Tazria: Chapter 16

Sufferings of love

Synopsis

We learn that God first punishes people for sins in places where others cannot see, but if they continue to sin he marks them where it can be seen. A marked man who is talking to the rabbis threatens them with violence when his sons come, but the rabbis reply that they must speak the words of Torah, otherwise they would be in contempt of God.

Evil Face Love Red Tree

70. While they were walking they chanced upon a man, whose face was full of wounds, who rose from underneath a tree. They looked at him and saw his face red because of the wounds. Rabbi Chiya said to him, Who are you? He said, I am a Jew. Rabbi Yosi said, He is a sinner, for otherwise those evil wounds would not be marked on his face. And these are not considered sufferings of love. Rabbi Chiya said, It is surely so, because sufferings of love are hidden from people.

70. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, אִעֲרָעוּ בְּחַד בַּר נָשׁ, וְאַנְפּוֹי מַלְיָין מַכְתְּשִׁין, וַהֲוָה קָם מִתְּחוֹת אִילָנָא חַד, אִסְתְּכָּלוּ בֵּיהּ, וְחָמוּ אַנְפּוֹי סוּמָקִין בְּאִינּוּן מַכְתְּשִׁין. א"ר חִיָּיא מַאן אַנְתְּ. אָ"ל יוּדָאי אֲנָא. א"ר יוֹסֵי חַטָּאָה הוּא, דְּאִי לָאו הָכִי, לָא אִתְרְשִׁימוּ אַנְפּוֹי בְּאִלֵּין מַרְעִין בִּישִׁין, וְאִלֵּין לָא אִקְרוּן יִסּוּרִין דְּאַהֲבָה. א"ר חִיָּיא הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, דְּיִסוּרִין דְּאַהֲבָה מִתְחַפְּיָין אִינּוּן מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא.

Aaron Aramaic Flesh Leprosy Love Plagues Priests Skin

71. Come and see, it is written, "When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a swelling, a scab, or bright spot" (Vayikra 13:2). There are three kinds here, all considered the plague of leprosy. This is the meaning of, "and it be in the skin of his flesh the plague of leprosy" (Ibid.). What is the plague of leprosy? IT MEANS 'CLOSED' IN THE ARAMAIC TRANSLATION, for it is closed in every respect, WHICH MEANS THE WOUND IS CLOSED AND CONCEALED FROM THE BEHOLDER. OF THIS it is written, "then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest..." (Ibid.). But in relation to those WOUNDS that are exposed, it is written, "the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean" (Ibid. 3). For surely those seen from the outside to people come from the side of impurity and are not sufferings of love.

71. תָּא חֲזֵי, דִּכְתִּיב אָדָם כִּי יִהְיֶה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ שְׂאֵת אוֹ סַפַּחַת אוֹ בַהֶרֶת. הָא ג' זִינִין הָכָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ אִקְרוּן נֶגַע צָרַעַת, הה"ד וְהָיָה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ לְנֶגַע צָרָעַת. מַאי נֶגַע צָרָעַת. סְגִירוּ. סְגִירוּ בְּכֺלָּא, וּכְתִיב וְהוּבָא אֶל אַהֲרֺן הַכֺּהֵן וְגוֹ.' אֲבָל אִינּוּן דְּיִתְחֲזוּן לְבַר כְּתִיב, וְרָאָהוּ הַכֺּהֵן וְטִמֵּא אוֹתוֹ. דְּהָא וַדַּאי אִינּוּן דְּיִתְחֲזוּן לְבַר בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, מִסִּטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא קָא אַתְיָין, וְלָאו יִסּוּרִין דְּאַהֲבָה נִינְהוּ.

Love

72. Rabbi Yosi asked, Whence do we know that? Rabbi Chiya said, From the words, "Open rebuke is better than hidden love" (Mishlei 27:5). THE MEANING OF "OPEN REBUKE IS BETTER" IS THAT if the rebuke is done with love it is hidden from people. So when one rebukes his neighbor with love, he must conceal his words from people, so his neighbor shall not be put to shame. If his words are public, they are not with love.

72. א"ר יוֹסֵי, מ"ל. א"ר חִיָּיא, דִּכְתִּיב טוֹבָה תּוֹכַחַת מְגוּלָה מֵאַהֲבָה מְסוּתָּרֶת. אֵי הַהִיא תּוֹכַחַת מֵאַהֲבָה, מְסוּתָּרֶת מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא מַאן דְּאוֹכַח לְחַבְרֵיהּ בִּרְחִימוּתָא, בָּעֵי לְאַסְתְּרָא מִלּוֹי מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא, דְּלָא יִכְסוֹף מִנַּיְיהוּ חַבְרֵיהּ, וְאִי מִלּוֹי אִינּוּן בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא קָמֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, לָאו אִינּוּן בִּרְחִימוּתָא.

Body Face Love Repentance

73. The Holy One, blessed be He, does the same. When He rebukes man, He rebukes him always with love. At first He smites him in the internal part of the body. If he repents, it is well; otherwise, He smites him under his clothes. These are considered sufferings of love. If he repents, it is well. Otherwise, He smites him openly, in his face for everyone to see and know that he is a sinner, not beloved by his Master.

73. כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד אוֹכַח לב"נ, בְּכֺלָּא אוֹכַח בִּרְחִימוּתָא, בְּקַדְמֵיתָא מָחֵי לֵיהּ בְּגַרְמֵיהּ דִּלְגוֹ. אִי הָדָר בֵּיהּ, מוּטָב. וְאִי לָאו מָחֵי לֵיהּ תְּחוֹת תּוֹתְבֵיהּ, וְאִלֵּין אִקְרוּן יִסּוּרִין דְּאַהֲבָה, אִי הָדָר בֵּיהּ מוּטָב, וְאִי לָאו מָחֵי לֵיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא בְּאַנְפּוֹי, קָמֵי כֺּלָּא, בְּגִין דְּיִסְתַּכְּלוּן בֵּיהּ, וְיִנְדְּעוּן דְּהָא חַטָּאָה אִיהוּ, וְלָאו רְחִימָא דְּמָארֵיהּ הוּא.

Fear Gates Heaven Torah

74. That man said to them, You plot against me surely TO PUT ME TO SHAME. You must be of those who frequent the house of Rabbi Shimon, who fear nothing. If my sons, my descendants, COME, they will harm you. Why do you speak openly? YOU SHOULD FEAR MY SONS. They said to him, Such is the Torah, as it is written, "she cries in the chief place of concourse, at the entrances of the gates. In the city she utters her words, saying" (Mishlei 1:21). If we fear you in words of Torah we shall be in contempt before the Holy One, blessed be He. Moreover, the Torah needs clarity, THAT IS, OPEN SPEECH. The man quoted, "Who is El like You, who pardons iniquity, and forgives the transgression?" (Michah 7:18) In the meantime his sons arrived. His younger son said, Help from heaven is here FOR MY FATHER.

74. אָמַר לוֹן הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, בְּקִיטְרָא דְּעֵיטָא חַד אֲתִיתוּן גַּבָּאי, וַדַּאי לָאו אַתּוּן אֶלָּא מֵאִינּוּן דְּדִיּוּרֵיהוֹן בְּבֵי רשב"י דְּלָא דַּחֲלִין מִכֺּלָּא. אִי בָּנַי דְּאַתְיָין אֲבַתְרָאי יְקַטְרְגוּ בְּכוּ, אֵיךְ מִלַּיְיכוּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא. אָ"ל אוֹרַיְיתָא הָכִי הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב בְּרֺאשׁ הוֹמִיּוֹת תִּקְרָא בְּפִתְחֵי שְׁעָרִים בָּעִיר אֲמָרֶיהָ תֺאמֵר. וּמַה אִי בְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אֲנָן דַּחֲלֵי מִקָּמָּךְ, הָא נִשְׁתְּכַח בְּכִסּוּפָא קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בָּעֵי צָחוּתָא. פָּתַח הַהוּא גַּבְרָא וְאָמַר מִי אֵל כָּמוֹךָ נוֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וְגוֹ.' אָרִים יְדוֹי וּבָכָה. אַדְּהָכִי מָטוּן בְּנוֹי. אָמַר בְּרֵיהּ זְעֵירָא סִיַּיעְתָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּיא הָכָא.

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