09 Apr PARASHAT TAZRIA: THE SELF-DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF ARROGANCE

Parashat Tazria introduces
the laws related to Sara’at –
a skin infection, similar to
leprosy, that would befall
a person as a result of certain sins. The Torah
says that when a person sees a discoloration on
his skin that might qualify as Sara’at, he must
approach a Kohen, who, based on the Torah’s
specific guidelines, would determine whether
indeed this individual is a Mesora (person
stricken with Sara’at). If the person is declared a
Mesora, he must observe several very restricting
laws, including leaving his city and living in
solitude.
Interestingly, the Torah says about the person
who sees a possible Sara’at infection on his
body, “Ve’huba”– “He shall be brought” to a
Kohen (13:2). The Torah speaks of the individual
being brought to a Kohen, rather than going to
a Kohen. The explanation is that the sins for
which one would suffer Sara’at are sins which
involve arrogance, particularly, Lashon Ha’ra
– negative speech about other people. People
who are arrogant are not likely to take the
initiative to solve their problems, to seek the
help and guidance of others. A person stricken
with Sara’at, whose affliction is an expression
of his plague of hubris, might naturally resist
approaching a Kohen for guidance, and so the
Torah says, “Ve’huba” – that his family and
friends should bring him to a Kohen against his
will to address his problem.
Numerous stories are told in Tanach and

in Rabbinic literature warning about this
phenomenon – the self-destructive power of
arrogance.
During the time of the prophet Yirmiyahu, who
prophesied about the impending destruction of
Yerushalayim, there was a false prophet named
Hananya Ben Azur, who opposed Yirmiyahu.
Hananya falsely told the people that G-d spoke
to him and assured him that Yerushalayim would
be safe, and the people do not need to repent.
Yirmiyahu, based on a prophetic message from
G-d, proclaimed that if Hananya was lying,
then he would die that year. The verse in Sefer
Yirmiyahu (28:17) relates that indeed, Hananya
died that year, in the seventh month. The Rabbis
noted, however, the seventh month is Tishri – the
month which begins the new year. Technically
speaking, then, Hananya did not die during the
year in which Yirmiyahu made his prediction,
but rather the following year. The Rabbis explain
that as the days passed following Yirmiyahu’s
prediction, Hananya ridiculed Yirmiyahu,
showing him that time has passed, the year
would soon come to an end, and he was perfectly
healthy. But right before Rosh Hashanah,
Hananya suddenly took ill, and he realized he
would soon perish. Before he died, he instructed
his family to delay his burial until after Rosh
Hashanah, in order to give the appearance that he
died on Rosh Hashanah, after the new year began,
thereby misleading the people into thinking that
Yirmiyahu’s prophecy was not accurate.
Hananya obviously knew he was lying. And he

knew that he would soon die and stand before the
Heavenly Tribunal. And yet, even then, he could
not bring himself to confess his wrongdoing
and repent. He still insisted on maintaining his
prestige, rather than humbly acknowledging
his wrongdoing and thereby earning G-d’s
forgiveness.
Perhaps the most famous, and most striking,
example of the self-destructive power of
arrogance is the story of Yerobam Ben Nevat,
first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
G-d decided to divide Beneh Yisrael into two
kingdoms, and so He sent the prophet Ahiya
to Yerobam to instruct him to secede and form
a separate kingdom. Unquestionably, if G-d
chose Yerobam for this role, he must have been
an exceptionally righteous and learned man.
However, after he formed the new kingdom,
Yerobam’s ego sent him in the wrong direction.
As Yom Tob approached, Yerobam decided
to station guards and set up a blockade to
prevent his constituents from going to the Bet
Ha’mikdash in Yerushalayim, as is required on
Yom Tob. He realized that if the people would
go to the Bet Ha’mikdash, they would see
the king of the Judean Kingdom – Rehabam
– receiving royal honor, and his own stature
would be compromised. He therefore decided to
prevent the people of his kingdom from going to
Yerushalayim, and – shockingly – he built two
temples in his own kingdom with golden calves
for the people to worship, instead of going to the
Bet Ha’mikdash. His preoccupation with honor

and prestige led him so far astray that he caused
all the people in his kingdom to worship idols.
Perhaps even more astoundingly, Yerobam
later rejected G-d’s offer of forgiveness for this
grievous offense. The Talmud tells in Masechet
Sanhedrin (102a) that G-d compassionately told
Yerobam that if he would repent, He would not
only accept his repentance, but He would “stroll
in Gan Eden” together with him and with Dovid
Hamlech. We would certainly have expected
Yerobam to eagerly accept this offer, but he in
fact rejected it – because he was told that Dovid
would be walking in front of him.
Such is the self-destructive power of arrogance –
it causes people to ruin their lives, and even their
eternal share in the next world.
This phenomenon is, unfortunately, very
common. Marriages are strained, or broken,
because one or both spouses refuse to yield.
Siblings and other family members often endure
a great deal of tension because people are too
focused on receiving the honor they want.
Business partnerships are destroyed because of
power struggles.
One of the lessons of the Mesora is to beware of
this self-destructive force. Let us ensure to never
to allow a relationship to be destroyed because
of ego, because of our insistence on receiving
honor. Let us have the wisdom and humility
to give in and yield, rather than allow the vain
desire for honor to wreak havoc with our lives.