14 Apr PARSHAS TAZRIA-METZORA: THE ‘EYES’ HAVE IT THE ‘EYES’ HAVE IT WHEN IT COMES TO TZARAAS OF CLOTHING

At the end of Parshas
Tazria, when the Torah
states the laws of the
Tzaraas affliction
affecting clothing, the
pasuk says, “the Kohen
shall look, after the
affliction has been washed, and behold (if)
the affliction has not changed its appearance
(lo hafach es eino) and the affliction has not
spread, it is contaminated, you shall burn it in
fire…” [Vayikra 13:55].
Although the literal and straightforward
interpretation of the expression “lo hafach es
eino” means that the appearance of the
affliction has not changed, the Chidushei
HaRim (R. Yitzchak Meir of Ger [1799-
1866]) cites a beautiful insight based on a
Gemara [Eruchin 16a]. The Talmud mentions
that Tzaraas is a punishment for certain
specific sins. The most commonly known sin
in this category is that of tale bearing (lashon
haRa). However, the Talmud teaches that

Tzaraas is also a punishment for “tzorus ha-
ayin” [narrowness of the eye]. This term does

not merely refer to stinginess and being tight-
fisted. A person is described as “narrow of

eye” if he never sees the positive. It is the
opposite of generosity of spirit. It connotes
someone who always sees evil. It is a

stinginess that extends beyond one’s money
to the way in which one views life in general.

If tzaraas is a punishment for “tzorus ha-
ayin”, it would follow that the remedy which

would cause the tzaraas to go way is repenting
and changing from a ‘narrow eyed’ (tzar
ayin) person to a ‘good eyed’ (tov ayin)
person. In other words, change from being a
disciple of Bilaam the wicked, who was a
‘narrow eyed’ person, to being a disciple of
Avraham who was a generous person,
possessing a ‘good eye’ [Avot 5:19].
If the tzaraas does not improve… If it stays
the same size, then the garment has no
remedy. The garment remains impure and
ultimately it must be burnt.
The Chidushei HaRim says that the
expression “lo hafach es eino” has a double
meaning. Certainly, on a simple level, the
meaning of the phrase is that it did not change
its appearance. But the phrase also connotes
the fact that the affliction did not change the
‘eye’ of the owner of the garment. In order to
repent and to have his garment’s affliction
remedied, his ‘eye’ must change – from being
stingy of spirit to being generous of spirit.
In addition, the Chidushei HaRim says that
the word “Nega” [affliction], which appears

in this pasuk can actually be
considered a rearrangement of the
letters of the word “Oneg” [pleasure].
The difference between the word
“Nega” and the word “Oneg” is just a
matter of where the (letter) “ayin” is
placed. (The letter “ayin” also
connotes ‘eye’!) In these two words,
the letters ‘Nun’ and ‘Gimmel’ are
stationary. The only difference
between the words is whether the
‘ayin’ is at the beginning or at the
end. This alludes back to our theme
that the difference between having an
affliction and having pleasure is completely
dependent on the placement of the ‘eye’. If a
person has a ‘good eye’, with the proper
approach and the proper perspective on life
– he will have ‘Oneg’. Otherwise, he will be
stuck with ‘Nega’.
If a person finds himself incapable of
changing his perspective, he will wind up
being forced to burn his clothes. “If the
affliction has not changed its appearance (lo
hafach es eino)… you shall burn it in fire…”
The Peddler’s Lesson: Listen To Your
Messages
There is a famous Medrash that tells of a
peddler who came into a city and inquired
“Who wants longevity? Who wants
longevity?” Rav Yannai inquired of the
peddler what he was selling. The peddler
directed Rav Yannai to the pasuk in
Tehillim: “Who is the man who desires
life…? Guard your tongue from evil and
your lips from speaking deceit” [Tehillim
34:13-14]. Rav Yannai commented that he
never understood the interpretation of this
pasuk until this peddler taught him about
it.
All the commentaries are bothered by an
obvious question on this Medrash: how is
it that Rav Yannai never understood the
interpretation of a straightforward pair of
pasukim in Tehillim, until a peddler
explained it to him? It would seem that
there is nothing subtle to understand here!
What did the peddler see that Rav Yannai
did not see?
The Shemen HaTov explains that certainly
Rav Yannai understood that a person who
desires life needs to guard his tongue. But
Rav Yannai had understood that the only
way to guard one’s tongue from evil is to
become a hermit. Rav Yannai thought that
cleanliness of speech required being
somewhat anti-social. Rav Yannai believed
that mixing with society, having friends
and engaging in conversation was a sure
formula for NOT being able to live up to
the standards of “Who is the man who
desires life”.
Rav Yannai was shocked that the
PEDDLER was “selling” this verse.
Peddlers are known for their ‘gift of gab’.
They travel from city to city and from

house to house and have plenty to tell and
plenty to share and plenty to say. In classic
Hebrew literature, the peddler was always
portrayed as a gossip. The very name of the
profession (Rochel) is related to the word for
tale-bearing (Rechilus).
Rav Yannai’s revelation was not so much the
interpretation of the pasuk but the teacher of
the lesson: “If the peddler can tell me that a
person such as he can be careful about
Lashon HaRa, then my approach must
change. I now realize that a person can
intermix with society, talk, be sociable and
still be careful not to speak Lashon HaRa.”
Rabbi Layzer Levine, the father-in-law of
Rabbi Berel Wein zt”l, grew up in the house
of the Chofetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisrael Mayer
Kagan. [Rabbi Kagan was the author of
numerous works of Halacha and ethics but is
known by the name of his largest work on the
laws of gossip, “Chofetz Chaim” (“desires
life”, from the passage in Tehillim quoted
above).] It is well-known that the Chofetz
Chaim was himself the paradigm of someone
who was careful not to speak Lashon HaRa.
Therefore, we imagine that he was a person
of very few words, who rarely spoke to those
around him.
Rabbi Wein heard from his father-in-law that
the opposite was true. The Chofetz Chaim
was constantly talking! He was constantly
engaged in conversation with people. And
nonetheless, he was careful about Lashon
HaRa.
That is what Rav Yannai learned from the
peddler.
In addition, there is another lesson here.
Many times in life we are bombarded with
messages. Some of these messages are very
important. Some of these messages may
come from the most unlikely of sources.
Even the lowly peddler can deliver a powerful
message to the great Rav Yannai. However,
we must listen for such messages. Someone
like Rav Yannai, who is constantly open to
messages, will constantly learn and
constantly grow.
“From all my teachers I have become wise”
[Tehillim 119:99]. A person must have the
ability to learn from every teacher and from
every situation. The messages are out there.
Our job is to remain awake enough to receive
them.