’Levavos/ Chovos on based The Book of Genesis, 4:6-7, 4:6-7, Genesis, of Book The The Ramchal explains that this this that explains Ramchal The for “Trust Thy Father,” a series series a Father,” Thy “Trust for Aryeh Kaplan, Feldheim Publishers. 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