"He shall be brought to the priest"

Synopsis

The question arises to whom a person should be brought when he has a pain or a plague or an affliction; the 'priest' is said to be God, who can purify the afflicted. And the priest below knows how to rekindle the light when leprosy has closed off the supernal light and stopped the supernal goodness from descending into the world.

Aaron Body Flesh Plagues Priests Skin

135. "To You shall all flesh come" (Tehilim 65:3), NAMELY, when the body is in pain, afflictions and plagues, as it is written, "Or if there be any flesh, in the skin" (Vayikra 13:24), "the plague in the skin of the flesh" (Ibid. 3), and, "the raw flesh" (Ibid. 15). Hence it is not written, 'To You shall all spirit come,' but rather, "To You shall all flesh come." What is "to You?" It is as we learned that "he shall be brought to the priest" (Ibid. 9) refers to the Holy One, blessed be He. This is the meaning of, "But if the priest look on it" (Ibid. 21). Come and see, at one place IT IS WRITTEN, "Aaron the priest," while at another just "the priest," NOT MENTIONING AARON. In that case it is the Holy One, blessed be He.

135. עָדֶיךָ כָּל בָּשָׂר יָבוֹאוּ. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּגוּפָא שַׁרְיָא בְּצַעֲרָא, בְּמַרְעִין בְּמַכְתְּשִׁין. כד"א וּבָשָׂר כִּי יִהְיֶה בְעוֹרוֹ. אֶת הַנֶּגַע בְּעוֹר הַבָּשָׂר. הַבָּשָׂר הַחַי. ובג"כ לָא כְּתִיב, כָּל רוּחַ יָבֺאוּ, אֶלָּא כָּל בָּשָׂר יָבֺאוּ. מַהוּ עָדֶיךָ. אֶלָּא כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר, וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֺּהֵן, דָּא הוּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. הה"ד, וְאִם יִרְאֶנָּה הַכֺּהֵן. ת"ח, בַּאֲתַר חַד אַהֲרֺן הַכֺּהֵן, וּבְאַתְרָא אָחֳרָא הַכֺּהֵן סְתָם, וְדָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.

Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Leprosy Plagues Priests Purification

136. Rabbi Yitzchak said, Yet it is written, "When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought to the priest" (Ibid. 9). Is that the Holy One, blessed be He? He said to him, Yes, IT IS THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, since all matters of purity and holiness come from the Holy One, blessed be He. He said to him, In that case, why IS IT SAID, "he shall be brought?" It should have said, 'raised.' FOR ASCENSION, NOT BRINGING, PERTAINS TO THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. He said to him, This resembles the words, "And the poles shall be put into the rings" (Shemot 27:7), WHICH MEANS putting them into each other. Here too, "be brought" MEANS he is brought to the Holy One, blessed be He that is called a priest in order to purify him, like bringing the matter before Him.

136. א"ר יִצְחָק, וְהָא כְּתִיב נֶגַע צָרַעַת כִּי תִהְיֶה בְּאָדָם וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֺּהֵן, אִי הָכִי דָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. אָ"ל אִין. בְּגִין דְּבֵיהּ תַּלְיָא כָּל דַּכְיוּתָא וְכָל קְדוּשָּׁה. אָ"ל, אִי הָכִי, אֲמַאי וְהוּבָא, וְהוּעֲלָה מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אָ"ל, כד"א וְהוּבָא אֶת בַּדָּיו בַּטַּבָּעוֹת, דְּעָיֵיל דָּא בְּגוֹ דָּא. אוּף הָכָא וְהוּבָא, דְּיִכָּנְסוּן לֵיהּ לְכַהֲנָא, לְדַכְּאָה לֵיהּ וְיֵעָלוּן מִלָּה קַמֵּיהּ.

Blessing Judgment Lamps Leprosy Light Mercy Plagues Priests

137. Rabbi Yitzchak said, We learned that in "a plague of leprosy," plague MEANS harsh Judgment that rests over the world. Leprosy MEANS closing, as we learned, which is a closing of the supernal light, shutting the supernal goodness from descending into the world. It "is in a man:" man in general ALLUDES BOTH TO MAN ABOVE AND MAN BELOW. "He shall be brought to the priest," NAMELY the priest below, who is knowledgeable in opening that closing and kindling the lamps, WHICH ARE THE SFIROT, so that through him there will be blessings above and below, that plague shall be removed and gone, and the light of mercy will dwell on everything. For that reason, "he shall be brought to the priest."

137. א"ר יִצְחָק, הָכִי תָּנֵינָן, נֶגַע צָרַעַת. נֶגַע הוּא דִּינָא תַּקִּיפָא שַׁרְיָא בְּעָלְמָא. צָרַעַת: סְגִירוּ. כד"א, סְגִירוּ דִּנְהוֹרָא עִלָּאָה. סְגִירוּ דְּטִיבוּ עִלָּאָה, דְּלָא נָחִית לְעָלְמָא. כִּי תִהְיֶה בְּאָדָם, בְּאָדָם סְתָם. וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֺּהֵן. דָּא כֺּהֵן דִּלְתַתָּא, דְּהוּא אִתְתְּקַּן לְמִפְתַּח הַהוּא סְגִירוּ, וּלְאֲדְלָקָא בּוּצִינִיָא דְּיִשְׁתְּכָחוּ עַל יְדוֹי בִּרְכָן לְעֵילָּא וּלְתַתָּא. וְיִתְעֲבָר וְיִסְתָּלַק הַהוּא נֶגַע, וְיִשְׁרֵי נְהִירוּ דְּרַחֲמֵי עַל כֺּלָּא, ובג"כ וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֺּהֵן.