TAKE A SECOND LOOK

Parashat Tazria-Metzora

Iyar 1, 5783 / April 21-22, 2023

Torah: Leviticus 12:1 – 15:33
Maftir (Shabbat Rosh Chodesh): Numbers 28:9-15

Haftarah: Isaiah 66:1-24 (Shabbat Rosh Chodesh)

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This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Chanah Bella bat Kreina and Devorah bat Feigel.

This d'var torah is offered in honor of the women of Temple B'nai Hayim who are chanting Torah and Haftarah and conducting parts of the service this Shabbat Rosh Chodesh.
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Lunch and Learn meets Tuesdays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live.
We're continuing to read and discuss the Midrashic collection Ein Ya'akov. 
On April 18, we'll be at BT Shabbat 59a, page 158 of Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) Volume 1 - "ולא בעיר של זהב" - "Nor with a golden city” (NO MEETING APRIL 25 OR MAY 2)

Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at:
https://hebrewbooks.org/9630 
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria: 
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents  
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Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about our various programs and becoming a Member at: https://bnaihayim.org/ 
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Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at: 
https://rebjasonblog.wordpress.com/blog/ 
 
Dr. Steve Pearlman writes up the "Midrashim of the Week", which you should read at: 
https://midrashsrp.wordpress.com 
 
Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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TAKE A SECOND LOOK

“And the priest will look on the nega (plague) in the skin of the flesh, and if the nega has turned white and the appearance of the nega is deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a nega of tzara'at (usually translated as "leprosy"); and the priest will look on him, and pronounce him impure." Leviticus 13:3

Burning the  Clothes of the Leper (Wikimedia Commons)

Rabbi Yisrael Yehoshua Tronk of Kutno (1820/1821 - 1893, author of Yeshu'ot Malko ) teaches: This is a hint that when one looks at a person, one should not see only the bad points - where he has been afflicted - but should look on him as a whole, including the good points. This is why it first says, "the priest will look on the nega", and afterward it says, "The priest will look on him" - as a whole human being. (Quoted in Itturei Torah)

Just as beauty may be only skin deep, so might ugliness such as that of tzara'at be only at the surface. Who knows what wonders lie within? We don't judge a book by its cover – we look inside - why do less for a human being? Perhaps this is why Pirkei Avot says, "When judging any person, give the benefit of the doubt" (1:6) and "Do not judge your fellow until you arrive to his situation" (2:5).

Look twice before judging others.

Shabbat Shalom! Chodesh Tov!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom, Rabbi Emeritus
TBH/CBM

.אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם? הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1 
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