Shalom and Bracha!

  This Shabbat we read the portion of Metzora, which concludes the laws of Tzora’at, generally translated as leprosy. One Tzora’at that is discussed this week is the Tzora’at of a house. If a stone and mortar house in Israel developed a green or red growth, the house was quarantined. If the growth expanded, the infected stones were removed. If the growth returned, the house was leveled.
 

  When introducing the laws of Tzora’at concerning a house, the Torah uses an unusual term. “When you will enter the land of Canaan that I grant to you as an inheritance and I will give a Tzora’at in the house…” The term v’natati (I will give) seems out of place. Quarantining and leveling of a home is hardly a present. Rashi explains that when the Emorites heard that the Jewish people had left Egypt, they knew that Hashem was fulfilling His promise to Avraham to grant them the land of Israel. Fearing that the Jews would attain their wealth, they hid gold and precious stone in the wall of their houses. When a house had a Tzora’at, the owner would level the house and find the treasure.
 

  This teaches us a significant lesson. Whatever Hashem does is for the good. Sometimes we don’t see the positive immediately, but it is for the good. When someone had a Tzora’at and had to destroy his house, it seemed like a massive financial loss and disruption of life. In fact, it was a gift.  The Gemara (Brachot 60) relates that Rabbi Akiva taught: A person should always say: “Everything that the Merciful G-d does, He does for the good.” Rabbi Akiva was once traveling and he arrived in a town. He asked for lodgings and was refused. He responded: “Everything that G-d does, He does for the good,” and went to spend the night in a field.
 

  He had with him a rooster to wake him for prayers, a donkey and a lamp to study Torah. A wind came and extinguished the lamp, a cat came and ate the rooster, a lion came and ate the donkey. He reacted: “Everything that G-d does, He does for good.” That night, an army came and took the entire town captive. Rabbi Akiva told his disciples: “Did I not tell you that everything that G-d does, He does for good?” (If the lamp had been lit, the army would have seen me; if the donkey would have brayed or the rooster would have called, the army would have come and captured me.)
 

  Chassidut teaches that the faith and trust that everything Hashem does is good is the purpose of our entire creation. Furthermore, through this trust and faith we cause Hashem to transform the hidden good to tangible good. This has a special connection with the festival of Pesach. The Matzah is called the bread of faith.
 

  The Midrash (Vayikra Rabba) teaches that the leveling and rebuilding of the house alludes to the destruction and rebuilding of the Temple. Just as the beginning of Nissan was the consecration of the Tabernacle in the desert, may we see the consecration of the third Temple through Moshiach  immediately.

 

Rabbi Biggs

Dedicated in loving memory of my mother,
          Bryna Bas Gedaliah Michoel Halevy

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