Leprosy?!

This week’s parsha continues to discuss the specific sins that will cause a person to develop leprosy like symptoms (this Divine type of leprosy was found during the time of the Bat Hamikdash). There are ten sins that make a Jew deserving of being stricken by the leprosy: I have listed them out briefly below:

1.     Serving idols- prohibition of serving idols, even learning about foreign philosophies, which can be extremely difficult to leave his mind.

2.     Immorality- children can be birthed from such acts of immorality.

3.     Murder- a person may be forgiven by Hashem for his act, nevertheless, he will endure the painful tzars- leprosy.

4.     Blaspheming against Hashem.

5.     Robbing the public- charging people more than an item costs.

6.     Acting in a capacity not permitted to him (i.e. offering private sacrifices to Hashem).

7.     Conceit- this arrogance leads a person to believe his glory manifests from himself and not from Hashem.

8.     Lashon Hara-gossip- a person who gossips goes against basic Torah concepts.

9.     Giving an evil eye.

10.  Taking an oath in vain.

            Moreover, the parsha continues to go into depth discussing the halachot- laws- concerning the symptoms of the tzara’as- leprosy. The laws go into detail regarding the leprosy of the skin, and how a person with an outbreak must isolate himself, in order to induce him to repent and return to Hashem. Rather than killing the sinner, Hashem gives him an opportunity to contemplate his transgressions in isolation. Because of the embarrassment the sinner feels for being exiled during his leprosy, that banishment nullifies his wrongdoing, and expiates his sins, allowing him return to the community. Additionally the leprosy may even develop on one’s clothing, furniture, and home. Initially, Hashem punishes the person by creating leprosy on the walls of his home, to give him the incentive to repent.  If he ignored the signs on his house, they then spread onto his clothes, and if he finally repented thereafter, the leprosy vanished. However, even after all those obvious warning signs, he did not repent by that point, Hashem inflicts his body with the leprosy.

            How amazing it is to see that Hashem never immediately inflicts pain and suffering onto his people, rather, he gives us warning signs, in order for us to initiate change. However, we must open our eyes to all the signs He throws our way. The sad reality of it all is that we are blind to see the signs, and only when it’s too late are we motivated to change.