18 Apr PARASHAT TAZRIA-METSORA: SELF-DESTRUCTIVE ARROGANCE

Parashiyot Tazria and
Mesora devote a great
deal of attention to
the laws of Sara’at, a
condition that would befall
people as a punishment for various sins.
Sara’at manifested itself as a discoloration
either in a person’s skin, in his clothing,
or on the walls of his home. In the case of
bodily Sara’at, the individual was required to
remain alone, in quarantine, outside his city,
reflecting and repenting, until his ailment
was cured and a special ceremony was
performed through which he regained his
Tahara (purity).
The Torah requires a person who sees a
discoloration on his skin to come before
a Kohen, who would inspect the skin and
determine whether the individual indeed
suffers from Sara’at. In formulating this
requirement, the Torah writes, “Ve’huba
El Aharon Ha’kohen O El Ahad Mi’banav
Ha’kohanim” – “he shall be brought to
Aharon the Kohen, or to one of his sons, the
Kohanim” (13:2). Significantly, the Torah
does not say that the person should himself
go to the Kohen; rather, it says that he should
“be brought” to the Kohen, implying that
others force him to approach the Kohen to
have the skin discoloration inspected.
We can understand the Torah’s formulation
by observing the unfortunate situation of
an addict. Very often, addicts refuse to
acknowledge that they have a problem that
requires professional help. They insist that
they are fully in control, that their drinking
– for example – is not a very big deal, and
that they could stop if they felt they needed
to. Human nature is such that we do not like
to recognize our faults and failures. And thus
the Torah envisions the person’s family and
peers bringing him to a Kohen to have his
skin discoloration evaluated, because, in
many instances, the person will refuse to do
so on his own. He will continue along his
path of self-destructive behavior rather than
humbly admit that he has a problem which
needs to be addressed.
Developing this point further, one of the
sins mentioned by the Gemara as causes of
Sara’at is arrogance. Few character traits
are more self-destructive than arrogance.
Indeed, the Mishna teaches in Pirkeh Abot
(4:21), “Jealousy, desire and [the pursuit of]
honor remove a person from this world.”
Pride and a lust for honor lead a person to act
irrationally, against his own best interests.
Such a person will almost certainly not
recognize his arrogance as a spiritual ill that
must be addressed, and so “Ve’huba” – he
must be brought to the Kohen, because he
would not likely approach the Kohen on his
own.
The Book of Melachim II (chapter 5) tells
the story of Na’aman, the commander of the
army of Aram, an enemy country north of
Israel. Na’aman was a very successful and
prominent figure, but he suffered terribly
from Sara’at. Somebody advised him to travel
to Israel and consult with Elisha, the prophet,
who would be able to cure his condition.
Na’aman arrived with a large entourage, and
Elisha, without even bothering to greet the
general, sent his assistant to tell Na’aman that
he should bathe in the Jordan River, and he
would then be cured. Na’aman was incensed.
He had assumed that the prophet would greet
him with great honor, and perform some
special ritual to cure him. Na’aman felt it
was an affront to his honor that Elisha just
sent a message to do something so ordinary
like swim in the Jordan River. He refused
to comply with the prophet’s instructions,
until his men convinced him to do what the
prophet said. Na’aman eventually bathed in
the Jordan, whereupon he was completely
healed.
This is a man who suffered for many years
from a painful and embarrassing condition
– and yet he refused to try a method of
treatment prescribed by a renowned prophet,
all because of his pride. When a person feels
compelled to protect his ego, he acts against
his own best interests, and causes himself
great harm.
There are so many examples of this
unfortunate and tragic phenomenon.
Relationships and partnerships are torn
apart because people refuse to undertake
relatively simple measures to accommodate
each other. Destructive conflicts endure and
wreak havoc upon families and communities
because both parties persist and refuse to
back down. People lose their jobs because
their pride prevents them from doing their
work properly. When pride becomes our
highest priority, we are willing to sacrifice
everything else, and we end up destroying
ourselves.
This is one lesson we can learn from the
Torah’s discussion of Sara’at – the need to
avoid self-destructive arrogance. Rather
than allow our pride to ruin our lives, let
us remain humble, respect other people and
their wishes, and be willing and open to seek
help when we need it.